Strawberry Crunch Cake is a delightful delightful celebration of fresh strawberries – just bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. This irresistible dessert features layers of fluffy strawberry cake, a creamy vanilla Ermine frosting (recipe included!), and a homemade strawberry crunch topping.
Every slice is a delight of textures and tastes, making this cake a showstopper for any occasion.
Why You'll Love This Dessert
This Strawberry Crunch Cake is a dream come true for any strawberry lover! It delivers a burst of fresh strawberry flavor in every single bite.
The real star of the show is the homemade strawberry crunch topping. Made with crushed Golden Oreos and vibrant freeze-dried strawberries, it adds a playful textural contrast and a pop of intense strawberry essence.
It's an explosion of sweet and tart flavors that's perfect for any occasion!
- Fresh Strawberry Flavor: Bursting with real strawberries, this cake delivers a burst of sweet and tart flavor in every mouthful.
- Easy Homemade Crunch Topping: The topping requires just a few ingredients and adds a delightful textural contrast to the soft cake.
- Classic Vanilla Ermine Frosting: This frosting is rich, creamy, and perfectly complements the strawberry cake without overpowering it.
Ingredients That Make This Cake Special
This recipe uses freeze-dried strawberries, which are a concentrated source of strawberry flavor without the added moisture of fresh berries. This ensures the cake layers remain moist without becoming soggy.
The Ermine frosting is a classic recipe that uses simple ingredients like butter, flour, milk, and sugar, resulting in a smooth, creamy, and slightly lighter frosting compared to traditional buttercream.
Finally, the golden Oreos and freeze-dried strawberries in the crunch topping add a delightful textural contrast and a burst of sweet and tangy strawberry flavor.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Our Strawberry Crunch Cake
This cake comes together in three main parts: the cake itself, the Ermine frosting (or your favorite frosting), and the showstopping strawberry crunch topping.
While the cake layers bake, we'll whip up a simple yet delicious Ermine frosting.
Finally, the magic happens with the crunch topping – transforming Golden Oreos and freeze-dried strawberries into a delightful crumb that adds both texture and a burst of concentrated strawberry flavor to the finished cake.
Prepare The Cake Batter
- Beat the eggs and sugar for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture gets light in color and nearly triples in volume. Since this is an oil-based cake, we use this step to add volume and lightness to the crumb instead of creaming butter and sugar.
- Stir in the melted butter, oil, strawberry jam, freeze-dried strawberry powder, strawberry extract, vanilla extract, and pink food coloring (if using).
- Sift the flour and add it to the batter, alternating with the buttermilk.
PRO TIP: To make your own strawberry powder, place 1 ounce of freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or spice grinder. Process until a fine powder forms.
Bake And Frost The Cake
- Spread the batter into the cake pans, distributing the batter evenly. Tap each pan on the counter to make sure any air bubbles escape.
- Bake in the preheated until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Prepare the old fashioned Ermine frosting (recipe included in the recipe card below) while the cakes are baking, or use your favorite buttercream or cream cheese frosting recipe.
- When cakes are cool, frost and then sprinkle the strawberry crunch topping on the sides. Pipe dollops of frosting on top, studding each with a fresh strawberry. Serve and enjoy!
Make Homemade Strawberry Crunch Topping
- To make homemade strawberry crunch topping, place the golden Oreos in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they become small, pebble sized crumbs.
- Transfer them to a bowl and mix in either powdered freeze-dried strawberries, or half a small package of Strawberry Jell-O, and mix well.
- Pour in the melted butter and toss the mixture with a fork to combine.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations or substitutions when making this recipe.
- Not a fan of Oreos? Substitute another type of vanilla wafer cookie for the golden Oreos in the crunch topping.
- No Freeze-dried strawberries? No problem! Use half of a small 3 oz package of Strawberry Jell-O. It will give you a sweet and tart strawberry crunch crumble!
- Frosting Delimas? You can use any vanilla flavored frosting you prefer, including ready made!
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making this strawberry crunch cake:
- Make sure the cakes have cooled completely before frosting them.
- Refrigerate the cake until it's time to cut it into individual servings.
- You can purchase fine, freeze-dried strawberry powder or make your own with freeze-dried strawberries!
- We used two 8-inch cake pans, but if you only have 9-inch pans, bake them for 25-30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This Strawberry Crunch Cake is perfect for any occasion, from birthday parties to baby showers and afternoon party events. It's the perfect dessert for strawberry season, potlucks, and special occasions, leaving everyone asking for another slice!
Serve it chilled or at room temperature on a buffet with other themed menu items for a beautiful presentation.
Related Recipes
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this strawberry cake.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Chicago Metallic 8 inch Cake Pan (my favorite brand for cake pans)
Storage and Reheating
- Store in the refrigerator on a cake stand, in an airtight container, or covered with plastic wrap, for up to five days.
- Before serving, you can let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to take the chill off.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this recipe, no. It will get the moisture balance off, and you'll have a heavy, too moist of a cake.
While the Ermine frosting pairs beautifully with the strawberry cake and crunch topping, you can certainly use another frosting recipe you prefer. Cream cheese frosting or whipped cream frosting would both be delicious options.
For clean cuts, dip your knife in warm water and wipe it dry between slices. This helps prevent the frosting and strawberry topping from sticking to the knife.
More Five Star Desserts
Strawberry Crunch Cake
Equipment
- 2 8 inch Cake Pans
Ingredients
For Strawberry Cake
- 2½ cup All-purpose flour 300 grams
- 1½ teaspoon Baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 Eggs
- 1½ cup Sugar 300 grams
- 6 tablespoon Butter melted (85 grams)
- ¼ cup Oil (50 grams)
- ½ cup Strawberry jam 166 grams
- 1 oz Freeze-dried strawberry powder optional
- 1 tablespoon Strawberry extract
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Pink gel food coloring optional
- 1 cup buttermilk 237 grams
For Old Fashioned Ermine Frosting
- ⅔ cup All-purpose flour
- 2 cup Granulated sugar 400 grams
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- 2 cup Whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 cup Butter 4 sticks, room temperature
For Homemade Strawberry Crunch Topping
- 16 Golden Oreo cookies
- 1 cup Freeze-dried strawberries 1 ounce
- 4 tablespoon Butter melted
- 16 Strawberries for garnish
Instructions
Bake The Strawberry Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside for later.2½ cup All-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoon Baking soda, 1½ teaspoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Add the eggs and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat on high speed for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture gets light in color and nearly triples in volume. If you lift the beater and let the mixture fall back into the bowl, it should fall in a ribbon-like pattern. This step will help add volume and lightness to the cake.3 Eggs, 1½ cup Sugar
- Stir in the melted butter, oil, strawberry jam, freeze-dried strawberry powder, strawberry extract, vanilla extract, and pink food coloring (if using).6 tablespoon Butter, ¼ cup Oil, ½ cup Strawberry jam, 1 oz Freeze-dried strawberry powder, 1 tablespoon Strawberry extract, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon Pink gel food coloring
- Sift half of the flour mixture over the batter and stir it with a wide spatula.
- Stir in the buttermilk, then sift the rest of the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in until well combined.1 cup buttermilk
- Spread the batter into the cake pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Prepare The Ermine Frosting
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together.⅔ cup All-purpose flour, 2 cup Granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- Gradually add the milk and vanilla, stirring to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring continually until the mixture becomes thick and pudding-like. Remove from the heat and transfer to a shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap, place in the fridge, and let cool to room temperature or a bit cooler.2 cup Whole milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the cooled flour/milk mixture a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until all of the flour/milk mixture is incorporated into the butter, and the frosting is creamy and fluffy about 5-7 minutes.2 cup Butter
Strawberry Crunch Topping
- Place the cookies and dried strawberries into a closable plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they become small pebble-size crumbs. Transfer to a bowl, pour in the melted butter, and toss with a fork to combine.16 Golden Oreo cookies, 1 cup Freeze-dried strawberries, 4 tablespoon Butter
- Frost the cake with the frosting, then cover it with the crunch topping. Decorate with fresh strawberries, if desired.16 Strawberries
- Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Notes
- To make freeze-dried strawberry powder, place 1 ounce of freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or spice grinder. Process until you have a fine powder.
- You can also bake this cake in 9-inch round cake pans for 25 to 30 minutes.
Leave a Reply