This Strawberry Crunch Cake recipe is a delicious cake with a light crunch coating nestled between layers of strawberry cake. The strawberry crunchies topping make this cake a nice way to celebrate the season.
This delicious treat tastes like the crunch ice cream bars you may have seen at the grocery store. It is one of my favorite cakes when I am looking for a sweet strawberry dessert.
Why This Recipe
This strawberry crunch cake recipe tastes just like strawberry crunch ice cream in cake form! It is a layer cake topped with vanilla buttercream frosting and covered with a strawberry crunch on top of the cake.
Cakes make the day special. So whether you are celebrating the every day, a birthday or other special occasion, this strawberry shortcake inspired recipe is sure to delight the family. It looks like a fancy cake, but it is in fact, really easy to make.
The crunchy cake topping is a fun surprise from the basic strawberry cake. The crunchy topping is delicious!
Ingredients For Homemade Strawberry Crunch Cake
Boxed Cake Mix - You can use your favorite brand of cake mix for this recipe.
Freeze-dried strawberries - You can find these at the grocery store, box stores or on Amazon here.
Eggs - For the cake.
Vanilla extract- Adds a nice flavor to the cake.
Cookies - You will want to use something like vanilla wafers or similar for the crunchy topping.
Fresh Strawberries - for topping the cake.
Equipment and Tools
Food processor - You can also use a small food chopper.
Round cake pans - You will need three for this recipe, but if you only have two, you can use one twice.
Wire rack -
How to Make Strawberry Crunch Cake
Preheat oven. Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add eggs and oil per package directions. Pour cake batter into round cake pans and bake. Let cool and remove cakes from pans.
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- Frost the first layer and add the second cake. Frost the top of that layer and add the third layer in a stack.
- Next frost the sides of the cake with a spatula.
- Frost the top of the cake.
- Pat crumbles on the cake (see the tutorial to make crumb topping below).
Making the Topping
- Place the freeze-dried strawberries and cookies in a blender or chopper.
- Pulse on high to form crumbs.
- Add melted butter and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Unplug the processor and remove the topping carefully.
Then you will top the cake wth a little more butter cream and strawberries.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Crunch Cake
Ingredients
- 2 boxes strawberry cake mix. 1
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 cup water per each box mix
- 3 large eggs per box mix
- ⅓ cup oil per box mix
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Non stick spray
Strawberry Crumble
- 2 8 oz. package freeze-dried strawberries
- ½ box Nilla wafers or Golden oreos, crushed
- 8 fresh strawberries
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups butter softened
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 7 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Spray (3) 8-inch by 2 inch baking pans with non stick spray or use cake release Prepare each cake mix according to package instructions.
- Divide between pans baking two strawberry and one vanilla cake.
- Bake according to package instructions. Let cakes cool in pans for at least ten mins before mov- ing to a wired rack or let them cool in pans completely.
Make Frosting
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer and beat butter and half of the powdered sugar until smooth. You can also use a stand mixer if you have it.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar, vanilla and 7 tablespoons heavy cream and mix On high for 7min.
- If the mixture is too stiff, add more heavy cream.
Make Strawberry Topping
- Blend freeze-dried strawberries and Nilla Wafers in a high impact blender or food processor. Add melted butter and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined.
Assemble The Cake
- Place a small dollop of frosting onto an 8 or 10 inch cake board.
- Lay down a strawberry layer, vanilla layer and top with strawberry, filling each layer with buttercream frosting.
- Add buttercream to the sides of the cake. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth but it should be thick enough to not see cake through the frosting.
- Add strawberry crunchies immediately before the frosting “crusts” over making it difficult to get the mix to stick.
- Frost the top of the cake and cover with crunchies.
- Decorate with buttercream roses and fresh strawberries.
Nutrition
Pro Tips and Timesaver Shortcuts
- After removing the cake from the oven, place it on a wire rack or cold stovetop for 10 minutes.
- When making the frosting, be sure to whip the butter until it is light and fluffy.
- After frosting the cake, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and then add the coarse crumb topping for easy cleanup.
- You can make the buttercream frosting the day before adn store it in the refrigerator. Be sure to let sit at room temperature 20 minutes if it is cold before using on the cake.
- Store leftover cake (if any) in an airtight container.
- You can use a little bit of the extra cruch topping on frozen yogurt.
This is the perfect dessert to celebrate the end of summer. Serve with strawberry ice cream or vanilla ice cream
Don't forget to bookmark this recipe.
More Easy Strawberry Recipes
Strawberry Poke Cake - that delicious white cake made with strawberry jello poking through.
Fresh Strawberry Muffins- the BEST muffin recipe made with fresh strawberries.
Strawberry Empanadas - This delicious fruit empanada recipe has been pinned more than 5000 times.
Homemade Strawberry Lemonade - A refreshing summer drink idea.
Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake -Wonderful strawberry flavor in a cheesecake.
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Tamara
That is beautiful and looks professionally done! I can impress my whole family.
Allyssa
This is really flavorful and really delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing strawberry crunch cake recipe! Well done!
Raquel
So happy you loved it Allyssa!
Scarlet
This was so delicious. I am saving this strawberry cake recipe to make again for my daughter's birthday by special request. She loved the crunchy part too!
Jenni
Loved this cake! It turned out perfectly and was so delicious!
Sue
How many golden oreo cookies did you use for the crunch topping? Iam going to make a low carb version and I'm going to use some low carb sandwich cookies and they come 16 to a package.
By the way, the cake looks fabulous! I'm looking forward to making it.
Raquel
I used about 20.
Dee
This looks amazing! For the topping, should it say 2 packages of freeze dried strawberries that are 0.8 oz each instead of 8 oz each?
Raquel
Yes, thank you for catching that. We have fixed the recipe card.
THERESA S THOMPSON
Hi Rachel,
Did you use 1 box of cake mix per pan?
Did it not overflow or am I missing something somewhere. I want to make this cake for my family this weekend. And what section of the supermarket will I find freeze dried strawberries, do you have a specific brand that you use?
Raquel
I used 2 boxes strawberry cake mix and 1 box vanilla cake mix. They fit nicely in 9" pans but if you have smaller pans there may be a little extra batter remaining. Do not fill to the top. I bought my freeze dried strawberries at the market or Trader joes. They should be in the dried fruit section. Michael's also has them. Enjoy!
Theresa Thompson
Thank you so much for your reply. I want to do this for a friend. Do you remove the cream from the cookies or incorporate in the crumble mixture.
How did you get the crumble on the cake so perfectly. Sorry for so many questions, but I want to get this right.
Raquel
Hi Theresa, No worries! The cream becomes part of the mixture. Once you have your frosting applied, take handfuls of the cookie crumble mixture and gently press it onto the sides of the cake. Use a spatula to smooth out any bumps or uneven areas.