Strawberry Crunch Cake (2024)

This Strawberry Crunch Cake is a delightful blend of fresh strawberries, cream cheese frosting, and a crunchy topping that will leave your taste buds craving more.

The moist cake is filled with juicy strawberries and topped with a delicious mixture of Golden Oreos and freeze-dried strawberries. Better yet, it’s homemade and will be better than any box cake mix.

Best Strawberry Crunch Cake Recipe

In this post, I’ll guide you step-by-step through making this stunning treat bursting with flavors. Below, you’ll find detailed instructions and tips to help you create the perfect Strawberry Crunch Cake. This recipe yields one 8-inch cake with only a little prep time.

Make the Strawberry Crunch Topping

In a food processor, process the Golden Oreo cookies (with filling) until crumbs form. You want a mix of fine crumbs and larger pieces for texture.

Add 1/2 cup of crushed freeze-dried strawberries and mix to combine.

Then, add melted unsalted butter and mix until everything is well combined. Set aside the crumble topping.

Prepare the Strawberries

Next, chop the fresh strawberries into small, 1/2-inch cubes. Place the chopped strawberries in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.

Mix until the strawberries are evenly coated with flour. Set aside.

Make the Cake Batter

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line your pan with parchment paper and spray it with canola oil, cooking spray, or grease it with butter, then sprinkle flour evenly to coat.

In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat room-temperature unsalted butter at medium speed for 1 minute until creamy in a large mixing bowl.

Add the granulated sugar and continue to beat for another 2 mins until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Scrape the bowl occasionally to ensure everything is well incorporated.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add half of the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir on low speed to combine.

Pour in 1/3 cup of buttermilk and mix. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low to combine. Avoid over mixing to prevent the cake from becoming dry.

Assemble the Cake

Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing it out with a spatula.

Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the strawberry crunch mixture on top of the batter.

Top with half of the chopped strawberries.

Add the remaining batter, and smooth it out gently.

Pour the remaining strawberries on top and sprinkle another 3 to 4 tablespoons of crumb on top.

Use a spatula to smooth out the top of the cake, covering the strawberries and crumb with a thin layer of batter.

Baking

Bake the cake in the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the cake is fully set. Depending on the size of the pan, it might take less time. A 9” pan will bake faster since the cake will be thinner. The cake is done when it springs back upon touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack or cake plate to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

To make the frosting, beat room-temperature cream cheese and unsalted butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if needed.

Decorate

Spread the cream cheese frosting on top of the cooled cake with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining homemade strawberry crunch mixture on top.

Serve and enjoy!

Storage

Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze the cake by wrapping the whole cake in plastic wrap and freezing it for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, let it thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for an hour before serving. You can also freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container.

Tips & Tricks

• If you don’t have Golden Oreos, you can use any vanilla sandwich cookie with cream filling.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, simply add a teaspoon of vinegar to regular milk, let it sit for 2 minutes, and use it in the recipe.
• Another buttermilk alternative is to use a combination of sour cream and milk, using 1/4 cup of sour cream and 1/4 cup of milk instead of the buttermilk.
• Adjust baking time based on the size of your pan. A 9” pan will bake faster since the cake will be thinner. An 8” pan must be deep enough to hold all the batter.

What Pan Should I Use?

For this recipe, I used a deep 8” springform pan. If your pan isn’t deep enough, use a 9” cake pan instead. A cheesecake or springform pan works well, as long as the bottom is entirely covered with parchment paper to prevent any batter from leaking out.

Why You Will Love This Cake!

You will love this Strawberry Crunch Cake for its delightful combination of fresh, juicy strawberries and a crunchy, flavorful topping. The Golden Oreo and freeze-dried strawberry crumble add a unique texture that contrasts beautifully with the strawberry flavor of the moist cake. The cream cheese frosting provides a creamy, tangy finish that complements the sweetness of the strawberries.

Strawberry Crunch Cake Variations

Add a few different ingredients to this recipe to elevate your crunch cake game:

• UseButtercream Frosting: Not a fan of the tang of cream cheese? No worries! Try out a vanilla buttercream frosting instead.
• Use Whipped Cream:Top your Strawberry Crunch Cake with whipped cream by beating heavy cream and sugar until you reach stiff peaks. It will make this recipe like a crunchy strawberry shortcake!
• Use Raspberries:Replace all strawberries with equal parts raspberries to get a slightly tangier version!
• Turn it into a layer cake:Try splitting the batter into two round cake pans and decorate as you wish. They probably will need less time in the oven though!
• Add Lemon: Add a bit of lemon juice to the batter and lemon zest to crumb topping to add extra flavor!

If you like this recipe…you’ll love these other ones!

• Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Pie
• Strawberry Brownies
• No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Apple Crumb Cake
• Blackberry Cheesecake

I’d love to hear what you think!

I love hearing feedback about my recipes so please let me know if you make it and tell me what you think! You can share photos with me on Instagram or Facebook!