Strawberry Crunch Cake Recipe
This Strawberry Crunch Cake tastes like someone took the happiest memories from your childhood and baked them all together in this celebratory cake. The yellow and strawberry cake layers are sandwiched together with both strawberry and vanilla, The cake is then covered from head to toe with strawberry crunch that is out of this world and super easy to create.
Servings 8 people
Calories 11365kcal
Equipment
- Round Cake Pans, either 6-7” pans or 8-9” pans
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Food Processor or Ziploc Bag with Rolling Pin
- Cake Spatula
Ingredients
For Cake
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup strawberry preserves strained, if preferred for strawberry layers only
Buttercream Frosting / Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 TBSP whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup strawberry preserves strained, if preferred for cake layers only
Strawberry Crunch Topping
- 2 cups freeze dried strawberries
- 30 Golden Oreos
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter melted
Instructions
For The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two round pans (approx 6-7”) or two round pans (8-9”) and add parchment paper, if using.
- In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and pale yellow, for about two minutes.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Lower the speed and add the flour and milk alternately into the batter in three parts, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl each time.
- If making three layers, remove ⅓ of the batter and add to one of the three cake pans. If making two larger cake layers that you can cut in half, remove ½ of the batter and add to one of the two pans.
- With the remaining batter in the mixer, add ½ cup strawberry preserves. You can warm the preserves first for 30 seconds in the microwave. If you don’t like the occasional strawberry texture in your cake, make sure to strain the preserves first.
- Pour the strawberry batter into the two small pans or one large pan. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack and release from the round pan.
For The Buttercream/Strawberry Frosting
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the confectioners sugar and butter on low speed until smooth. You can add additional sugar to adjust the consistency.
- Add in the milk and vanilla extract and beat until the texture is smooth.
- Remove ⅔ - ¾ of the frosting to a separate bowl, depending on the size and number of layers in your cake. Add the strawberry preserves (again warmed and, if preferred, strained) to the remaining frosting and beat until combined.
For The Strawberry Crunch Topping
- In a food processor or by hand using a ziploc bag and a rolling pin, pulverize the freeze dried strawberries, the Golden Oreos, and the melted butter until the consistency of rough sand.
To Assemble
- Stack your cake layers in whatever number you are making. If cutting two larger cakes in half, slice them carefully and evenly. If stacking three smaller layers, arrange the layers pink-white-pink to mirror this cake.
- With a cake spatula, spread the strawberry frosting in between the layers and follow by frosting the entire cake with the remaining buttercream.
- Press the strawberry crunch topping all around the cake. You can simply add crunch to the sides, or to the entire cake. Feel free to decorate further as you like. This cake has fresh strawberries on top!
