Strawberry Crunch Cake

This strawberry crunch cake has 2 layers of strawberry-flavored cake, vanilla buttercream frosting, and a delicious strawberry and golden cookie crumble coating. Perfect for a show-stopping dessert, or for anyone who loves strawberry crunch ice cream bars!

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

40 mins

Additional Time:

2 hrs 10 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 30 mins

Servings:

12

Yield:

1 1 (2-layer) 8-inch cake

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This dessert is one that pops. Strawberry crunch ice cream bars always did as a kid, and this strawberry crunch cake is no different. If you want a treat that hits the same sweet spot, this dessert is for you. While this cake may seem challenging, it is very approachable and well-worth making once you’re able to dig in.

You can make strawberry crunch cake in several different ways, but this recipe features two 8-inch round strawberry cakes made from a simple batter of all-purpose flour and strawberry-flavored gelatin. Line the top of the first cake with vanilla frosting, and place the second cake on top. Cover the top and sides in more frosting, and then you’ll add on the key ingredient.

The crunch part of this cake is what makes it. There are four ingredients: Oreo cookies, freeze-dried strawberries, salt, and melted butter. The ingredients become a cookie crumble that comes together using a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender might work—but some extra work with a spatula might be needed. You can also chop the Oreos and strawberries and mix them together with salt and butter in a bowl, but a sharp knife helps (and some good music in the background too).

This cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days or in a freezer for up to two weeks. 

Tips From the Test Kitchen

• “Adding all the dry ingredients at once can create a thick batter that could potentially be over-mixed, and adding all the liquid at once can cause the batter to separate,” says test kitchen assistant Amanda Holstein. “Adding the wet and dry in alternating turns is the best way to get a perfectly incorporated batter and yield the best cake results. 
• “Using room temperature ingredients, or ingredients that are the same temperature, helps create an emulsion easier, decreasing the chance of an over-mixed cake,” according to Amanda. 

Editorial contributions by Keaton Larson

Ingredients

Cake

• baking spray with flour
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin, such as Jell-O (from 1 (3 ounce) package)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups whole buttermilk

Frosting

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream, or more as needed

Crumble

• 25 golden Oreo cookies
• ⅔ cup freeze-dried strawberries
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

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Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour and line bottoms with parchment.
2. To make the cake: Whisk flour, gelatin, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.
3. Beat butter at medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed and scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until just combined. Beat in vanilla.Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
4. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating on low speed just until combined after each addition. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
6. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans and cool completely on a wire rack, 1 to 1 ½ hours.
7. To make the frosting: Add butter and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
8. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternately with cream, beating on low speed until completely incorporated and smooth. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
9. To make the crumble mixture: Place cookies, strawberries, and salt in a food processor and pulse until slightly chunky (bits of strawberry and cookie should still be visible), about 12 pulses. Drizzle in butter and pulse about 5 times to combine.Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
10. Trim tops of cakes with a serrated knife if needed to make flat on top.
11. Place 1 cake layer on serving platter; spread evenly with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer.Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
12. Spread top and sides of cake with the remaining frosting.Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
13. Sprinkle crumble mixture over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere until completely covered. Chill cake for 1 hour before slicing.Dotdash Meredith Food Studios