Strawberry Crunch Cake

a slice of cake on a plate with a strawberry on top.

This Strawberry Crunch Cake recipe is out of this world good! If you love strawberry crunch ice cream bars, then you will fall in love with this fluffy, homemade strawberry cake. It's topped with a rich and creamy vanilla frosting, then finished with a perfectly crunchy strawberry and golden Oreo topping. This is the perfect summer dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 680

Author Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Ingredients

For the cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
3 egg whites
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
3 ounce package strawberry jello just the powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting

1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar

For the crunch topping

12 golden Oreos separated and cream middles removed
1 cup freeze dried strawberries
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Beat 1 stick of room temperature butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat again until creamy. Add the egg whites and egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes on high speed.
Pour in the milk, jello powder, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large separate bowl. Add it to the wet mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Let it cool for at least one hour before frosting.
To make the buttercream frosting, beat 2 sticks of softened butter over medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Pour in the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt and whip again until fully incorporated. Continue to beat over medium speed as you gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat over medium speed until frosting is light and fluffy.
Crush the golden Oreo cookies and dried strawberries together in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin until it forms a rough, pea-size crumb. Pour in 4 Tablespoons of melted butter, seal the bag, and toss to combine.
Spread the buttercream frosting on top of the cake, then sprinkle the crunch mix evenly over the top. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Use room temperature eggs. This will help your ingredients to incorporate smoothly. If you haven’t had time to let your eggs come to room temperature, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes before adding to the batter.
Where to find freeze dried strawberries: most grocery stores carry freeze dried strawberries, and they are usually located in the aisle with snacks or other dried fruit, like raisins. You can also order them online from Amazon here.
For a shortcut version, you can use a boxed strawberry cake mix for the cake, and a container of store bought vanilla frosting. The crunch topping is essential though, so you'll need to make that from scratch!
Storage directions: any leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store the cake in the refrigerator.

Nutrition