Strawberry Shortcake Crumb Cake Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake Crumb Cake also called strawberry crunch cake is a version of the classic ice cream bars with a crunchy strawberry crumble.

Do you remember those times as a kid chasing the ice cream truck for those amazing Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream bars? Turn the vanilla ice cream into vanilla cake and the outside of the ice cream bar into some strawberry crunch crumbles and you have this Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Cake!

This strawberry crunch cake with golden Oreos recipe is made up of three parts. The vanilla cake, the homemade strawberry frosting, and the easy strawberry shortcake crumbles. The coarse crumbs are a mixture of cookies and freeze-dried fruit, leading to a strawberry crumble that you may not be able to keep yourself from snacking on!

Feel free to use a vanilla boxed cake mix or try making the homemade cake included in the recipe. It takes a little more work than a box cake and store-bought frosting, but it is delicious dense cake that pairs perfectly with the sweet frosting!

Another summer treat to try is this Homemade Funnel Cake. You can even top it with fresh strawberries and some of the Strawberry Shortcake Crunch topping.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• This homemade version of a Strawberry Crumb Cake will have your tastebuds watering and begging for more
• The combination of the delicious cake with the fresh strawberries and the strawberry crunch topping makes this cake one of my favorite dessert recipes
• This delicious cake is perfect for a special occasion, strawberry season, or year-long.

Recipe Ingredients

You'll need the following simple ingredients from your local grocery store to make Strawberry Crunch Cake.

For the Cake:

The cake is a dense cake with a mild vanilla flavor. If you prefer fluffier cakes you may want to make a boxed cake or use your favorite recipe.

All-purpose flour forms the structure of any baked good.

Cornstarch will make this cake perfectly soft and tender.

Baking powder lightens and raises the dough.

Salt enhances the rest of the flavors in this strawberry shortcake crunch cake.

Unsalted butter adds a rich flavor.

White sugar sweetens the cake.

Egg whites add more airiness to the cake.

Eggs in their full form make for a soft and rich cake.

Vanilla extract adds a yummy flavor.

Sour cream helps to add moistness to the white cake base.

Milk and Apple cider vinegar are combined to give moisture to the cake and work to leaven the cake.

For the Frosting:

Salted butter helps to keep the frosting from getting overly sweet.

Powdered sugar sweetens the frosting and will give the frosting a smoother texture than regular sugar.

Vanilla extract adds to the flavor.

Strawberry jam gives this frosting its color and sweet strawberry flavor.

Milk helps to thin the frosting as needed.

Fresh strawberries are used to decorate the top of the cake.

For the Strawberry Crunch Crumbs

Freeze-dried strawberries are packed with flavor and crunch.

Golden Oreos are sweet and a perfect flavor match in these strawberry shortcake crumbs.

Unsalted butter holds the strawberries and Oreos together and turns them into the perfect crumble.

Substitutions

• Boxed Cake Mix can replace the homemade vanilla cake.
• Vanilla wafers can be used instead of Golden Oreos. You will need to add extra melted butter and it won't be as sweet.
• Food coloring will intensify color if desired.
• Strawberry Jello Powder can replace freeze-dried strawberries, but the flavor will change. I strongly suggest using freeze-dried strawberries!

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Crumb Cake

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full recipe card with ingredient measurements is below!

For the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Spray cake pans with cooking spray and place round parchment paper in the bottom.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk them together.

In a small bowl or cup, mix together vinegar and milk.

With the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer.

On medium speed, add the eggs, followed by the egg whites.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and increase the mixer speed.

On a low speed, alternate adding some of the dry ingredients and the milk and vinegar mixture.

Throughout mixing, continue to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Divide cake batter into the cake pans and cook.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then on a wire rack.

For the Frosting

Make an easy strawberry buttercream following these steps.

With the whisk attachment, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Mix in the vanilla and strawberry jam. Whip until light and fluffy. Only add the milk if you need to thin the frosting.

For the Crunch Topping

Put the freeze-dried fruit and Oreos into the food processor and pulse until the cookies are in large pieces.

Add in the melted butter and pulse until combined.

Pro Tip: If you don't have a food processor add them to a gallon-sized bag and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.

Assembling the Cake

Freeze the cake for 30 minutes to make it easier to apply frosting.

Add a small bit of frosting on the cake plate to prevent the cake from sliding.

Place the first cake on a cake plate.

Pipe a thin rim of frosting around the outside and fill in the middle. 

Put the next cake layer on top and repeat.

Put the final layer on the top of the cake and cover it in a thin layer of frosting.

Add buttercream to the sides and make it even with a cake scraper. 

Add more buttercream to the top and make it even with an offset icing spatula.

Sprinkle the cookie crumble on the sides of the cake. Add fresh strawberries on top.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Make sure the eggs, milk, and sour cream are at room temperature. It helps it to mix evenly into the batter and rise more easily. 
• Gently wrap your cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze them before frosting. This makes the cake stiffer and produces fewer crumbs.

Storage and Reheating

• Storage: Store leftover cake in an airtight container. Remove the fresh strawberries from the top for storage. It will last at room temperature for 3 days and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices for up to 3 months. To freeze cake, wrap it in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Then put it into an airtight container or freezer bag.
• Thawing: Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours before consuming.

Variations

Use the strawberry short cake crumbs to make so many delightful dessert options.

• Make some chocolate-covered strawberries and dip them in the strawberry shortcake crumb topping.
• Create a strawberry explosion by changing the vanilla cake to a strawberry cake mix for extra strawberry flavor.
• Substitute everything strawberry for its peach variant for a dessert that is just peachy!
• Use the crumble on top of cheesecake and drizzled with strawberry jam to make strawberry crunch cheesecake
• Add the strawberry crumbs to strawberry ice cream to serve on the side!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes

Strawberry scones are sweet and delicious. You can also make them in the shape of a heart for Valentine's Day!

More From Thyme for the Table

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📖 Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake Crumb Cake Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake Crumb Cake also called strawberry crunch cake is a version of the classic ice cream bars with a crunchy strawberry crumble.

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 servings

Author: Jen Talley

Cost: $18

Equipment

• 3 8 inch cake pans

Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1½ cups white sugar
• 4 large egg whites (room temperature)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup sour cream (room temperature)
• 1 cup whole milk (room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Strawberry Frosting

• 1½ cups salted butter (room temperature)
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons strawberry jam
• 1 tablespoons milk (as needed for consistency)
• 6 fresh strawberries (for decorating cake)

Strawberry Crunch Topping

• ½ ounce freeze fried strawberries (about ¾ cup)
• 12 cookies Golden Oreos
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Add round parchment paper to the bottom of the pans.
• Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk it to make sure it is evenly mixed and set it aside.
• Add the apple cider vinegar and milk to so a cup or small bowl and mix it together. Set it aside.
• Using a the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes (make sure to stop the mixer and scrap the sides a few times). It should be light and fluffy.
• Start the mixer on medium speed and add the 2 whole eggs. Once that is incorporated, gradually add the remaining 4 egg whites. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Continue to beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.
• Next, add the sour cream and vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed for another 2 minutes.
• On low speed add approximately ⅓ of the flour mixture and ½ of the milk/apple cider vinegar mixture. Repeat until all the flour and milk have been combined (ending with the flour: ⅓ flour ½ milk ⅓ flour ½ milk ⅓ flour).
• Scrape down the sides and mix for another 15 seconds.
• Divide the batter evenly between the three 8-inch circle cake pans. Bake for 20-24 minutes. If you insert a toothpick in the center it should have crumbs attached and not any wet batter.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then allow them to finish cooling on a wire cooling rack.

For the Frosting

• Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for about 30 seconds, scrape the sides and beat for another 30 seconds.
• Add the powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time on medium speed until it has all be added (scrap the sides as necessary)
• Add the vanilla and strawberry jam and mix until it is incorporated. Scrape down the sides. If the consistency of the frosting is soft you don't need to add the optional milk. Whip for another 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy.

For the Crunch Topping

• Add the freeze fried strawberries and Golden Oreos to a food processor. Use the pulse setting until they are broken into large crumbs.
• Add the melted butter and pulse a few more times until it is all combined.

Assembling the Strawberry Shortcake Crumb Cake

• Place the first 8-inch round cake on a cake plate. Pipe a thin rim of strawberry frosting around the edges and fill in the middle. Add the thinly sliced fresh strawberries to the layer.
• Top with the next cake layer and repeat the previous step.
• Place the third cake layer on top. Apply a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the cake for about 10-15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
• Continue frosting your cake, adding buttercream to the sides. Use a cake scraper to make the sides even. Next, add the buttercream to the top and use an offset icing spatula to make that even.
• Add the strawberry shortcake crunch topping to the sides. Slice some fresh strawberries for the top of the cake.

Notes

Tips:

• Make sure the eggs, milk, and sour cream are at room temperature. It helps it to mix evenly into the batter and rise more easily. 
• Gently wrap your cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze them before frosting. This makes the cake stiffer and produces fewer crumbs.

• Storage: Store leftover cake in an airtight container. Remove the fresh strawberries from the top for storage. It will last at room temperature for 3 days and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices for up to 3 months. To freeze cake, wrap it in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Then put it into an airtight container or freezer bag.
• Thawing: Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator for 8 hours before consuming.