I love this fresh Strawberry Crunch Cake in the spring and summer! It is so light and fresh and makes great use of the season's bounty.

It is the perfect dessert for warm days and will delight all at your next barbeque or backyard party. Mom loves when I make this Strawberry Crunch Cake for Mother's Day and Dad equally loves it for Father's Day too! To narrow it down, it is a great celebration cake during the warm months.
Ingredients
This cake uses the typical ingredients. Sugar, flour, butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla. The addition of oil helps keep the cake extra moist, and the sour cream keeps it tender. The extra yolks add to the richness and deepen the color of this beautiful yellow cake.
To make the topping for the cake, you will whip some cream with a little powdered sugar to sweeten it slightly. Then dice some fresh berries and saute them with some sugar to make syrupy berries and douse the cake with them. Then crunch up some butter cookies and freeze-dried strawberries and toss them with some butter to add the "crunch" to the top of the cake.
This is a bit of a two-part cake, and it uses a larger number of ingredients than I typically like to use, but it isn't overly difficult. The work is worth it in the end, and the nostalgia of the reminisces of a Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Bar.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
To make the cake, start by creaming the butter till smooth, then add the oil and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and yolks slowly. Whisk together the milk and sour cream and beat that into the batter. Place it into a greased tin and bake.
While the cake bakes, dice some strawberries and place them in a skillet with some sugar. Cook over medium heat till the berries release some liquid and cook till syrupy. When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool a little, then poke holes in it with the back of a wooden spoon and pour the cooked strawberries and all their juices over the cake.
Now it is time to prepare the crunchy topping. Crush the butter cookies and freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor. I like to do them separately and then mix because otherwise the whole mixture becomes pink and I like a color contrast. Mix it with a little butter and stir them together.
Lastly, whip a little fresh cream. You could also use a tub of frozen whip topping you you like, but fresh is best. Spread the cream over the cooled cake and top with the crispy cookie and berry topping.
Place the complteted Strawberry Crunch Cake in the fridge to cool and set for a couple of hours at least, then slice and enjoy. Notice how the strawberry syrup has seeped into the holes and make the cake very moist!
Notes & Tips
It is best to butter this tin with real butter as opposed to baking spray. There is no need to line it with parchment as you will serve right from the tin or pan. But a generous buttering will keep the cake from sticking and allow for very clean slices to lift out of the pan.
Call this a poke cake if you must. The best way to do it is to use the end of a wooden spoon. Use a skinny one so the holes aren't too big.
I prefer to chop the cookies and freeze-dried strawberries for the topping separately because the color can quickly get muddied if you blend them together.
Substitutions
I only keep unsalted butter in my kitchen. But if you happen to have salted butter on hand that is ok. Simply reduce the amount of salt in the cake by half if you use salted butter.
Vegetable oil is my go-to for baking because it is a very neutral oil. But any neutral oil will work, corn or canola oil are some other great options.
Vanilla extract makes this a traditional yellow cake. But if you'd like to infuse a little more strawberry flavor into the cake, add some strawberry extract in its place.
For the cookies used to make the crumble topping, I like to use Chessmen or Lorna Doone cookies. A good butter cookie is all that is needed to achieve the crunch and flavor that mimics that on the ice cream bar treat.
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Crunch Cake
I love this fresh Strawberry Crunch Cake in the spring and summer! It is so light and fresh and makes great use of the season's bounty.
Ingredients
for the cake:
- 8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temp
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 ¼ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 large Eggs, room temp
- 5 large Egg Yolks, room temp
- 2 ⅔ cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt, Morton’s
- ½ cup Whole Milk, room temp
- ½ cup Sour Cream, room temp
for topping:
- 2 pounds Strawberries, diced, reserve 6ish for garnish
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- ½-3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 20 Chessman or Lorna Doone Cookies
- 1 cup Freeze Dried Strawberries
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
Instructions
for the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and generously butter a 9x13 metal baking tin. You can line the bottom with parchment for extra protection but it isn’t necessary for this cake.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium-high speed till fluffy, 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer down to medium and drizzle in the oil, sugar, and vanilla into the bowl.
- Beat them together for 5 minutes longer till the mixture is light in color and has doubled in volume.
- Turn the speed down and add the eggs and egg yolks into the bowl, slowly, 1 or 2 at a time.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl.
- Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a liquid measuring cup.
- Turn the mixer on slowly and pour the liquids into the bowl at a medium pace.
- Mix only until no flour streaks remain in the center of the bowl.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape around the edges and bottom of the bowl just to ensure everything is well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let it cool completely.
for topping:
- While the cake cools, place the diced strawberries and sugar into a skillet on the stove over medium heat.
- Bring the berries and sugar to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes or until the sugar no longer feels grainy when stirred.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake, and even if it’s still a little warm, pour the strawberry mixture over the cake.
- Place the cake in the fridge until completely cool. 2-4 hours.
- Just before serving the cake, whip the cream and powdered sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, just till soft peaks form and the cream has thickened.
- Spread the cream on the cooled cake.
- Finally, place the cookies, freeze-dried strawberries, and butter into the bowl of a food processor or zip-top bag and crush until small pieces form and it begins to clump. Some large pieces should remain, and the mucus hooks not be a fine powder.
- Spread the mixture over the whipped cream and the cake is ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, do not freeze.
Notes
Notes & Tips
It is best to butter this tin with real butter as opposed to baking spray. There is no need to line it with parchment as you will serve right from the tin or pan. But a generous buttering will keep the cake from sticking and allow for very clean slices to lift out of the pan.
Call this a poke cake if you must. The best way to do it is to use the end of a wooden spoon. Use a skinny one so the holes aren't too big.
I prefer to chop the cookies and freeze-dried strawberries for the topping separately because the color can quickly get muddied if you blend them together.
Substitutions
I only keep unsalted butter in my kitchen. But if you happen to have salted butter on hand that is ok. Simply reduce the amount of salt in the cake by half if you use salted butter.
Vegetable oil is my go-to for baking because it is a very neutral oil. But any neutral oil will work, corn or canola oil are some other great options.
Vanilla extract makes this a traditional yellow cake. But if you'd like to infuse a little more strawberry flavor into the cake, add some strawberry extract in its place.
For the cookies used to make the crumble topping, I like to use Chessmen or Lorna Doone cookies. A good butter cookie is all that is needed to achieve the crunch and flavor that mimics that on the ice cream bar treat.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Mauviel M'Cook 5-Ply Polished Stainless Steel Frying Pan With Cast Stainless Steel Handle, 9.4-in, Made In France
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John Boos MPL1812125G Chop-N-Slice Select Maple Edge Grain Cutting Board, 18 Inches x 12 Inches x 1.25 Inches
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Shun Classic 7" Hollow Ground Santoku Knife w/Custom Engraving
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OXO Good Grips 4 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons with Magnetic Snaps
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OXO Good Grips 4 Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps
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Tovolo Flex-Core Stainless Steel Handled Spatula, Removable Head, Heat Resistant, Charcoal Gray
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KitchenAid KSM150PSCE Artisan Stand Mixers, 5 quart, Copper Pearl (Renewed)
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Ateco Aluminum Cake Pan, Rectangle, 9- by 13- by 2-Inches
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 471Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 158mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 2gSugar: 41gProtein: 6g
This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.
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