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Crispy Strawberry Crunch Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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A nostalgic and comforting cake featuring a moist strawberry-studded base topped with a crispy buttery crumble and smooth tangy cream cheese frosting. Perfect for any occasion and easy to make in under an hour.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (225 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour (for topping)
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar (for topping)
  • 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed (for topping)
  • ¼ cup (20 g) rolled oats (optional, for topping)
  • 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) heavy cream (for frosting)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and lightly dust with flour, tapping out excess.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter and 1 ¾ cups sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in 2 tsp vanilla extract.
  5. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix on low speed just until combined.
  6. Gently fold in chopped strawberries using a rubber spatula, being careful not to break them up.
  7. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup flour, ½ cup sugar, and rolled oats if using. Cut in 6 tbsp cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  8. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle crunchy topping evenly over batter.
  9. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and topping is golden and crisp.
  10. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
  11. For frosting, beat cream cheese and ½ cup softened butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until combined.
  12. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and add heavy cream as needed to reach spreadable consistency.
  13. Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices or powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

Use cold butter for the topping to ensure crispiness. Do not frost the cake while warm to prevent melting. Gently fold strawberries to avoid streaking batter pink. If batter is thick, add a splash more buttermilk. Tent with foil if topping browns too quickly. For gluten-free, substitute almond flour. For vegan, use vegan margarine, flax eggs, and coconut cream.

Nutrition

Keywords: strawberry cake, cream cheese frosting, crispy topping, easy dessert, summer cake, berry cake, homemade cake

Find it online: https://jodierecipes.com/crispy-strawberry-crunch-cake-recipe-5-easy-steps-for-perfect-cream-cheese-frosting/