Strawberry Crunch Cake

This strawberry cake with buttercream icing and crumbles is light, tender, and is reminiscent of a strawberry ice cream bar.

• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 966 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream, or more as needed
• baking spray with flour
• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1.5 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 0.125 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1.5 cups whole buttermilk
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 25 golden Oreo cookies
• 0.66 cup freeze-dried strawberries
• 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin, such as Jell-O (from 1 [3 oz.] packag

Recipe Instructions

Step 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.

Step 2

Whisk together flour, gelatin, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.

Step 3

For the crumble, 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.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Step 5

Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove cakes from pans and cool completely on a wire rack, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Step 6

For 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.

Step 7

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.

Step 8

Trim tops of cakes with a serrated knife if needed to make flat on top.

Step 9

Place 1 cake layer on serving platter; spread evenly with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer.

Step 10

Spread top and sides of cake with the remaining frosting.

Step 11

Sprinkle Crumble over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere until completely covered. Chill cake for 1 hour before slicing.

Step 12

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.

Step 13

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.