Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or craving a sweet dessert, this Strawberry Crunch Cake is a must try! It's the perfect balance of sweetness and crunch.
Check out my Lemon Pudding Bundt Cake and my No Oven Chocolate Cake for more amazing cake recipes!
Jump to:
Strawberry crunch cake is a delicious cake that combines strawberries, cake, whipped cream, and granola into one perfect summer dessert. What makes this delicious dessert truly unique is the crunchy twist. A mixture of granola, melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract is sprinkled on top of the whipped cream.
Enjoy this strawberry crunch cake recipe and the sweet strawberry flavor! It also goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Using a box cake mix strawberries is an easy way to get sweet and fruity taste. You'll have a homemade-style dessert without the hassle of measuring and mixing all the ingredients from scratch.
The addition of fresh strawberries on top adds a pop of color and freshness to the cake.
Ingredients You Need
- White cake mix: Boxed cake mix provides a neutral canvas for the strawberry flavor to shine.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: Roughly chopped and folded into the cake batter.
- Milk: Added to the cake mix to create a moist and tender crumb.
- Granola: Adds a delightful crunch to the cake.
- Butter & brown sugar: Combined with the granola to create a caramelized and sweet coating.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a subtle hint of warmth and enhances the overall flavor profile.
- Whipped cream: Adds a light and smooth texture to the cake.
- Fresh strawberries: Sliced and arranged on top of the cake.
Step By Step Photos
Prepare the cake mix.
Fold in the dehydrated strawberries.
Pour batter into the baking dish. Bake.
Spread whipped cream over cake.
Combine granola coating.
Add granola. Stir until well combined.
Sprinkle on the granola mixture.
Add fresh strawberries on top of cake.
How To Make Strawberry Crunch Cake
Step 1. Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2. Mix the cake batter: In a large mixing bowl, prepare a white cake mix according to the box instructions. Fold in the chopped dehydrated strawberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 3. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 4. Prepare granola mixture: Mix granola with melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
Step 5. Assemble: Spread whipped cream over the room temperature cake. Sprinkle the granola mixture on top.
Step 6. Top with fresh strawberries: Slice fresh strawberries and arrange them on top of the cake.
Step 7. Chill: Refrigerate the cake for at least an hour before serving. Slice and serve chilled.
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Tips
- It's important to let the cake cool completely before adding the whipped cream and granola topping. This will prevent the whipped cream from melting and the granola from becoming soggy.
- After assembling the cake with the whipped cream, granola, and fresh strawberries, refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving.
- Use a food processor, to process down larger dehydrated strawberries. You can also place them in a ziploc bag and break them down with a rolling pin.
- If you're not a fan of cool whip, cream cheese frosting and vanilla frosting are also great options.
- For more strawberry flavor, use a strawberry cake mix and add freeze-dried strawberries to the granola mixture to make a strawberry crumble crunchy topping.
Strawberry Poke Cake
Make a strawberry crunch poke cake! After the cake has cooled, take it to the next level by poking evenly spaced holes throughout the cake. Then, prepare a strawberry jello mix and pour it over the cake. Chill the cake, letting the gelatin set, then resume the original steps of adding the whipped cream, the granola mixture, and topping it off with fresh strawberries.
Frequently Asked Questions About Strawberry Crunch Cake
Yes, you can use fresh strawberries instead of dehydrated strawberries in the cake. Chop the fresh strawberries into small pieces and fold them into the cake batter.
Absolutely! If you prefer to make the cake batter from scratch, you can replace the boxed mix with your favorite white cake recipe.
If you prefer not to use granola, you can substitute it with crushed golden Oreo cookies, crushed graham crackers, or even crushed vanilla wafers for a different texture and flavor.
Cover the cake and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Yes, you can freeze it. It's best to do so without the whipped cream topping. Wrap individual slices or the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place it in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze for 2-3 months.
More Cake Recipes You Might Enjoy
If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to signup for my newsletter.
Strawberry Crunch Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix including ingredients to make cake
- 1 cup dehydrated strawberries roughly chopped
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup granola
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whipped cream
- Fresh strawberries, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, prepare the cake mix according to the instructions on the box. Once done, fold in the chopped dehydrated strawberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the granola, melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is well combined.
- Spread the whipped cream over the cooled cake, then sprinkle the granola mixture on top.
- Slice the fresh strawberries and arrange them on top of the cake.
- Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
- It's important to let the cake cool completely before adding the whipped cream and granola topping. This will prevent the whipped cream from melting and the granola from becoming soggy.
- After assembling the cake with the whipped cream, granola, and fresh strawberries, refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving.
- Use a food processor, to process down larger dehydrated strawberries. You can also place them in a ziploc bag and break them down with a rolling pin.
- If you're not a fan of cool whip, cream cheese frosting and vanilla frosting are also great options.
- For more strawberry flavor, use a strawberry cake mix and add freeze-dried strawberries to the granola mixture to make a strawberry crumble crunchy topping.
- Storing: Cover the cake and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: It's best to do so without the whipped cream topping. Wrap individual slices or the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place it in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze for 2-3 months.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Leave a Reply