Strawberry Crunch Cake

5 from 4 votes

Make your dessert dreams come true with this amazing strawberry crunch cake inspired by Good Humor strawberry shortcake ice cream bars!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 677kcal

Author: Marie

Equipment

3 8-inch round cake pans
parchment paper to line pans
standing mixer or hand mixer

Ingredients

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup vegetable oil can use more butter but cake will be more dense
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 package strawberry gelatin (85 g)
1 1/2 cup milk

For the Frosting (makes ~6 to 7 cups of frosting)

1.5 cup butter room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1.5 pound powdered sugar
1.5 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons heavy cream or milk or more for desired consistency

For the Strawberry Crunch (makes ~3 cups; only 1 cup needed)

24 Golden Oreos
1 box Strawberry jello
4 tbsp butter melted

For the Assembly and Serving (optional)

8 fresh strawberries for decorating top (optional)
whipped cream for decorating top (optional)

Instructions

For the Cake Batter:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Prepare three 8-inch cake pans by buttering, flouring and lining with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) into a medium bowl and set aside
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine oil, eggs, and extract and beat on medium speed until smooth.
Add sugar and gelatin and mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture in 4 increments and milk mixture in 3 increments, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Each time, make sure to mix until combined before adding more milk or flour.

To Bake the Cakes

Pour one third of the batter into each of the three prepared pans. You will have a total of about 1450 grams of batter so there should be ~483 grams per pan if you are using a scale (not necessary but helps get the layers even).
Place the cake pans in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and edges pull slightly away from cake pan.
Begin to test with a toothpick after 20 minutes. Do NOT open oven before 20 minutes or your cake may fall.
Cool cakes for 10 to 15 minutes, and then remove and place them on wire rack to continue cooling. Carefully run a butter knife around the edge of the cake before removing.
Continue cooling thoroughly on countertop. Make sure the cake are completely and thoroughly cooled before frosting.

For the Buttercream Frosting

Combine room temperature butter and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat until fluffy; After a few minutes, make sure to scrape the sides, bottom and beater before you continue beating.
Slowly add the powdered sugar using a sifter in about 3 or 4 portions. Begin by beating slowly and then increase the speed gradually each time you add more powdered sugar. Please note that if you don't sift the powdered sugar, your frosting may be a bit lumpy.
Add vanilla and gradually add the cream and beat well. You may need more or less cream depending on your desired consistency. It helps to take a bit and spread on your cake layer to test the ease of spreading.

To Make the Strawberry Crunch

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Crush Golden Oreos into small crumbles using a food processor or by pounding them in a plastic bag with a mallet or rolling pin.
In a medium bowl, combine the crumbled Oreos with strawberry Jell-O powder and melted butter.
Mix gently and then spread the mixture onto a greased baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Bake for 8 minutes at 350°F.
Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the Cake Assembly

Level the cake layers if necessary.
Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cake turntable.
Spread a generous amount of buttercream frosting evenly over the top of the first layer and add the second cake layer on top and repeat the process, spreading buttercream frosting evenly.
Finally, place the third cake layer on top and apply a thin layer of buttercream frosting, known as a crumb coat, to the entire cake to seal in crumbs.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes to set the crumb coat.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and apply a final layer of buttercream frosting, smoothing it evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
Gently press strawberry crunch onto the sides and top of the cake, creating a textured coating.
Arrange fresh strawberries around the top of the cake, placing them on top of whipped cream swirls along the perimeter.

Notes

NOTE 1: if you like a lot of frosting, make 1.5x the frosting recipe to yield 8 to 9 cups of frosting.

NOTE 2: Strawberry crunch makes about 3 cups; about 1 cup needed (may make 1/3 of the recipe)

Storage and Make Ahead

For the cake:

Once the cake layers have cooled completely, you can store them to use later or assemble the cake right away. To store the cake layers, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can place them in a freezer-safe bag and seal it tightly. Store the cake layers at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

If you want to make the cake layers ahead of time, you can bake and cool them in advance. Once cooled, wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer. When you're ready to use them, allow the cake layers to thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator before assembling and frosting the cake.

For the Buttercream:

If you have leftover buttercream or want to make it ahead of time, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Before using it, allow the buttercream to come to room temperature and give it a good stir or re-whip it with an electric mixer to restore its smooth consistency.

Nutrition