Strawberry shortcake crunch cake is a soft pink strawberry cake under tangy cream cheese frosting, finished with a sweet, buttery cookie crumble that tastes like the coating on a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar. It is a 13×9 cake you can carry to a birthday, a cookout or a church supper.
How to make strawberry shortcake crunch cake: Bake a white cake mix with strawberry gelatin at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes and let it cool completely. Bake a crumble of crushed Golden Oreos, dry strawberry gelatin and melted butter for 8 minutes, then frost the cake and sprinkle the cooled crunch on top.
Why You’ll Love It
- It starts with a cake mix. A box of strawberry gelatin gives the cake its color and flavor, so there is nothing to puree.
- Three textures in one bite. Tender cake, fluffy frosting and a crisp crumble.
- One pan. It bakes, gets frosted and is served straight from the 13×9 dish.
- Feeds a crowd. One cake cuts into 15 pieces.
Ingredient Notes
White cake mix. Use the dry mix only. The eggs, oil and water in this recipe replace what the box calls for.
Strawberry gelatin. You need two 3-ounce boxes: one goes into the batter, the other goes into the crumble as dry powder. Do not dissolve either one first.
Golden Oreos. Crush them with the cream filling still inside. Do not scrape it out.
Cream cheese and butter. Both need to be soft before you beat the frosting, or you will get lumps.
Milk. Start with 1 tablespoon. Add the second only if the frosting is too stiff to spread.
Ingredients
- 1 package white cake mix
- 1 box (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin, for the cake
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted, for the crunch topping
- 1 box (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin, dry powder, for the crunch topping
- 24 Golden Oreos, crushed into small crumbles with the filling
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened, for the frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Cake
1. Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix the cake. Combine the white cake mix, one box of strawberry gelatin, the eggs, vegetable oil and water in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes.
3. Bake and cool the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
4. Make the crumbs. While the cake bakes, crush the Golden Oreos into small crumbles, keeping their filling. Gently mix the crumbs with the second box of dry strawberry gelatin and the melted butter.
5. Bake the topping. Spread the crumb mixture on a greased baking sheet, or one lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes, then let it cool.
6. Make the frosting. Once the cake is cool, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too stiff, add the remaining tablespoon of milk.
7. Finish the cake. Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake. Sprinkle the cooled strawberry crunch over the frosting, then cut into slices and serve.
How to Keep the Strawberry Crunch Crisp
The crunch is only three things: crushed golden sandwich cookies, dry strawberry gelatin and melted butter. The gelatin goes in as dry powder, straight from the box.
Baking the crumbs on their own sheet is what makes them crisp. Give them the full 8 minutes, then leave them alone until they are cool. Only cooled crumbs go on the frosting.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Crush | Small crumbles, filling left in |
| Mix | Dry gelatin powder and melted butter, stirred in gently |
| Bake | 350°F for 8 minutes on a baking sheet |
| Cool | Completely, before it touches the frosting |
| Top | After frosting, as close to serving as you can |
The topping softens the longer a finished cake sits in the refrigerator. If you want the most crunch, make the topping the day you serve the cake and sprinkle it on at the end.
Tips for Success
Why did my frosting melt into the cake?
The cake was still warm. It has to be cool all the way through before you frost it, so plan for cooling time on top of the bake.
Why is my frosting lumpy?
Cold cream cheese will not beat smooth. Let the cream cheese and butter soften on the counter first, then beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Why are my crumbs sandy instead of clumpy?
The cookies were crushed too fine or the filling was scraped out. Aim for small crumbles, not dust, and leave the cream filling in.
Can You Make It Ahead?
Yes. Bake and frost the cake ahead, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator. Hold the crunch back and add it the day you serve, so it stays crisp instead of soaking up moisture from the frosting.
Variations
- Freeze-dried strawberries. Make the crunch with crushed freeze-dried strawberries and golden sandwich cookies instead of gelatin powder.
- Vanilla wafers. Crushed vanilla wafers can stand in for the sandwich cookies in a strawberry crunch.
Storage & Reheating
Because of the cream cheese frosting, cover and refrigerate leftover cake within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if it is hotter than 90°F outside. USDA FSIS advises using refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Serve it cold or let a slice sit out for a few minutes; there is nothing to reheat.
What to Serve With It
For a strawberry dessert table, set it beside a no-bake strawberry crunch cheesecake or a strawberry cream cheese icebox cake. If your family likes berries, try the double strawberry cake or the lemon blueberry cake next. For something warm, the slow cooker strawberry cobbler is easy, and strawberry cheesecake dip works for a party.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is strawberry crunch topping made of?
Crushed Golden Oreos with their filling, a 3-ounce box of dry strawberry gelatin and 4 tablespoons of melted butter. It is baked on a sheet and cooled before it goes on the cake.
Do I prepare the gelatin before adding it?
No. Both boxes go in as dry powder, one into the cake batter and one into the crumbs. No hot water is needed.
What size pan do I need?
A 13×9-inch baking dish for the cake and a baking sheet for the topping. The cake is frosted and served from the same dish.
Final Notes
I keep the baked crunch in its own container and sprinkle it on right before the cake goes to the table. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Ingredients
- 1 package white cake mix
- 1 box strawberry gelatin 3 ounces; for the cake
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 tablespoons butter melted; for the crunch topping
- 1 box strawberry gelatin 3 ounces; dry powder for the crunch topping
- 24 Golden Oreos crushed into small crumbles; leave the filling in
- 4 tablespoons butter softened; for the frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk begin with 1 tablespoon; use the second if the frosting is too stiff
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine the white cake mix, one box of strawberry gelatin, eggs, vegetable oil and water in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
- While the cake bakes, crush the Golden Oreos into small crumbles, keeping their filling. Gently mix the crumbs with the second box of dry strawberry gelatin and the melted butter.
- Spread the crumb mixture on a greased baking sheet, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes, then let cool.
- Once the cake is cool, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too stiff, add the remaining tablespoon of milk.
- Spread the frosting over the completely cooled cake. Sprinkle the cooled strawberry crunch over the frosting, then cut into slices and serve.
