Celebrate strawberry season with this Strawberry Crunch Cake! Fluffy, tender, and topped with whipped cream and a sweet, crunchy strawberry-Oreo layer, it’s fun, festive, and perfect for any occasion, from birthdays to casual spring get-togethers.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (or 325℉ if using dark or nonstick pans) spray and line pans with parchment paper hanging over the side if you would like to remove the cakes from the pans.
Make CAKE: In the bowl of a stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine together cake mix, dry instant pudding mix, vegetable oil, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Start on low and then increase to medium speed. Mix until combined.
Add in each egg one at a time until each egg is incorporated and the mixture is just combined, scraping down sides and bottom as needed.
Pour evenly into a 9 x 13-inch pan sprayed with baking spray. You can also use 2 - 8 or 9-inch round greased cake pans, or a 10 - 12 cup bundt pan.
Bake at at 350℉ for glass and 325℉ dark or non stick pans back for 20-25 minutes for 9 x 13, 24 to 34 minutes for 8 or 9 inch pans, or 39 to 45 minutes in bundt pan. Please check as ovens vary and I have found this to change each time I cook!
Let cool completely before topping. If removing from cake pans or bundt pans let cool for 15 minutes and then turn over onto a baking rack to finish cooling completely.
For the Whipped Cream Icing
While the cake is cooling, in a stand mixer (with whisk attachment) or in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip until firm peaks form.
Strawberry Crunch Topping
Crush the golden Oreo cookies and dried strawberries together in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin until it forms a rough, pea-size crumb. Pour in 4 tablespoons of melted butter, seal the bag, and toss to combine.
Once completely cooled, ice the cake with whipped topping. Then add strawberry crunch topping and serve.
Store the strawberry crunch cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Notes
Use room temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs blend more evenly into the batter, which helps create a smoother, fluffier cake. Cold eggs can cause the batter to mix unevenly.
Don’t overmix the batter! Once the eggs are added, mix just until combined. Overmixing can lead to a denser cake instead of that light, tender crumb we’re going for.
If using a dark or nonstick pan, set the oven to 325℉ as the cake will cook more quickly in that kind of pan!