Delight your taste buds with a slice of heaven, aka as strawberry crumb cake! Fresh strawberries, a tender cake and a flavorful crumb topping make this an old-fashioned, farm favorite!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
What it is: A tender cake bursting with juicy, sun-ripened strawberries, crowned with a buttery crumb topping that's sweet and oh-so-satisfying. Seriously, what's not to love??
Fresh Tasting: Each slice of cake is topped with juicy, ripe strawberries. It's like a burst of sunshine in every bite! Those sweet berries bring a burst of freshness that'll make your taste buds dance.
And don't even get me started on that buttery, crumbly topping...It adds a delightful texture and a hint of sweetness that perfectly complements the tartness of the strawberries. It's like a match made in dessert heaven!
From the first forkful to the very last crumb, it'll bring a smile to your face and warm your heart.
If you have an abundance of strawberries, be sure to check out my easy strawberry crumble and strawberry spinach salad!
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🛒 INGREDIENTS
Here are the key ingredients to make my strawberry crumb cake! You can find the full list and measurements in the recipe card.
- Crumb topping - This is part of the reason this strawberry cake so good! It's made up of flour, white sugar, brown sugar and butter.
- Strawberries - use fresh if you have them! Use up your extra strawberries to make strawberry overnight oats or strawberry banana oatmeal bake!
- Cake flour - This cake has lower protein and less gluten than all-purpose flour. I don't use this often, but I do use it, especially when I want a light, fluffy cake. If you don't have it, see the substitutions and you can still rock this recipe.
- All purpose-flour - The old standby is still in this delightful cake.
- Buttermilk and sour cream - These two ingredients add moisture, texture and a underlying tang that balances the crumb topping's sweetness.
See recipe card for full quantities.
📋 Substitutions
Cake flour - Cake flour can be made by replacing two tablespoons of the flour with two tablespoons cornstarch per cup. Whisk together before adding to the recipe. You can read more about cake flour if you wish.
Vegetable oil - Olive oil or avocado oil can be used in place of vegetable oil.
Buttermilk - If you don't have buttermilk on hand, remove two teaspoons of milk and replace it with two teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice. Sour cream - Plain or Greek yogurt may be used instead of sour cream
🥣 How to make strawberry crumb cake
Here's how to make a strawberry crumb cake.
- Step 1: Make the crumb topping. Combine the flour, sugar and brown sugar, then the melted butter.
- Step 2: Prepare the strawberries. Combine the strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Toss to coat.
- Step 3: Make the cake mix by combining the dry ingredients.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine sugar and butter. Beat together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
- Step 4: Add in oil and mix to combine. Add in eggs and mix for 30 seconds.
Add in milk, sour cream and vanilla and mix to combine.
Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Step 5: Transfer the cake batter into a rectangle square baking dish and smooth out.
Spoon strawberries on top in an even layer, then use your hands to crumble the topping on top.
- Step 6: Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool before cutting and serving.
Variations
Lemon: Add some fresh lemon zest into the batter for a bright, citrusy flavor that complements the strawberries.
Almond: For all you almond lovers out there, try adding a teaspoon of almond extract to the batter. It'll lend a subtle nutty flavor that pairs wonderfully with the strawberries and adds a touch of sophistication to your crumb cake.
Berries: Add some blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries to the strawberries for a medley of flavors and a vibrant burst of colors.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve up strawberry crumb cake is with a hefty dollop of whipped cream or a big old scoop of vanilla ice cream.
My husband would say the best way to serve up a slice is for breakfast with a warm cuppa coffee.
Storage
Cake may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Top tip
Once the flour mixture has been added into the recipe, make sure to only mix until just combined. Over-mixing can cause the gluten to overdevelop, resulting in a crumbly cake.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Looking for more strawberry-licious love? Check these out!
Strawberry Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the crumb topping
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup melted salted butter (this is 1 stick)
For the cake
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- cooking spray
- ¾ cup salted butter, at room temp (This is 1.5 sticks)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups chopped strawberries I use a 16 ounce package
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the crumb topping. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar and ½ cup brown sugar. Add in ½ cup melted salted butter and mix until crumbly. Set aside.
- Dry ingredients. Spray a 9x13” baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine 2 cups cake flour, 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine 1 ½ cup sugar and ¾ cup salted butter, at room temp. Beat together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
- Add in ½ cup vegetable oil and mix to combine. Add in 4 large eggs and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add in ⅔ cup buttermilk, ⅓ cup sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Prep strawberries. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups chopped strawberries, ¼ cup sugar, 3 Tablespoons cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.
- Assemble the cake. Transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth out. Spoon strawberries on top in an even layer, then use your hands to crumble the topping on top.
- Place in a preheated oven on the center rack and bake for 45-50 minutes., or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Notes
Substitutions:
Buttermilk - can be made by simply removing 2 teaspoons of milk and replacing it with 2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice. Whisk together, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe. Sour Cream - Full fat Greek yogurt can be used in it's place. Cake flour can be made by replacing two tablespoons of the flour with two tablespoons cornstarch per cup. Whisk together before adding to the recipe. You can read more about cake flour if you wish. Tip: Once the flour mixture has been added into the recipe, make sure to only mixuntil just combined. Over-mixing can cause the gluten to overdevelop, resulting in a crumbly cake.
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Carlee Scharnhorst
What a tasty cake! I love anything with strawberries and a buttery crumb topping makes it that much better.