I like to test for doneness five minutes before the time elapses.

Check the back of the box and stick to the recommended baking time. Adjust accordingly, without opening the oven door, if needed. It’s best to place an oven-safe thermometer inside so you can monitor the temperature. Some ovens, especially older models, tend to run at a higher temperature than what you set it to. Most cakes need a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit to cook perfectly. Cakes are prone to drying out if you bake them at a high temperature. You can also grease the pans with butter or baking spray if you don’t have parchment paper on hand. Line the cake pans with parchment paper to avoid the cakes from sticking to the bottom.Instead of crushing them in a freezer-safe bag, pulse the freeze-dried strawberries and Nilla wafers in a food processor.Stop whisking as soon as the batter is moist and you no longer see streaks of dry ingredients. Set them on the counter at least an hour before use. Cold eggs won’t mix very well with the rest of your cake ingredients. For Garnish:įresh strawberries – optional, but I highly recommend them. Melted butter – to moisten the strawberries and wafers and give them a rich flavor. Nilla wafers – to give a crunchy textural contrast to the tender cake. It’s also what gives the cake that lovely pink hue. For the Strawberry Crunch:įreeze-dried strawberries – for a tart flavor contrast to the sweet buttercream frosting. You can adjust the amount of cream depending on the consistency of the frosting. Heavy Cream – it adds moisture to the frosting so it’s spreadable. Vanilla Extract – it enhances the flavor of the buttercream. Granulated sugar won’t dissolve into the butter and will create a gritty frosting. It’ll be hard to incorporate powdered sugar if you use cold butter and melted butter will make a runny frosting. For the Buttercream Frosting:īutter – it should be softened, not straight from the fridge or melted. Just follow the instructions at the back of the box and you’re all set.

Vanilla and Strawberry Cake Mixes – The great thing about these ready-made mixes is that there’s no need to measure ingredients, which means there’s no chance of you messing up the measurements! Here’s what you’ll need to make it: For the Cake: Finally, the cake is coated in crushed freeze-dried strawberries and Nilla wafers. You’ll find vanilla buttercream between the layers, which is also spread on the outside. Strawberry crunch cake is made of two layers of vanilla cake and two layers of strawberry cake. Together, they create the perfect dessert worthy of any special occasion. The crunch from the Nilla wafers also provides a lovely textural contrast to the tender cake. I love how the tartness of the strawberries perfectly balances out the sweetness of the buttercream. Thanks to the strawberries, this cake is refreshing as can be. The recipe uses cake mixes for the base, but don’t worry about it tasting artificial. You could even add a layer of strawberry jam between the cakes if you want a pop of sweetness. While the frosting is still wet, you’ll then add a fruity and crunchy coating which is a blend of crushed freeze-dried strawberries and Nilla wafers. That same frosting is then used to cover the whole cake. They’re then sandwiched together with American buttercream frosting.

Strawberry crunch cake is a wonderful layer cake made with layers of strawberry and vanilla sponge cakes. The texture on the outside makes a nice contrast to the soft cake and creamy frosting. That could be nuts, coconut, crushed cookies, or freeze-dried fruits. What Is A Crunch Cake?Ī crunch cake is a cake that’s frosted or glazed and then coated with a layer of crunchy ingredients. What’s not to love?Īnd when it looks this good, nobody will bat an eye at how you did it. With four cake layers filled with buttercream frosting and covered in a scrumptious strawberry crunch, this cake is what strawberry dreams are made of.Īs a baker, I can honestly say that I often turn to boxed cake mixes quite often.Īfter all, they come out perfect every single time, and they take little to no effort. Phenomenal is not enough to describe the strawberry crunch cake. This tastes fantastic, so nobody has to know you took a shortcut! Strawberry Crunch Cake While frosting a cake can be quite a challenge, the baking part is still relatively easy, since you won’t be baking from scratch.Īnd don’t worry. If it’s your first time baking an elaborate cake, this recipe is a good place to start.

Strawberry crunch cake icing