Strawberry Crumb Cake

5 from 26 votes

This strawberry crumb cake is the best cake ever! Featuring an incredibly buttery and moist vanilla cake, layers of fresh strawberries, and crunchy crumb topping, it's a perfect summer dessert that looks so fancy but is sooo easy to make!

Servings servings

Prep 15 mins

Cook 55 mins

Total 1 hr 10 mins

Course : Dessert

Cuisine : American

Author : Cambrea Gordon

Equipment

square 8x8 baking pan

Ingredients

For the Crumb

6 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
¾ cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar

For the Strawberries

1 ½ cups chopped fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ lemon juiced

For the Cake

1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large whole eggs room temperature, whisked together
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup buttermilk room temperature

Instructions

Lightly butter a square 8x8 baking pan and line it with parchment paper on all sides. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.

Make the Crumb

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, flour, sugar, and brown sugar until crumbly. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
6 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar

Make the Strawberries

In a medium bowl, combine the chopped strawberries, sugar, flour, and lemon juice until combined. Set aside.
1 ½ cups chopped fresh strawberries, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour, ½ lemon

Make the Batter

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
Scrape down the bowl. Slowly stream in the whisked eggs and vanilla, mixing very well after each addition. Do not do this too quickly or the mixture will curdle.
3 large whole eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix on low until almost combined. Then mix in the buttermilk, followed by the remainder of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
¼ cup buttermilk
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan, then spread the strawberries evenly over the top. Lastly spread the crumb out over the strawberries.
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let it cool for 20 minutes on a wire cooling rack, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving and enjoy!

Notes

Step-by-step process photos are provided above, in the body of this post.

ingredient notes

Strawberries: You must use fresh and not frozen strawberries. Frozen strawberries have too much water for this recipe and will make it soggy.
Buttermilk: I don't recommend making your own buttermilk because it doesn't give it the same texture.
Eggs: The eggs should be at room temperature before use, otherwise the batter will be very dense.

recipe notes

Use a kitchen scale: Baking with a scale is faster, easier, and overall much more accurate than cup measurements.

Use room temperature ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients creates a smooth, fully blended batter that will result in a uniform texture and even baking.
Chill the crumb: If you don't chill it before baking, the butter will melt too quickly and you won't get crunchy pieces.

storage & freezing

Room temperature: You can store leftovers at room temperature, wrapped in plastic, or in a sealed container for 2-3 days.
Fridge: To keep leftovers fresher longer, keep them in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days. Because it uses all butter, it will naturally harden in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before serving!
Freezer: Store any cut slices in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Nutrition