Strawberry Lemon Crunch Cake is a vibrant, fruity dessert that combines the tartness of lemon with the sweetness of strawberries, all wrapped in a crunchy, buttery topping. This cake is layered with moist strawberry and vanilla cake, filled with a luscious strawberry puree, and finished with a delightful crunch coating made from cookies and freeze-dried strawberries. It’s a nostalgic treat reminiscent of strawberry shortcake ice cream bars, making it perfect for summer gatherings or celebrations.
Ingredients:
For the Cake Layers:
- 1 box Duncan Hines Strawberry Supreme Cake Mix
- 1 box Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake Mix
- 2 ⅓ cups water
- 8 eggs
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons almond flavoring
- ½ cup fresh strawberries, diced
- ¼ cup cake flour
For the Strawberry Puree:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
- 2 ⅓ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
For the Frosting:
- 3 cups whipping cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup prepared and cooled strawberry puree
For the Crunch Topping:
- 1 package Strawberry Shortcake Oreos
- 1 package Lorna Doone Cookies
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
For Garnish:
- 8 fresh strawberries, whole
- 1 cup Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melts
Instructions:
- Prepare the Cake Layers:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Spray four 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the Strawberry Cake Mix, eggs, oil, water, cream cheese, and almond flavoring.
- Beat on medium speed until combined, scrape the sides of the bowl, and beat for another minute.
- Toss the diced strawberries with cake flour and fold them into the batter.
- Pour the batter into two cake pans and tap on the counter to remove air bubbles.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Repeat the process for the French Vanilla Cake Mix and bake the remaining two layers.
- Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto parchment paper to cool completely.
- Prepare the Strawberry Puree:
- In a saucepan, combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool completely in the refrigerator.
- Blend the cooled mixture until smooth and store in the fridge.
- Make the Frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- Add sugar, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and strawberry puree, beating until just combined.
- Reserve ⅔ cup frosting for decorating the dipped strawberries.
- Prepare the Crunch Topping:
- In a food processor, pulse Strawberry Shortcake Oreos and Lorna Doone Cookies until fine crumbs form.
- Add freeze-dried strawberries and pulse again.
- Stream in melted butter and mix until combined.
- Assemble the Cake:
- Place one strawberry cake layer on a serving plate.
- Spread a layer of frosting and strawberry puree over the top.
- Add a vanilla cake layer, followed by frosting and puree.
- Repeat with the remaining layers.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Press the Strawberry Crunch Topping onto the sides and top of the cake.
- Prepare the Garnish:
- Melt Ghirardelli White Chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.
- Dip fresh strawberries into the melted chocolate, then roll in reserved crunch topping.
- Let dry on parchment paper.
- Decorate and Serve:
- Pipe frosting stars on top of the cake and place each dipped strawberry on top.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Lemon Crunch Cake:
- Use fresh strawberries for the best flavor.
- Freeze-dried strawberries add an intense strawberry taste to the crunch topping.
- Chill the cake before serving to enhance the flavors.
- Experiment with flavors by adding lemon zest to the frosting.
This cake is a nostalgic, fruity delight that brings together the best of strawberry shortcake and lemony freshness. You can find more details here. Happy baking! 🍓🍋✨