Strawberry Crunch Cake

5 from 1 vote

This strawberry crunch cake combines soft strawberry cake layers, a baked cheesecake center, and a crisp cookie crumb coating. The layers hold their shape once chilled, creating clean slices and a balanced texture that serves well for make-ahead desserts.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 35

Refrigeration Time1 30

Total Time3 35

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 992kcal

Author: Shauna

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIE CRUMB LAYER

36 Golden Oreos
3 ounce Strawberry Jello
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
5 to 6 drops red food color gel

FOR THE STRAWBERRY CAKE LAYERS

16.5 ounce Strawberry Supreme cake mix
3 large eggs room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter melted
1 cup whole milk
3 ounce Strawberry Jello

FOR THE CHEESECAKE LAYER

¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
16 ounce cream cheese softened to room temperature, 2 packages
¼ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs room temperature

FOR THE FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature, 1 package
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup unsalted butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Evenly divide the coarsely crushed cookies into 2 small mixing bowls.
Pour one of the 3 ounce boxes of dry strawberry gelatin mix over one of the bowls of cookie crumbs and stir to combine. Leave the other crushed cookies plain.
Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted, unsalted butter over the plain cookie crumb bowl and mix well.
Drop 5 to 6 drops of the red food coloring gel into the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir to mix the coloring. Pour the tinted melted butter over the gelatin crumb mixture. Stir very well to ensure the color is evenly distributed.
Evenly arrange the vanilla and strawberry buttered cookie crumbs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow the crumbs to completely cool while you prepare the cakes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray two 9 inch round cake pans with bakers spray (Baker's Joy or similar). Set them aside.
Using a stand mixer or an electric handheld mixer and a medium-size mixing bowl add the cake mix, 3 eggs, 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter, 1 cup of milk, and one of the 3-ounce boxes of strawberry gelatin mix. Mix all ingredients together on medium speed until well incorporated and smooth.
Evenly divide the cake batter between the 2 prepared round cake pans. Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to completely cool on a cooling rack. Once cooled, remove the cakes from the pans, and set them aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ¾ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup cornstarch. Set this aside.
Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper, and generously spray the springform pan with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
Using a stand mixer or an electric handheld mixer on medium-high speed to cream together 16 ounces of cream cheese, ½ cup of heavy cream, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add 3 large eggs, one at a time, until all eggs are well incorporated.
Leaving the mixer on low, slowly add the granulated sugar and the cornstarch mixture. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the batter is smooth.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Leave the oven door closed and turn the oven off. Allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for 20 additional minutes.
Remove the cheesecake and allow it to cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
Tightly cover the cheesecake, and place in the freezer for 1 hour.
Using either a stand mixer or a handheld mixer and a medium-size mixing bowl, on medium-high speed, cream together 8 oz cream cheese, ½ cup heavy cream, and ½ cup unsalted butter for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula.
Lower the mixer to low and slowly add the vanilla.
Keeping the mixer speed low, slowly add 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Increase the speed to medium and mix until smooth.
Using your choice of serving plate, center one of the strawberry cake layers.
Scoop out ¼ cup of frosting and place in the center of the bottom cake layer. Using either an offset spatula or a silicone spatula, evenly smooth out the frosting. Don’t worry if there are crumbs in the frosting.
Remove the cheesecake from the freezer. Carefully run a sharp, flexible knife along the inside edge of the cheesecake. Slowly release the springform sides. Line a flat plate with wax paper, and place it on top of the cheesecake. Securely turn the cheesecake upside down to remove the base of the springform pan and the parchment paper. Carefully turn the cheesecake right side up and place it on top of the bottom layer of strawberry cake.
Scoop out another ¼ cup of frosting to smooth over the cheesecake layer.
Place the top strawberry cake layer on top of the cheesecake layer.
Evenly spread the remaining frosting over the rest of the cake. Again, do not worry if there are crumbs, the cookie crumb coating will hide the crumbs in the frosting.
Break the cooled cookie crumbs up into small pieces if they've stuck together.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with cookie crumbs. Using your hands, gently press/pat the cookie crumbs on the sides of the cake.

Notes

Let each layer cool fully before assembly
Warm cake or cheesecake softens the frosting and causes shifting. Fully cooled layers stack cleanly and hold their shape.

Chill the cheesecake briefly before stacking
A short freeze firms the cheesecake just enough to lift and place without bending. This keeps the center level and prevents cracking.

Use a thin layer of frosting between layers
Frosting works best as a binder, not a cushion. A thin layer keeps the cake stable once the crumb coating goes on.

Center the cheesecake carefully
Set the cheesecake in place without pressing. Gentle placement keeps the layers even and avoids pushing frosting out the sides.

Press the crumb coating on by hand
Hands give better control than tools. Light pressure helps the crumbs stick without compressing them into the frosting.

Chill before slicing
Cold cake cuts cleanly. The layers stay defined, and the crumb coating stays intact.

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