Buttery and moist crumb cake filled with cream cheese and juicy strawberries. To put it over the top, I go heavy on the crumb topping and finish it off with a sweet vanilla glaze.
There’s no sweeter way to start this summer week! I am head over heels with this show-stopping crumb cake, as you can probably tell by all the photos I’m sharing today. I was sucked into this photo shoot and could not stop snapping (and tasting) this beauty.
I love making coffee cake (or one of the many variations on my site!) for breakfast or brunch. It’s like having dessert… for breakfast or brunch. A win-win for everyone. I’m going to show you exactly how to make this strawberries ‘n cream crumb cake today. There are a lot of little steps to the recipe, but like I always say: read the recipe in full before you begin so you know what you’re doing and when you’re doing it.
And you can taste test along the way which makes the process enjoyable.
There are 5 irresistible layers to this strawberry monstrosity:
- The buttery, moist, tender cake.
- The cream cheese/cheesecake-like filling which sort of melts into the cake to make it even more moist and mind-blowing and oh my god I need another bite now.
- Juicy sliced strawberries. Nothing more, nothing less.
- Crumb topping. So much crumb topping.
- The sweet vanilla glaze which drips down into every crevice.
Make them all separately then bring them together, like so:
I love layered baked goods because I am an absolute texture freak. Are you like me too? Good. You will love this recipe. Soft cake, crunchy topping, juicy strawberries, melty glaze, creamy cream cheese. Every texture and flavor you love gets a nice checkmark here. You get lots of wonderful texture in my banana crumb cake too, so be sure to try that one next!
I’m entertaining in our new house a lot in the next month, so I’ve been looking for convenient make-ahead recipes. This cake is a wonderful choice because you can make the whole thing (except for the glaze) in advance and freeze it. See make-ahead instructions in the recipe below. Your guests’ eyes will light up when you serve them a slice.
By the way… did you know that there is an average 200 seeds in one strawberry?
As an alternative to breakfast or brunch, you have to try serving this crumb cake warm with vanilla ice cream instead of the glaze. Totally the perfect ending to a summer meal.
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Strawberries ‘n’ Cream Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 10
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Buttery and moist crumb cake filled with cream cheese and juicy strawberries. To put it over the top, I go heavy on the crumb topping and finish it off with a sweet vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup (94g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Cake
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk*
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2/3 cup (134g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8–10 fresh strawberries, sliced*
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
Vanilla Glaze
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk or cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray an 8-in or 9-in springform pan with non-stick spray. Springform pan is required. Set aside.
- Make the crumb topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender or mix with hands until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set in the refrigerator until ready to use. This crumb mixture must be chilled.
- Make the cake: In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the egg and melted butter together on medium speed until combined. Add the milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl until combined. With the mixer running on low, pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
- In a medium bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 cup granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until combined. Spread over the crumb cake batter. Layer with sliced strawberries as shown in the photo above. Top with the crumb topping and gently press the topping into the batter.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out free of cake crumbs. I covered the cake with aluminum foil after 40 minutes to help avoid the top from browning too much. Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before glazing.
- Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla together. Remove the sides of the springform pan and drizzle the glaze over the cake. The cake will stay fresh covered in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Bake the cake as directed and freeze without the glaze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees to warm it up. Glaze before serving.
- Milk: Any milk including soy, almond, buttermilk, regular is OK for the cake. I used 1%.
- Strawberries: Frozen strawberries are fine – thaw and blot dry before using.
- Recipe adapted from Glazed Cherry Crumb Cake. That recipe is in my cookbook.
Keywords: strawberry crumb cake
It’s a disaster! The batter rised up and covered all the crumble, so the top of the cake was completely smooth and the crumble fell down into the batter, such as the cream cheese, both heavier than the cake batter. I had to throw away all of the cake!
★
That hella sucks. You still could have eaten it. I’m sure it would have tasted just fine. Throw some fresh whipped cream on it . Good to go. LoL Weird that nobody else had that problem. Curious what happened. I had no problems with the recipe. I added almond extract to the batter and extra strawberries. Turned out fabulous. Thank you Sally the family loved it. This is a keeper.
★★★★★
I had the same problem, I had to throw away everything!
★
Thank you for this amazing recipe, Sally- it was so delicious! I followed the recipe almost exactly as written- the only difference was that I added a bit of strawberry jam to the filling and to the glaze for an extra strawberry flavor as well as added just a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract to the cake batter as I love the way the flavor goes with the vanilla and the strawberry. I also poked some holes in the cake as I poured the glaze over to let it soak into the cake and this made it extra moist. Thank you, too, for the tip about putting foil on top about 40 minutes in- it kept the topping from browning and the texture was just right. Needless to say, I will definitely be making this again!
★★★★★
I baked this using some gorgeous strawberries I purchased on Valentine’s day. This cake is moist, flavorful, and delicious. I love the contrast of the rich cream cheese layer and the sweet crumb topping. The yellow cake on the bottom is so tender, too. I’ve had great success with recipes on this site. Looking forward to making others.
★★★★★
I love this recipe! I made it for Mother’s day and it was a hit. So yummy! Love all the layers and the combination of textures. I’m hoping to make it again for Father’s day 🙂
A couple things I had difficulty with:
– My cake layer was dry, and the batter was quite thick and difficult to mix. I might have just made an error with my ingredients – but any suggestions in case my batter comes out similarly thick next time? It didn’t end up being a huge problem because the cream cheese/strawberry layers helped to balance things out in terms of the flavour, but the cake itself was a bit tough!
– Any tips on mixing the crumb topping by hand? Mine came out more powdery than clumpy (it still tasted great though! Just didn’t quite match what it was supposed to look like).
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Pav! If the batter was too thick and the cake was dry I wonder if you over-measured the flour. Be sure to spoon and level instead of scooping. You might be interested in these two posts: How to Properly Measure Baking Ingredients and How to Prevent a Dry or Dense Cake.
Thanks so much for the help! I measured super carefully this time and the cake turned out way better 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Sally can I skip the cream cheese part? Looks like my kids have devoured my cream cheese!
Definitely! The bake time will be about the same or a little shorter.
will raspberries work instead of strawberries?
★★★★★
Yes they will!
Hi Sally,
Looking to make this “strawberries ‘n’ cream crumb cake”. Can I use frozen blueberries instead? If so, do I use them frozen or thawed?
Blessings,
Brenda
Hi Brenda! You can use blueberries. Do not thaw the frozen blueberries.
I just baked this today and it was amazing! It was definitely worth the time and effort. I’ll be making this again.
I was a little unsure about tackling this recipe, as I don’t have a pastry blender. The crum topping did not look like the picture, but it was amazing! My daughter, who detests strawberries, couldn’t get enough! My mil-who is quite particular-declared this recipe a keeper. Thanks Sally!!
I made this but added lemon zest to the cake and made the cheese filling more like cheesecake by adding an egg and lemon zest. Added a dash of nutmeg to the crumb topping,. It was very popular at the family reunion I took it to.
I baked this for my mom and husband while my mom was here visiting and we all absolutely LOVED it. The layers were so amazing. It took me a while to make, but was totally worth it! Your website is a lifesaver when trying to figure out what I want to bake for dessert. Thanks so much, Sally!
Needed a dessert that would use up the strawberries that I picked and froze earlier in the season. I always look to your recipes for reliable results! I defrosted and drained the frozen berries and used some of the juices to make a strawberry glaze for an extra touch–it was amazing! My MIL even asked for the recipe! I was not expecting it to rise as much as it did, so I can see why the springform pan is required. Thank you!
I JUST baked this cake and, although I won’t have a slice until tomorrow morning with my coworkers, it smells heavenly!
Hi Sally!
I made this cake last night and it’s AWESOME! I brought it to work today and it disappeared in less than 10 minutes! 🙂
I think I will double the strawberries next time! Can’t have too many! 🙂
Thanks for another delicious recipe! You’re the best!
Made this recipe today! And everyone LOVED it! Thank you so much <3
Wow! Thank you for this recipe! I’ve made it twice since Saturday and I can honestly say it is the best cake ever.
This is such a great recipe! I made it for our Easter dinner, and used some homemade lemon curd (also from your blog) in place of the strawberries. It was absolute perfection! Thanks again for sharing!
I have made the blueberry version of this last year. So fantastic. I gave one to my neighbor to help her out as she had company coming over and they all raved about it. It is now her go to cake to make for everyone. She loves it. i need to make this one. Oh and i gave thema combo pack of scones (thanks to you) and she said Oh i want Strawberry Scones for my Birthday. haaha. You have made me a hero in the scone land. I got my best friend into it now. We love your recipes.
Hi Sally, I have this cake in the oven right now and it smells amazing. Question: is the cake batter supposed to be really thick? Almost like a wet cookie dough?
It’s supposed to be thick.
I came home from a strawberry festival with a huge basket of strawberries that I couldn’t waste. Took a look at your strawberry recipes and I had to make this one!! YUM!! The cream cheese layer with the crumb topping is so delicious!!
Also, for those who do not have a springform pan, I used a pie plate and it turned out perfectly fine!
I’ve made this crumb cake twice now because we love it so much in my home. The first time I made it, my husband saw me take it out of the oven and couldn’t wait to have a slice. After he was done with that slice, I actually saw him lick his plate – he loved it that much! Both times I made this cake, I added sliced peaches to the strawberry layer. I might try other fruit combinations this summer. Thanks for this great recipe Sally!
Hi Sally, first let me just tell you that this might be one of the best cakes I have ever had (AMAZING FLAVOR).
I made this cake 4 times however it was never a total success, 3 times I baked the cake for 50 min and burnt the bottom of the cake (Really Bad) and one time I baked the cake using the middle oven rack for 55 min and it wasn’t done, I am using a 9-in spring form pan and baking the cake on a 350 F temperature. But I really don’t know what I am doing wrong???
Hi Lana, first I’m going to suggest you buy an oven thermometer to double check your oven temperature. My oven runs a little hot, so by using an oven thermometer I can set the oven to the TRUE temperature. It really helps! I’ve burnt a lot of cakes and cookies before realizing it. Then, how about baking at 325F. The bake time will be a little longer but it sounds like a lower temperature will be good for your oven.
Hi Sally! This sounds so good and I definitely want to try it this weekend! But do you think this could work as cupcakes instead of a cake?
Hmm. I’m sure you could make coffee cake-like cupcakes out of this. I’m unsure of the bake time, though. Maybe around 20 minutes or so? Enjoy!
Tried it, loved it – just had a bit of a teeny issue with the crumble topping, it was a bit less crumbly than I might have liked. When making it, do you gradually add the butter to the dry ingredients?
Tasted amazing regardless – thank you so much for posting this recipe! 🙂
Hey Sarah! No, I just add it all in at once. Perhaps use a little more butter so you can get some larger chunks.
This looks delicious…I am wondering if anyone has ever tried it with peaches? Just picked a ton of delicious peaches and am looking for some yummy recipes! Thanks…I just love all your recipes…there hasn’t been a thing I’ve made that hasn’t been fabulous!
Hey Jessica! This would be absolutely delicious with peach slices. Let me know if you try it!
I made this cake today and it is delicious. My only problem is that I had a heck of a time telling when it was done. Because of the gooey cream cheese layer, my skewer never really came out clean. And, the center of the outside top of the cake seemed to take forever to set up. I kept adding three minutes to the timer and checking with the skewer until I lost track of exactly how long the cake at been in the oven. When the center was no longer jiggily, I pulled it out and cut into it as a more definitive test for doneness. The bottom was very, very dark brown (the pan was light in color and placed on a baking tray to catch drips). Although it didn’t taste burnt, it certainly looks that way. But the flavor is delicious. I just cut off the dark part from the bottom and sides of each slice and serve. I’m wondering if you have any additional tips for testing for doneness when there’s a creamy layer? Many thanks for the recipe and any advice. Again, we love the cake.
Hi Irene! I’m so glad you made this cake. Perhaps a better way to tell when the cake is done – when it is only *slightly* jiggly in the very center.