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Home » Cake & Cupcakes » Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake

Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake

Published March 13, 2019, Updated April 23, 2019

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A layer of juicy strawberries topped with vanilla cake and a brown sugar crumb topping. Serve this Strawberry Crumb Cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. 

Strawberry Crumb Cake on a white plate with a dollop of whipped cream.

Just in case you needed a reason to get extra excited about spring, I present to you (drumroll, please)… Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake.
“What is a Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake?” you might be asking yourself. It is a dream come true. Juicy, jammy strawberries topped with fluffy vanilla cake and finished with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping. Eaten warm with a scoop of slow melting vanilla ice cream or a dollop of softly whipped cream, it is absolute perfection.

Not only can this be served for dessert, but it’s also a fantastic breakfast or brunch cake. I’m thinking Easter or Mother’s Day? Or every single weekend from now through the end of summer?

Strawberry Crumb Cake in a baking dish with a gold spoon.

Strawberry Crumb Cake

Let’s go through each element of this recipe. There are three components which work beautifully together.

  • Strawberries: 3 pounds of fresh strawberries are tossed with sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Place the strawberries into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
  • Cake: A vanilla flavored buttermilk cake tops the strawberries. The cake batter gets spooned over the strawberries, then smoothed into an even layer. The cake bakes up fluffy and tender, yet sturdy enough to hold up to all those berries underneath without getting soggy.
  • Crumb topping: A typical crumb topping of butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt gets sprinkled over the top of the cake batter. This topping adds a sweet-buttery crunch to every bite of this cake.

While baking, the strawberries release their juices and thicken into a bed of sweet jammy goodness. The cake batter puffs up into a soft vanilla-scented cake, and the crumb topping brings a texture, sweetness and buttery flavor that can’t be beat.

Strawberries in a baking dish topped with cake batter.

Does This Cake Have To Be Served Warm?

It is absolutely best when served warm. The berries are extra juicy and the cake is tender and soft. I highly, highly, highly recommend serving it warm.

Can you eat it cold? Yes. Did I consume an embarrassing number of bites of the leftover cake straight from the fridge? I sure did. Totally edible, and if you love cold cake, go for it. But, definitely try it warm, too.

Strawberry crumb cake in a glass baking dish.

If you enjoy fruit desserts, you will love this cake. It’s kind of like a fruit crisp, but with a cake topping. That being said, this recipe is more cake than fruit. If you’re looking for something heavier in the fruit department, I suggest: Strawberry Crisp, Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie, Berry Trifle, or Blueberry Pie.

I’m not trying to be bossy or anything, but I will tell you that you need this Strawberry Crumb Cake in your life. We’ve (almost) made it through winter, and we deserve to reward ourselves with juicy sweet strawberries and fluffy crumb cake. So delicious.

Strawberry Crumb Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Forgot to buy buttermilk? Try this substitute.

Strawberry Crumb Cake on a white plate with a dollop of whipped cream.
Print Pin
5 from 6 votes

Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake

A layer of juicy strawberries topped with vanilla cake and a brown sugar crumb topping. Serve this Strawberry Crumb Cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 429kcal
Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Strawberry filling:

  • 3 pounds fresh strawberries see note
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved into 2 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb topping:

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • pinch salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Cake:

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk

Instructions

Strawberry filling:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch slurry, and vanilla extract. Pour the fruit filling into a greased 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and set it on a sturdy baking sheet.

Crumb topping:

  • In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and salt. Add melted butter. Stir with a fork until mostly combined and then continue to mix using your fingers to create crumbs. Set aside.

Cake:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions and scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract (if using). Add half the dry ingredients to the batter beating until combined. Add the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients, beating well after each addition.
  • Spoon the batter over the fruit filling, gently spreading it around (I used a small offset spatula). Sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake in the center of the oven for 60-70 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling, the crumb topping is golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. If necessary, loosely place a piece of foil over the top of the cake if crumb topping is getting too dark. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve the warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Strawberries: Remove the stems and halve or quarter the larger berries and leave the smaller berries whole. The berries will cook down quite a bit, so don't cut them too small. You should have about 8 cups prepared. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Vitamin C: 67.7mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 2.2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @CelebratingSweets or tag #CelebratingSweets!

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine.

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Comments

  1. Sara Welch says

    March 13, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    Any dessert that has strawberries has me sold! This looks splendid; can’t wait to try!

    Reply
  2. Beth Pierce says

    March 13, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    5 stars
    Scrumptious! Can’t wait to serve this with some ice cream! My whole family will love this!

    Reply
  3. Melanie Bauer says

    March 13, 2019 at 9:30 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh, this looks heavenly! I’m totally drooling over this goodness, can’t wait to try!

    Reply
  4. Paula says

    March 14, 2019 at 8:14 am

    That looks so good. I’m excited for strawberry season.

    Reply
  5. Anna says

    March 14, 2019 at 8:38 pm

    5 stars
    I am obsessed with this cake! It’s delicious! I need to make it again soon!

    Reply
  6. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

    March 17, 2019 at 6:27 pm

    5 stars
    I know for sure this would be a huge hit in my house!

    Reply
  7. Jessica Perrilleon says

    April 16, 2019 at 3:34 pm

    Hi! Just wondering if you think this could be made with frozen strawberries?

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets says

      April 16, 2019 at 5:44 pm

      Hi, Jessica. Yes, I would guess that would work just fine. I would suggest adding an extra 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch to soak up the extra moisture from the frozen berries. Also, I personally find that frozen strawberries are less sweet than fresh ripe strawberries, so I would probably increase the sugar in the berries by an extra 1-2 tablespoons. But that’s up to your personal preference. Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Jessica Perrilleon says

    April 16, 2019 at 6:33 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for your response! I have made this cake as written with the fresh berries and it is awesome!

    Reply

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About

aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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