Strawberry Crumb Cake
This Strawberry Crumb Cake is soft, tender, and filled with juicy berries in every bite, all finished with a golden streusel topping that's crisp on the outside and perfectly buttery underneath. Whether you're serving it for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or an afternoon coffee break, it's a recipe that feels just as welcome on a casual weekday as it does at a special gathering.
Made with simple pantry staples and plenty of fresh strawberries, this cake comes together surprisingly easily. The sour cream and buttermilk create an incredibly moist crumb, while the fresh strawberry layer bakes into the cake for little pockets of sweet, juicy flavor. Top it all with a buttery crumble, and you'll have a dessert that's sure to disappear quickly.
About This Recipe
This is a scratch-made strawberry crumb cake featuring a buttery cake batter, a layer of fresh chopped strawberries, and a generous cinnamon-free brown sugar streusel topping. It serves 9–12, takes about 30 minutes of prep, and requires 50–60 minutes of bake time. The key is to toss the strawberries with flour to prevent them from sinking, and I’ll walk you through that process to ensure your layers stay distinct.
Recipe Snapshot
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 50–60 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 9–12
Difficulty: Easy
Perfect For: Brunch, spring gatherings, summer desserts, coffee breaks
Main Ingredients: Fresh strawberries, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla, buttery crumb topping
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Why You'll Love This Strawberry Crumb Cake
If you enjoy homemade cakes bursting with fruit, this recipe fits beautifully alongside favorites like my Blueberry Coffee Cake, Tropical Pineapple Cake, or the Lemon Ginger Bundt Cake
Why This Recipe Works
Every ingredient has an important job in creating the perfect crumb cake. The butter creates a rich, tender base, while the sour cream and buttermilk add moisture without making the cake heavy. Together they produce a soft, delicate crumb that stays fresh even the next day.
Before baking, the strawberries are lightly tossed with flour, sugar, and lemon juice. The flour helps absorb some of the fruit's natural juices as the cake bakes, while the lemon brightens the strawberry flavor without making the cake taste tart.
The crumb topping is equally important. Melted butter evenly coats the flour and sugars, creating those irresistible buttery crumbles that bake into a lightly crisp topping with just the right amount of sweetness.
The Ingredient Breakdown
How to Make Strawberry Crumb Cake
Step 1: Prepare the strawberry layer
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang for easy removal later. In a medium bowl, combine the chopped strawberries, lemon juice, flour, and sugar. Toss until the berries are evenly coated, then set aside while you prepare the batter.
Step 2: Make the cake batter
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the sour cream and buttermilk until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.
Step 3: Assemble the cake
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Carefully spoon the strawberry mixture over the batter, spreading it into an even layer without pressing the berries down.
Step 4: Add the crumb topping
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter. Mix with a fork until large crumbs begin to form. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the strawberries, making sure to cover the fruit from edge to edge.
Step 5: Bake
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crumb topping is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If needed, continue baking in 5-minute increments until the center is fully set.
Step 6: Cool before slicing
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before lifting it out with the parchment paper. Cooling gives the strawberry layer time to set, making cleaner slices and helping the cake hold together beautifully.
Top Tip for a “Fabulous” Finish
When you spread the strawberry mixture over the batter, work slowly and use a spoon rather than just dumping it all in one spot. The batter underneath is thick, but the strawberries can still shift the top layer unevenly if you rush it. A nice, even strawberry layer means every slice gets that fruity middle, and trust me, nobody wants a bite without it.
Make It Your Own
David's Tip
Let the cake cool completely in the pan before you try to slice it. Because the strawberry layer creates a lot of moisture, if you cut into it while it's piping hot, the crumb layer might collapse into the fruit.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Room Temperature: This cake keeps well at room temperature, covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. Keep it in a cool spot away from direct sunlight.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The crumble will soften slightly in the fridge but will still taste great. Let slices sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving if you prefer a softer crumb.
Freezer: Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for about an hour before eating.
Make-Ahead: You can prep the crumble topping and the strawberry layer the night before and store them separately in the fridge. Mix and bake the cake batter fresh the day of. This cuts your active prep time in half on baking day.
Serving Suggestions
With whipped cream: A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream on top of a warm slice is the simplest, most satisfying way to serve this cake.
With vanilla ice cream: Serve it slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside and you have a full dessert that will get recipe requests.
For brunch: Slice into squares and arrange on a platter dusted with powdered sugar. It looks completely put-together with almost no extra effort.
With coffee: Honestly, a slice of this with a strong cup of coffee is one of my favorite simple pleasures. It is the kind of cake you find yourself sneaking back to the kitchen for.
More Recipes You'll Love
- If you love easy fruit-forward bakes, my Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins are a quick morning win with big flavor.
- Need a showstopper for a party? My Strawberry Cheesecake Tart is stunning and way simpler than it looks.
- For another buttery, comforting bake, the Cream Cheese Pound Cake is a crowd favorite that disappears fast.
- Love that crumble topping? Try my Mini Apple Crisps for another seasonal bake with that same irresistible crunch.
If you make this Strawberry Crumb Cake, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment below or tag me on social so I can see your creation. And if you're looking for more easy dessert recipes the whole family will love, stick around — there's plenty more where this came from.
Strawberry Crumb Cake
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- 6 tbsp. salted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a square baking dish with parchment, set aside.
- Start by preparing the strawberry layer. In a bowl, combine strawberries, lemon juice, flour, and sugar, and combine. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the cake.
- For the cake batter, mix together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla, eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk, and mix well.
- Add the baking powder and salt to the flour, and whisk. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the parchment lined baking dish.
- Carefully sprinkle the strawberry mix evenly over the cake batter.
- For the crumb topping, in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, and melted butter until combined.
- Sprinkle this mixture over top of the strawberries.
- Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. The crumb topping will be golden brown, and you should be able to insert a toothpick into the center of the cake without any wet cake batter. If needed, add cook time 5 minutes at a time until the cake is baked through.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips
- Watch the color: The crumb topping should look a deep, toasted gold, not pale, when it’s finished.
- Even chopping: Try to chop your strawberries into pieces about the size of a dime; if they’re too big, they’ll create “wet spots” in the cake.
- Parchment trick: Leave an inch of parchment paper hanging over the edges of your baking dish—it acts as a handle to lift the finished cake right out of the pan.
- Don't skip the flour: Tossing the strawberries in that tablespoon of flour isn't optional; it’s the structural element that holds the fruit in place during the bake.
- Cooling time: I know it smells incredible, but giving the cake 30 minutes to set on a wire rack ensures you get those clean, sharp slices you see in the photos.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!FAQs: Crumb Cake, Real Talk
Can I use frozen strawberries in this crumb cake?
I would not recommend it. Frozen strawberries hold significantly more water than fresh, and that extra moisture releases during baking. It soaks into the cake base, changes the texture of the crumble, and can extend your bake time to the point where the edges dry out before the center sets. Stick with fresh strawberries for the best result.
How do I know when the cake is done baking?
Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and pull it straight out. If it comes out clean or with just a couple of moist crumbs clinging to it, the cake is ready. If it pulls up wet batter, give it 5 more minutes and test again. You should also see the crumble turn a deep golden brown and notice the edges pulling slightly away from the parchment paper. Those are your visual cues that the bake is almost there.
Why did my crumb topping sink into the cake?
This usually happens when the crumble is too fine or the batter is too thin. Make sure your crumble has some clumps and texture to it rather than being a smooth, sandy mixture. Also, do not press the crumble down when you sprinkle it on top. Let it sit loosely on the strawberry layer so it stays on the surface as the cake bakes.
Can I make this in a 9×13-inch pan?
Yes, but you will need to double all three components to get a good layer thickness. Use the same oven temperature and start checking for doneness around the 55-minute mark. A thinner single batch in a 9×13 will bake through faster and the layers will be too shallow to get that great cake-to-berry-to-crumble ratio in each bite.
Can I substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
You can use full-fat plain Greek yogurt in a 1:1 swap and the cake will still bake up well. The texture will be very slightly looser and there will be a bit more tang in the finished crumb. It is a solid substitute if sour cream is not available, but the full-fat sour cream gives you the richest result.
Can this cake be made the day before?
Absolutely. Bake it completely, let it cool, and cover it tightly. The crumble softens a little overnight but the flavors actually deepen and it slices even more cleanly the next day. Store it at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can I add cinnamon to this recipe?
Yes, cinnamon works really well here. Add 1/2 teaspoon to the crumble topping for a warm, spiced note that pairs nicely with the strawberries. You can also stir a small pinch into the strawberry layer if you want a little warmth throughout the whole cake. It is a simple variation that gives the cake a slightly more autumn-leaning flavor.
