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Strawberry Crunch Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Serving Size 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Strawberry Layer:

  • 4 cups fresh strawberries pureed (about 2 lbs whole strawberries)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice use less if you prefer

For the Cake Layer:

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1½ cups pecans chopped (divided — ⅔ for the cake, ⅓ reserved for topping)
  • 1½ sticks ¾ cup butter, thinly sliced

For the Whipped Cream Cheese Topping:

  • 1 8 oz block cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 to 1½ cups heavy cream chilled

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Prepare the strawberries. Wash fresh strawberries and pulse them in a blender or food processor until they're almost pureed but still have small bits of strawberry in them — that texture is what makes this so good. You'll want 4 cups total. Pour the puree into a large bowl.
  • Make the strawberry base. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch until fully combined. (Whisking the dry ingredients first helps break up cornstarch lumps.) Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture to the strawberry puree along with the lemon juice. Stir until well combined. Pour into your prepared baking dish.
  • Add the cake layer. Sprinkle the dry white cake mix evenly over the strawberry layer. Use your hands to gently smooth it out across the top. Don't stir or mix it in — you want it to sit right on top of the strawberry mixture.
  • Add the pecans. Take about ⅔ of your chopped pecans and sprinkle them evenly over the cake mix. Reserve the remaining ⅓ on a small baking sheet for toasting later.
  • Top with butter. Slice the butter into thin pats (about the thickness of a normal butter pat) and place them across the entire top of the cake, covering as much as you can. Tiny dry spots are fine — big dry spots aren't.
  • Bake for 40–50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the strawberry layer is bubbly around the edges. The toothpick test won't work for this kind of cake — go by visual cues. During the last 5–6 minutes of baking, slide your reserved pecans into the oven on a small baking sheet to toast them.
  • Cool completely. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes — and longer is better. The strawberry layer needs that time to set up as it cools. If you skip this step, the topping won't sit right on top.
  • Make the topping. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the room-temperature cream cheese until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until well combined. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the chilled heavy cream a little at a time. Increase speed and whip until it holds soft peaks — light and fluffy but stable. You'll use somewhere between 1 and 1½ cups of cream depending on how thick you want it.
  • Top the cake. Spread the whipped cream cheese topping evenly over the cooled cake. Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
    • Leave a little texture in the strawberry puree — pulse, don't fully blend
    Room temperature cream cheese is essential for a smooth topping; chilled heavy cream is essential for whipping properly
    The cake must be stored in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese topping
    Toasting the pecans in the oven during the last few minutes of baking is a small step that makes a big flavor difference

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