Honey Roasted Strawberry Crumb Cake
When I tell you this honey roasted strawberry crumb cake is the softest, moistest, fluffiest cake I have ever had in my life, I am not exaggerating. This strawberry crumb cake has a tender vanilla cake, a layer of honey roasted strawberries, a buttery streusel topping, and a sweet strawberry sauce. It is the PERFECT summer treat. And even better, it can be breakfast or dessert, so it is multifaceted.
Why you will love this strawberry crumb cake
- The texture. This cake is SO soft. The texture of this cake is dense and moist, just like a crumb cake should be. It is paired with a soft, almost jam-like strawberry layer and a buttery streusel topping, so the difference in texture adds a lot of depth.
- Minimal ingredients. This cake has a lot of things you probably already have in your kitchen pantry – butter, oil, eggs, flour, sugar, etc., so it comes together super easy! There are no special ingredients you need to go on a hunt for in the grocery store.
- The strawberries. The strawberries are hands down my favorite part of this cake. They get pre-roasted in the oven with some honey and ground cinnamon. The warmth of the cinnamon paired with the sweet honey is *mwah* chef’s kiss. The juices that are released during this pre-roast of the strawberries gets put aside, which we then top the cake with later on.
Key ingredients
- All purpose flour: all purpose flour is the flour of choice for this cake – it leads to the perfect soft and tender crumb.
- Leaveners: baking powder is used to give this cake a beautiful rise.
- Fats: the key fats in this recipe are the butter, oil, eggs and milk. All of these ingredients add moisture which results in an incredibly soft and tender cake.
- Sugar: granulated sugar is used in this cake – it adds sweetness, flavor and moisture.
- Cinnamon: cinnamon is used in the roasted strawberries. The hint of cinnamon in the roasted strawberries brings such a warmth to this cake.
- Honey: I am typically not a honey fan, but paired with strawberries and I am ALL in.
- Strawberries: the star ingredient! Make sure to use fresh strawberries – frozen strawberries will thaw and there will be way too much moisture. We don’t want that.
Steps
- Make the roasted strawberries. Mix together the sliced strawberries, honey, ground cinnamon and salt. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Once cool, separate the strawberries from the strawberry juices that released when baking, but do not discard of the juices.
- Make the streusel. Whisk together the granulated sugar and all purpose flour. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Prepare the cake batter. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Beat together the butter and oil. Add the granulated sugar and beat. Then add the eggs one at a time and beat. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add half of the milk and mix until just incorporated. Repeat with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk.
- Bake. Pour the cake batter into an 8×8 inch pan. Layer with the strawberries then the streusel. Bake for 48-52 minutes.
- Cool. Let the cake cool, then top with the strawberry sauce you set aside. Add whipped cream/ice cream/powder sugar, etc.! Enjoy! Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature.
Commonly asked questions
Why is my cake dry?
There are two main reasons why a cake can be dry. The first is over measuring the flour. A lot of people make the common mistake of dunking the measuring cup into the flour and scooping. Doing this packs down the flour in the measuring cup, which will lead to way more flour than you need. To properly measure flour, spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Or, and this is my preferred method, measure your flour using a kitchen scale! That will yield the most accurate results.
The second reason is over baking. A cake can be over baked in the matter of minutes. Just a few extra minutes in the oven can turn a soft and moist cake into a tough and dry cake, so make sure to keep an eye on your cake. It is finished when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Why did my cake sink?
A cake can sink from over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix your cake until the ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. Don’t just turn on your mixer and walk away (I have made this mistake many, many times). Additionally, an underbaked cake can sink, so make sure to bake the cake all the way through.
Can I use a different milk instead of whole milk?
Technically, yes. However, I really recommend sticking to whole milk due to its fat content. The fat content of the milk really adds to the moisture and softness of this cake.
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
Technically, yes. But the cake flavor will change significantly. Vegetable oil is used because it is a very neutral oil and does not have a lot of flavor. Olive oil, on the other hand, has a very distinct flavor that will most definitely come through in the cake if you choose to use it.
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Honey Roasted Strawberry Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Honey Roasted Strawberries
- 2 cups (300 grams) sliced strawberries, slice the strawberries and THEN measure them. If you measure them before they are sliced, you won’t have enough
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Streusel
- 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (84 grams) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Cake
- 1 3/4 cup (219 grams) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) whole milk, room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (177C).
- For the strawberries: In a medium-size bowl, mix together the sliced strawberries*, honey, ground cinnamon and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stirring the strawberries half way through. When the strawberries are done baking, let them cool on the pan. Once they are done cooling, separate the strawberries from the juices that released from the strawberries when baking, but do not discard of the juices – you will use them later.
- For the streusel: while the strawberries are baking, make the streusel. In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and all purpose flour. Pour in the melted butter and mix until the mixture resembles wet sand. Cover and set aside.
- For the cake: line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper, with overhang on at least two sides. This will make it easier to remove the cake from the pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl if using a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the room temperature butter and vegetable oil until they are completely combined. This won't happen unless the butter is completely at room temperature. Beat for about 2-3 minutes.
- Stream in the granulated sugar then beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well on low speed and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low until just incorporated. Add half of the milk and mix on low until just incorporated. Repeat this process with the other halves of the dry ingredients and the milk. Do NOT over-mix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Top the batter evenly with the strawberries, followed by the streusel. Bake for 48-52 minutes until the edges are set and slightly pulling away from the pan. All ovens differ, so if your oven tends to run hot, start checking the cake at 40 minutes. If you notice the streusel browning too quickly, place a piece of tin foil over the top of the pan and continue baking. The cake is finished when a toothpick entered into the center of the cake pulls out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The cake will also be pulling away from the edges of the pan.
- Let cool slightly, then top with the strawberry sauce you put aside. Additionally top with powdered sugar/ice cream/whipped cream, etc., slice and enjoy!
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The cake will stay fresh for 4-5 days.
Notes
- For the strawberries, do not measure them whole. Make sure you are measuring them after they are sliced. If you measure them whole, you will under measure and not have enough.
- I like to scrape down the bottoms and sides of the bowl every time after I add a new ingredient, this will ensure the cake is properly mixed.
- This cake can be made in a 9×9 inch pan as well, the bake time will vary. Start checking the cake 5-10 minutes earlier than instructed.
Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!
Hi can I cook this in a circular tin instead?
Absolutely! I would start checking it at around 35 minutes.