Strawberry Crunch Cake

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 189kcal

This Strawberry Crunch Cake features creamy vanilla frosting nestled between layers of sweet strawberry cake, all covered in an irresistible strawberry shortcake crumb coating! Lightened up but you wouldn't know it for a second - it's just heavenly!!

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Ingredients

For the Strawberry Crunch:

1 tsp sugar-free strawberry flavored gelatin mix (3g)
1/2 cup all purpose flour (60g) divided
1/4 cup butter (56g) cold, divided
1/4 cup sweetener (48g) I used Swerve
1/2 tsp vanilla

For the Cake:

1/2 cup vanilla protein powder (62g)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60g)
1/4 cup coconut flour (28g)
1/2 cup granulated sweetener (92g) I used Swerve
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sugar free strawberry jello gelatin mix* (4g)
1.5 cup unsweetened applesauce (360g)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup egg whites (180g)

For the Frosting:

1 cup whipped vanilla frosting (192g) 192g

Instructions

For the Strawberry Crunch:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To a small bowl, add the strawberry gelatin mix, 1/4 cup of the flour and 2 Tbsp of the butter. Using a fork, mix together, mashing the mixture down until it is fine and crumbly.
To a separate small bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour and 2 Tbsp butter, along with the sweetener and vanilla. Using a fork, mix together, mashing the mixture down until it is fine and crumbly.
Add the strawberry crumbles to the baking sheet and spread out evenly. Then sprinkle on the vanilla crumbles, ever so slightly mixing them by hand.
Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Do not stir at all. Remove from the oven and let cool completely (at least 1 hour). If they feel warm, place the baking sheet in the fridge or wait another 30 minutes.
Crumble into an airtight container to store.

For the Strawberry Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
To a medium-sized bowl, add all the dry ingredients (protein powder through gelatin mix) and mix until combined.
To the same bowl, add the wet ingredients and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. I used a hand mixer for this.
Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Let the cakes cool completely before adding frosting.

To Assemble:

Set one of the cakes on a flat plate. Add about 3/4 cup of the frosting and spread out evenly. Add the other cake on top.
Add remaining frosting to the cake and spread out along the top and the sides.
Sprinkle the strawberry crunch on the top of the cake. Use your hands to add crunch to the sides of the cake.
I prefer this cake best chilled for a true strawberry crunch bar vibe, but it's still great if you prefer to eat it at room temperature. I would recommend 2-3 hours of chilling before slicing.

Notes

*this amount of gelatin will make a light pink cake. For a deeper, brighter pink, use 1 to 1.5 tsp.

How To Store

To maximize the shelf life of the Strawberry Crunch Cake, place it in a covered airtight container or Cake Keeper, or cover with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

Your cake will keep at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Your cake will keep in the fridge for 1 week.
Your cake will keep in the freezer for 4 months.

Nutrition