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A delicious twist on a Strawberry Shortcake Bar, today’s Strawberry Crunch Cake Bars are a layered strawberry cake bar with a vanilla cream cheese frosting and crunchy cookie-strawberry crumble topping that evokes the nostalgic flavors of the classic ice cream bar in a fun, sliceable format that won’t melt in the summer heat.

Strawberry Shortcake Crunch Cake Recipe

Two years ago, we shared our recipe for a Strawberry Crunch Layer Cake – which is a delicious cake, but a lot more work than I want to put in everytime I want those nostalgic strawberry crunch cake flavors.

Rather than just make a sheet cake version, I decided I wanted a completely new take on the recipe – this time, making the cake layer dense and chewy like a cookie cake and using a (now ubiquitous) hack for the crumb topping of combining Golden OREOs with strawberry gelatin.

The result was a layered strawberry cake bar with a rich, chewy base, tangy cream cheese frosting and a sweet, strawberry cookie crumble that provides the perfect contrast of textures while echoing the bright and sweet flavors of the classic strawberry shortcake ice cream bars.

This is a great summer recipe to make with the kids, thanks to using several shortcuts – from the strawberry cake mix base to the strawberry gelatin and OREO cookies in the crumble.

Our strawberry cake bars feature a soft, buttery base made with cake mix, topped with creamy vanilla cream cheese frosting and a crunchy strawberry cookie topping. Perfect for parties, potlucks or summer desserts, this easy strawberry dessert bar recipe comes together quickly with simple ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Crunch Cake Bars Recipe

• Nostalgic flavor of strawberry crunch ice cream bars in a fun cake format.
• Uses kid-friendly shortcuts for a fun recipe to make with the kids.
• A fun strawberry summer dessert with a satisfying contrast of textures.

Snackable History Fact: Harry Burr, a candy shop owner, developed a hardened chocolate ice cream coating in 1920, but after his kids asked for a less messy version, he created a new prototype that could be served on a stick. He went on to create the first ice cream trucks to sell his confections.

The name “Good Humor” was given after his passing but inspired by his belief that there was a connection between one’s temperament (or “humor”) and one’s palate (which was rooted in the ancient Greek theory of humorism developed by Hippocrates).

The iconic Strawberry Shortcake Bar debuted in the 1950s with it’s combination of vanilla ice cream, a strawberry-flavored center and a crunchy shortcake-cookie coating.

Strawberry Crunch Cake Bars Ingredients

Strawberry Cake Bars Ingredients:

• Strawberry Cake Mix
• Butter, melted
• Eggs
• Strawberry Gelatin Powder

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• Cream Cheese, softened
• Butter, softened
• Vanilla Extract
• Powdered Sugar
• Heavy Whipping Cream (35%)

Strawberry Crunch Topping Ingredients:

• Golden Oreo cookies
• Strawberry gelatin powder
• Butter, melted

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• 8″ x 8″ Cake Pan (we used a ceramic baking pan but glass or metal will work)
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Electric Mixer
• Mixing Bowls
• Offset Spatula or Spoon, for spreading frosting
• Food Processor

How to Make Strawberry Crunch Cake Bars

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the strawberry cake mix, ½ cup melted butter, eggs, and 2 tablespoons strawberry gelatin powder. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish (the batter will be thick).

Bake at 350F for 25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean with just a few cake crumbs and no wet batter. Remove from the oven and cool completely to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese, ¼ cup softened butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, beat in one more tablespoon of heavy cream.

Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the strawberry bars.

Place the golden Oreos in a food processor and pulse until the cookies are broken down into rough crumbs (some bigger pieces are okay). Add the 4 tablespoons of strawberry gelatin powder and pulse to combine with the cookies. Pour in the ¼ cup melted butter and pulse just until mixed in – don’t over-mix or the crumb topping will become pasty.

Pour the cookie crumble over the cream cheese frosting and spread out evenly.

Refrigerate the bars for 30 minutes, then slice and serve.

Strawberry Cake Bar Recipe Variations:

• Swap strawberry cake mix for vanilla or white cake mix and increase gelatin slightly for a more controlled strawberry flavor.
• Add finely diced fresh strawberries to the batter for pockets of real fruit.
• Use freeze-dried strawberries in the topping instead of gelatin for a more natural flavor and color.
• Replace Golden Oreos with vanilla wafers for a slightly lighter, less sweet crunch.
• Add lemon zest to the frosting for a citrus flavor to balance the sweetness.

More Satisfying Strawberry Desserts

Pin this Easy Strawberry Cake Bar Recipe for your Summer Baking:

Printable Recipe Card:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our Strawberry Crunch Cake Bars recipe.

If you tried this recipe and loved it too, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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