Strawberry Cream Filled Crumb Coffee Cake

Strawberry Cream Filled Crumb Coffee Cake has a moist, dense texture with a rich brown sugar and nutmeg flavor, filled with fluffy strawberry buttercream, and topped with a buttery crumble topping and light strawberry glaze.

I make a lot of coffee cakes, but this Strawberry Cream Filled Crumb Coffee Cake is one of my favorite brunch recipes. Its flavor is fantastic, and with two layers, it’s even more of a decadent treat. It’s also a crowd-pleaser, and perfect for a special treat for a holiday brunch or family gathering.

Ingredients in Strawberry Cream Filled Crumb Coffee

Cake

• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sour milk (add 1 tbsp of vinegar to a measuring cup and then fill to 1 cup with milk and allow to sit for 5 minutes)

Crumb topping

• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour

Strawberry cream filling

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup ground freeze dried strawberries – place 1/2 in a food processor until a find powder
• 1 tbsp strawberry jam
• Option without freeze dried strawberries
• ¼ cup strawberry jam (preferably seedless for a smoother texture)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoons heavy cream or milk

Glaze

• ½ cup seedless strawberry jam
• 1 tablespoon milk or water (adjust as needed)
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Crumb topping

• Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then gently mix in the flour, being careful not to overmix (you just want to moisten the flour and mix until there is no visible dryness).
• Squeeze a handful of the topping into your hand. If it doesn’t clump together, add a little more melted butter until it does.
• Place in the refrigerator while making the cake

Strawberry cream filling

• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
• Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low at first, then increasing speed to medium until well combined.
• Add the strawberry jam and vanilla extract, beating until incorporated
• Add heavy cream (or milk) 1 tablespoon, beating until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy.

Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray or line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt

In the stand mixer bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated.

Alternately, add the flour mixture and the sour milk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined—do not overmix. The batter should be smooth but thick.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Use a spatula to spread it evenly across the pans.

Sprinkle crumb topping evenly across the top of one of the cake layers. Make sure the topping is spread out to the edges of the pan. If it is all together, it will cause the cake to sink in the middle.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the top is golden brown. The layer with crumble make take an extra 5-10 minutes

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely

Once cakes are completely cooled, spread the strawberry cream across the layer of cake without the crumbs. Gently place the crumb cake layer on top.

Glaze

• In a small saucepan or microwave, warm the strawberry jam until it becomes slightly runny
• In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and warm jam
• Add a tsp of milk and stir until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more liquid for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker one

Drizzle glaze over the top of the cake and allow to set for 15 minutes

Tips for making Strawberry Cream Filled Crumb Coffee Cake

Don’t overmix cake batter – this will cause the strawberry coffee cake to lose it’s light and fluffy texture

Refrigerate the crumb – this will ensure it keeps it’s shape while making the batter. If the butter gets too soft, it won’t hold up and will melt into cake while baking

Don’t spread cream to the outside of cake – leave about an inch so when you place the top layer it doesn’t spill out of the cake

Storage

Kept at room temperature and covered tightly with aluminum foil, this crumble cake will keep fresh for 2-3 days. You can also wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil and placed in a freezer bag, and keep in the freezer for two weeks.

Other Coffee Cake Recipes

Chocolate Crumb Carrot Coffee Cake

The Best Walnut Coffee Bundt Cake