This Brown Butter Strawberry Shortcake Coffee Cake is the perfect bunch crumb cake for the summer. The nutty brown butter balances the fresh strawberries perfectly while the freeze dried strawberry crumb is unreal and adds a concentrated berry flavor in every bite.
Perfect for brunches, summer gatherings, strawberry season, or just for you on a weekend mornings with coffee.
If you love cozy coffee cakes also check out my Brown Butter Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Glaze and Brown Butter Earl Grey Blueberry Coffee Cake.
Brown butter in the cake batter and crumb topping gives the cake a deep caramelized flavor that pairs beautifully with strawberries.
Keeps the cake moist and tender while adding richness.
Use ripe but firm strawberries. Too much moisture can make the cake soggy, so tossing them in flour helps prevent sinking.
Adds warmth and enhances the strawberry shortcake flavor.
These add concentrated strawberry flavor without adding extra moisture to the crumb topping.
The combination keeps the crumb crisp while adding caramel notes.
Creates those bakery-style buttery crumbs.
The addition of mascarpone makes the whipped cream more stable, rich, and creamy while still feeling light.
Place the cubed unsalted butter in a light colored saucepan over medium heat. Melt completely, stirring occasionally. The butter will foam and crackle before golden brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. Once the butter smells nutty and deeply aromatic and the bubbling sound begins to quiet down
remove from heat immediately and pour into a large mixing bowl to cool for 10-15 minutes. If this is your first time making brown butter check out this guide!
In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, brown the butter for the cake batter. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for about 10 to 15 minutes till cool to touch. Repeat with the butter used for the crumb topping.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, finely ground freeze dried strawberries, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Pour in the brown butter used for the crumb topping and vanilla extract. Mix with a fork or your hands until large and small crumbs form. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the cake batter.
In a small bowl, toss the chopped fresh strawberries with 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan or cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth. Mix in the sour cream until fully combined. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Avoid overmixing. Gently add the floured strawberries and mix till evenly mixed.
Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Top generously with the strawberry crumb topping, gently pressing some of the crumbs into the batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the final 10 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pan and transferring to a wire rack to cool further.
Using an electric mixer or electric hand mixer, beat mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Slowly stream in the cold heavy cream and whip on medium speed until soft-medium peaks form. Do not overmix. Keep in the fridge till ready to use.
Top the cooled cake with mascarpone whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and crushed freeze dried strawberries before serving.
Room temperature eggs and sour cream help create a smoother cake batter and even bake. Cold mascarpone and whipping cream is best for a smooth whipped topping. Even the bowl used to make the whipped cream is best to keep in the fridge at least 30 minutes before making the cream!
Too much moisture can weigh down the cake and create soggy spots.
This helps prevent the strawberries from sinking to the bottom.
Hot butter can scramble the eggs and create a greasy batter.
Cold crumbs create larger bakery-style clusters and prevents the butter to pull from the crumbs, making the cake greasy.
This keeps the topping fresh and fluffy. However, I have chilled this cake with the whipped cream already on it and the cake does taste great cold.
Store leftover cake covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For best texture, store the mascarpone whipped cream separately and add before serving.
Fresh strawberries work best for this recipe. Frozen strawberries release too much moisture and may affect the texture of the cake. If that's all you have use them immediately from the freezer, mix with the 1 TBSP of flour and immediately add to the batter and bake. Make sure the frozen strawberries don't thaw.
Brown butter adds a rich caramelized flavor with nutty notes that makes the cake taste deeper and more bakery-style.
Yes. The cake can be baked one day ahead and topped with whipped cream before serving.
Absolutely. The cake is still delicious on its own as a strawberry crumb cake. Alternatively, you can top with just powdered sugar.
You want golden, not burnt. Think toasted hazelnut, not coffee ash.
If preferred, brown 12 tablespoons (170g) butter in one saucepan. Divide the browned butter after cooking:
Allow the portion for the batter to cool before mixing.
Measuring flour properly makes a big difference in how your baked recipes turn out. For best results, use a kitchen scale and measure in grams. This ensures consistency and prevents adding too much flour, which can make this cake dry or dense.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale:
Too much flour is one of the most common reasons baked recipes can become dry and cakey
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