Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable Version)
Gooey strawberry cake with cream cheese swirl and marbled appearance
# What You'll Need:
→ Strawberry Layer
01 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
→ Cake Base
03 - 1 box (15.25 oz) strawberry cake mix
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
05 - 3 large eggs
06 - 1 cup milk
→ Cream Cheese Swirl
07 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 2 cups powdered sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Add-Ins
11 - 1 cup white chocolate chips
12 - 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan thoroughly.
02 - In medium bowl, toss sliced strawberries with granulated sugar. Set aside to macerate.
03 - In large bowl, combine strawberry cake mix, melted butter, eggs, and milk. Beat until smooth. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
04 - Scatter sugared strawberries, white chocolate chips, and shredded coconut evenly over cake batter.
05 - In separate bowl, beat cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until fluffy and fully combined.
06 - Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over cake batter. Use butter knife to gently swirl into batter, creating marbled effect. Do not overmix.
07 - Bake for 38-42 minutes until cake is set around edges but still slightly gooey in center. The characteristic cracked appearance comes from proper baking time.
08 - Cool in pan for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between tangy cream cheese swirls and sweet strawberry pockets keeps every bite interesting
- It looks impressive but requires zero fancy technique—the oven does all the dramatic work for you
02 -
- The center should still be slightly jiggly when you remove it from the oven—this is not underbaked, it is intentional
- Swirling too enthusiastically will blend the cream cheese completely into the batter instead of creating distinct marbled pockets
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients prevent lumps in your cream cheese swirl and help the batter come together smoothly
- Letting the strawberries sit in sugar for 10 minutes before scattering them creates concentrated strawberry pockets throughout the cake