Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable)

Swirled with strawberry, cream cheese, and white chocolate atop a tender cake, this decadent dessert is perfectly messy and utterly irresistible.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Base

01 - 1 box (15.25 oz) strawberry cake mix
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
04 - 1 cup water

→ Cream Cheese Filling

05 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 cups powdered sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins & Topping

09 - 1 cup white chocolate chips
10 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
11 - 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
12 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the strawberry cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Mix with electric beaters or whisk until completely smooth and blended, about 2 minutes. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract; continue beating until fully combined and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture randomly over the surface of the cake batter, leaving some spaces of batter visible.
05 - Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese mixture through the cake batter. Make figure-eight or circular motions, being careful not to overmix—you want distinct marbled swirls.
06 - Sprinkle the white chocolate chips, chopped strawberries, coconut (if using), and nuts (if using) evenly over the top of the swirled batter.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter. Do not overbake.
08 - Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving. The cake will be slightly warm and gooey in the center. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cream cheese swirl creates these pockets of pure heaven throughout every slice
  • Its impossible to mess up, even if your swirling technique looks chaotic
  • The combination of strawberry cake and white chocolate feels like something from a bakery
02 -
  • The center will still look slightly jiggly when you take it out, but it continues cooking as it cools
  • Over-swilling the cream cheese mixture will blend it too much, losing those distinct marbled pockets
  • This cake actually tastes better the second day, if you can manage to save any that long
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly and create a better texture
  • If your cream cheese mixture is too thick to dollop, warm it for 10 seconds in the microwave

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