Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable)
Gooey strawberry cake with cream cheese swirls, fresh berries, and white chocolate chips.
# 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 Layer
05 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 cups powdered sugar
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Add-ins & Toppings
09 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
10 - 1 cup white chocolate chips
11 - 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan thoroughly.
02 - In a large bowl, combine strawberry cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Mix according to package directions until smooth. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until smooth and well combined.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture evenly over the cake batter. Scatter diced strawberries and white chocolate chips across the top. Sprinkle with shredded coconut if using.
05 - Using a knife, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the cake batter to create a marbled pattern. Be careful not to overmix—distinct swirls should remain visible.
06 - Bake for 40–45 minutes until the cake is mostly set but still slightly gooey in the center. The cake should have a molten texture when done—do not overbake.
07 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. For best results, serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between the tender strawberry cake and rich cream cheese pockets is absolutely irresistible
- It looks like you spent hours creating something fancy, but the whole thing comes together in about twenty minutes
02 -
- The center should still be slightly gooey when you take it out of the oven. This is not underbaked, it is exactly what you want for that signature earthquake texture.
- Swirling too enthusiastically will blend everything together too much. Gentle figure eight motions with just a few passes through the batter are perfect.
03 -
- Use a light colored metal pan rather than glass for more even baking and better browning on the edges
- Room temperature ingredients are not just a suggestion, they genuinely make a difference in how smoothly everything blends together