Gooey Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable)

Moist strawberry cake with cream cheese swirls and white chocolate chips creates a gooey, marbled dessert that's irresistibly delicious.

# What You Need:

→ For the Cake

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 tsp vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins & Toppings

09 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
10 - 1 cup white chocolate chips
11 - 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together strawberry cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water until just combined. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract; beat until creamy and fluffy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture randomly over cake batter.
05 - Sprinkle diced strawberries and white chocolate chips evenly over top. Add shredded coconut if using.
06 - Use a butter knife to gently swirl cream cheese mixture through batter for marbled effect.
07 - Bake for 40-45 minutes, until edges are set and center is slightly wobbly. Do not overbake; cake should remain gooey inside.
08 - Cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The strawberry flavor tastes like it came from a bakery not a box
  • That wobbly gooey center makes every bite feel indulgent
  • Its practically impossible to mess up even if swirls arent perfect
02 -
  • Overbaking ruins the magic so pull it out when edges are firm but center moves
  • Room temperature cream cheese prevents those frustrating lumpy chunks
  • The cake continues cooking in the pan so that slight wobble is actually perfect
03 -
  • Do not overmix the batter or the texture becomes tough instead of tender
  • A light touch with the knife swirling keeps distinct layers instead of muddy blobs

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