Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable)
Decadent strawberry cake with swirled cream cheese filling and white chocolate chips
# What You 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 and 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)
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large bowl, combine the strawberry cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Mix until fully blended and smooth. Spread batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract; continue beating until fully combined and fluffy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture randomly over the cake batter. Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl the filling through the batter, creating a marbled effect.
05 - Sprinkle white chocolate chips, chopped strawberries, coconut, and nuts evenly over the top of the cake.
06 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until edges are golden brown and the center is set. A toothpick inserted should come out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
07 - Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything bakes together in one pan with zero fancy techniques required
- That magical combination of warm strawberry cake and tangy cream cheese creates something infinitely greater than its parts
02 -
- Resist the urge to cut into this cake while it is still hot or the cream cheese layers will run together completely
- The center continues setting as it cools so removing it from the oven while it still seems slightly underdone is actually correct
03 -
- Use room temperature ingredients for both the cake batter and cream cheese mixture to prevent lumps
- Chop strawberries into small uniform pieces so they distribute evenly throughout the batter