Gooey Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable)
Moist strawberry cake with creamy cheese filling and white chocolate swirls
# 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 & Toppings
09 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, 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 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; continue beating until creamy and fluffy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture randomly over the cake batter, distributing evenly across the surface.
05 - Sprinkle diced strawberries and white chocolate chips evenly over the top. Add shredded coconut if using.
06 - Use a butter knife to gently swirl the cream cheese mixture through the batter, creating a marbled pattern without overmixing.
07 - Bake for 40-45 minutes until edges are set and center is slightly wobbly. The cake should remain gooey inside, so avoid overbaking.
08 - Allow cake to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving to ensure clean portions.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast of warm gooey cream cheese against tender strawberry cake is absolutely addictive
- It looks like you spent hours creating something fancy, but the boxed cake mix shortcut makes it surprisingly doable on a Tuesday night
- That slightly wobbly center means every bite feels like eating dessert lava cake
02 -
- Resist the urge to bake until completely set because that wobbly center is exactly what makes this cake special
- Room temperature cream cheese incorporates much more smoothly into the butter, creating those silky ribbons everyone loves
03 -
- Use an offset spatula to drop the cream cheese mixture for more control over placement
- Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots for even cooking