Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable)
Luscious strawberry dessert with creamy cheesecake swirls, fresh berries, and moist cake base featuring delightful cracked edges.
# 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
→ Cheesecake Swirl
05 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 cups powdered sugar
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Strawberry Filling and Toppings
09 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
10 - 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
11 - 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberry cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together using an electric mixer until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until fluffy and well combined.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture randomly over the surface of the cake batter. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl and marble the cream cheese through the batter, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Sprinkle the diced strawberries, white chocolate chips, and shredded coconut (if using) evenly over the top of the swirled batter.
06 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake is done when the edges are set and slightly golden, but the center still has a gentle, gooey appearance characteristic of the earthquake effect.
07 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature for the best texture and flavor.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The earthquake effect creates those gorgeous cracks and crevices that trap all the creamy cheesecake filling in the most wonderful pockets
- Its practically foolproof, even if youve never made a cake from scratch before, because the beautiful swirls look intentional no matter how they turn out
02 -
- The center might look jiggly when you pull it from the oven, but that is exactly how it should be, it firms up beautifully while cooling
- Over swirling the cream cheese mixture will completely lose the marble effect, so just three or four gentle passes with your knife is plenty
03 -
- If your strawberries are particularly large, cut them into quarters instead of halves so they do not sink to the bottom of the pan
- A light tap of the pan against the counter after adding the toppings helps settle everything into the batter without overmixing