Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable)

A visually striking dessert with strawberry cake swirled with cream cheese filling and white chocolate chips. The marbled earthquake effect makes it a showstopping treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Base

01 - 1 box (15.25 ounces) strawberry cake mix
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
04 - 1 cup water

→ Cream Cheese Filling

05 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 2 cups powdered sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Add-Ins & Topping

09 - 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
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 - Combine the strawberry cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.
03 - In a separate bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cake batter, leaving some gaps. Scatter chopped strawberries and white chocolate chips over the top. Sprinkle with shredded coconut if using.
05 - Using a butter knife or skewer, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture, cake batter, and toppings together in circular motions. Create a marbled earthquake effect without overmixing—maintain distinct pockets of filling.
06 - Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is just set and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. The edges should be lightly golden but the center will still have a slight jiggle.
07 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan, about 1-2 hours. Slice into squares and serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The earthquake cracks create these little pockets of cream cheese filling that make every bite different from the last
  • You get maximum visual drama with minimum effort since the swirling does all the fancy work for you
02 -
  • Over swirling will blend everything into a uniform cake so just three or four gentle passes with your knife is plenty
  • The center may look slightly jiggly when you remove it from the oven but it will firm up as it cools
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together much more easily so take everything out about an hour before you start
  • The cake is done when the edges are set but the center still has a slight wobble like a custard

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