Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Print version)
Decadent marbled cake with strawberry, cream cheese swirls, fresh berries, and white chocolate chips.
# What you'll need:
→ Cake Base
01 - 15.25 oz box strawberry cake mix
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
04 - 1 cup water
→ Cream Cheese Layer
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 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
10 - 1 cup white chocolate chips
11 - 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
# Method:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan thoroughly.
02 - Combine strawberry cake mix, eggs, oil, and water in a large bowl. Mix until smooth. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.
03 - Beat softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until smooth and creamy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture evenly over cake batter. Scatter diced strawberries and white chocolate chips across top. Sprinkle with coconut if using.
05 - Gently swirl cream cheese mixture into cake batter using a knife to create marbled pattern.
06 - Bake 40-45 minutes until mostly set but slightly gooey in center. Do not overbake.
07 - Cool in pan at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The contrast between warm strawberry cake and cool cream cheese rivers creates something like a deconstructed cheesecake but way more fun
- This is the dessert you make when you want people to think you spent hours but actually only spent twenty minutes
02 -
- Letting the cake cool completely in the pan is torture but slicing into it warm causes an avalanche
- The center continues setting as it cools, so pulling it out when it looks slightly underdone is actually correct technique
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients blend together seamlessly while cold ones fight you every step of the way
- The knife swirl should look lazy and random not precise or artistic