Gooey Strawberry Earthquake Cake (Printable)

Moist strawberry cake swirled with cream cheese and white chocolate for a decadent, gooey dessert experience.

# 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 & 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.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk strawberry cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water until just combined. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.
03 - Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract; beat until creamy and fluffy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture randomly over cake batter.
05 - Sprinkle diced strawberries and white chocolate chips evenly over top. Add shredded coconut if using.
06 - Use a butter knife to gently swirl cream cheese mixture through batter for marbled effect.
07 - Bake for 40-45 minutes until edges are set and center is slightly wobbly. Do not overbake; cake should remain gooey inside.
08 - Cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The contrast between warm gooey pockets and tender cake is absolutely addictive
  • It looks impressive but requires zero fancy techniques or equipment
02 -
  • Overbaking is the enemy, remove from oven while center still seems underdone
  • Room temperature cream cheese blends smoothly without any effort
03 -
  • Add a pinch of salt to the cream cheese filling to balance sweetness
  • Use a light touch when swirling, less is more here

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