Description
Strawberry Earthquake Cake is a luscious dessert that combines a moist strawberry cake base with creamy swirls of sweetened cream cheese, fresh strawberries, white chocolate chips, and optional shredded coconut. Baked together, the cream cheese mixture sinks and swirls down into the cake, creating a gooey, eye-catching ‘earthquake’ appearance that’s both visually stunning and deliciously rich.
Ingredients
Scale
Strawberry Cake
- 1 box strawberry cake mix (plus ingredients listed on box – usually eggs, oil, and water)
- Nonstick spray for greasing
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray to ensure the cake won’t stick.
- Make the cake batter: Prepare the strawberry cake mix according to the package instructions, usually combining the mix with eggs, oil, and water. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Prepare cream cheese mixture: In a separate bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the cake: Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the strawberry cake batter without spreading it out. Then sprinkle the chopped strawberries, white chocolate chips, and shredded sweetened coconut (if using) evenly over the top.
- Bake the cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The edges should be set while the center remains slightly jiggly, which is typical for this cake.
- Cool and serve: Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing. The cream cheese mixture will have sunk and swirled through the cake, creating the signature ‘earthquake’ look.
Notes
- If fresh strawberries are unavailable, frozen strawberries may be used. Just ensure they are thawed and well-drained to avoid excess moisture.
- The center of the cake will appear gooey and slightly jiggly, which is normal and part of the cake’s unique texture.
- For a richer flavor, substitute milk for water when preparing the cake mix.
