the Strawberry Earthquake Cake

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Strawberry Earthquake Cake

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 40–45 minutes
Servings: 12

🧾 Ingredients

Bottom Cake Layer

  • 1 box strawberry cake mix
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup oil
  • 1 cup water
    (Prepare according to box instructions — above is the usual base)

Mix-ins

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
    or 1–1½ cups frozen (do not thaw)
  • 1 cup shredded coconut (optional)
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips or semi-sweet chips (optional but highly recommended)

Cream Cheese “Earthquake” Mixture

  • 225 g (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (113 g) butter, melted
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

🍰 Instructions

1. Prepare the Cake Batter

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
  2. Grease a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan.
  3. In a bowl, mix the strawberry cake batter (cake mix + eggs + oil + water).
  4. Pour the batter into the pan.

2. Add Mix-Ins

Sprinkle over the cake batter:

  • chopped strawberries
  • coconut (optional)
  • white chocolate chips

Do not mix — leave them sitting on top.

3. Make the Cream Cheese Topping

  1. In a separate bowl, beat together:
    • cream cheese
    • melted butter
    • powdered sugar
    • vanilla
  2. Spoon this mixture over the cake batter in thick dollops.
  3. Use a knife to gently swirl (don’t overswirl).

It will look messy — that’s perfect!

4. Bake

  • Bake 40–45 minutes, or until edges are set and the center is lightly wobbly but not liquid.
  • Cake will look cracked, swirled, and “erupted” — exactly what you want.

5. Cool & Serve

  • Let the cake cool at least 20 minutes so it sets.
  • Serve warm or fully cooled.
  • AMAZING with vanilla ice cream.

💡 Tips for the Best Strawberry Earthquake Cake

  • Use real strawberries for the best flavor.
  • Don’t overmix the swirl — you want pockets of cream cheese.
  • The cake sinks and cracks naturally — that’s the “earthquake” look!
  • Store in the fridge up to 5 days.

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