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Delicious Strawberry Earthquake Cake with Cream Cheese Pockets

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A moist and indulgent strawberry cake featuring gooey cream cheese pockets that create a unique ‘earthquake’ effect when sliced. Perfect for celebrations or a comforting treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (about 312g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (170g)
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar (350g)
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream (240ml)
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced (about 150g)
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened (225g)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (16g)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan thoroughly or line it with parchment paper.
  2. Prepare the cream cheese pockets: In a medium bowl, beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with ½ cup sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour until combined. Set aside.
  3. Make the cake batter: In a separate large bowl, whisk together 2 ½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
  4. Cream the butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer, beat ¾ cup softened butter and 1 ¾ cups sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in 4 large eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  6. Combine wet and dry: Alternate adding the flour mixture and 1 cup sour cream to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix each addition just until combined.
  7. Fold in strawberries gently with a spatula to keep berries intact.
  8. Assemble the cake: Pour half the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Dollop half the cream cheese mixture over the batter in small spoonfuls without spreading. Pour the remaining batter on top, then dollop the remaining cream cheese mixture across the surface.
  9. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. The cream cheese pockets may leave small moist spots.
  10. Cool completely on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Be gentle when folding in strawberries to avoid breaking them. Dollop cream cheese mixture instead of mixing it in to create the signature pockets. Start checking the cake at 50 minutes to avoid overbaking. Cool completely before slicing to prevent messy cream cheese oozing.

Nutrition

Keywords: strawberry cake, cream cheese pockets, earthquake cake, easy strawberry dessert, moist cake, berry dessert, cream cheese filling

Find it online: https://breezybake.com/delicious-strawberry-earthquake-cake-recipe-with-cream-cheese-pockets-easy-and-perfect/