Desserts have a way of disappearing quickly around here and this Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Cake is no exception. I’ve made it several times in a row while perfecting the recipe and every time it’s gone within minutes! This is a soft strawberry cake with jammy strawberry ribbons and creamy pockets of cheesecake baked right in- one of those simple 9×13 cakes that’s perfect for a special occasion, but just as great for a casual weekend treat.
The inspiration comes from the popular Strawberry Earthquake Cake you may have seen floating around, but those are generally way too sweet for me and I wanted something with more fresh berry flavor. My version has swirls of sweet cream cheese filling and fresh strawberry compote, along with freeze-dried strawberry powder mixed into the batter. As it bakes, everything moves around. It’s a sink or swim situation while the toppings end up on the top, bottom, and middle of the cake, so every slice is a surprise!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- White Cake Mix– yes we start with a shortcut and add lots of fresh ingredients! I only use Duncan Hines cake mixes, which isn’t sponsored- it’s just my preference. I’m not sure how other brands perform in this recipe since I’ve only ever used DH!
- Freeze Dried Strawberries – these are pretty easily accessible in grocery stores, I buy mine at Walmart. Keep in mind these are NOT the same as dried strawberries.
- Butter
- Oil
- Whole milk
- Eggs
- Vanilla and Almond Extracts– I love almond extract, especially with berries. It’s not overpowering here at all, but if for any reason you have an aversion to it, you can leave it out.
- Fresh strawberries
- Sugar
- Cream cheese – I always recommend full fat cream cheese for baking projects
- Powdered sugar
- Sour cream
How to Make Strawberry Swirl Cake
This is simply a preview of the steps so you can get a quick overview. You’ll find the full printable recipe below.
This recipe has 3 components, but none of them are complicated!
- The fresh berry compote– you’ll put strawberries and sugar into a pan and simmer just for a few minutes until it becomes thickened and jammy. Set that aside!
- The cake – for the cake you’ll start with a cake mix and add some smashed up freeze dried berries. This gives the batter a light pink hue and infuses it with fresh berry flavor. Freeze dried berries tend to be a little tart, too, so it balances out the sweetness well. Add the rest of the ingredients: butter, oil, milk, eggs, and extracts.
- The cream cheese swirl– This is just cream cheese, melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extracts, and a touch of sour cream or greek yogurt. Basically a simple cheesecake filling.
- Assembly– Pour the cake batter in the pan. Dollop the cheesecake filling on top- don’t spread it out! Then add spoonfuls of the strawberry compote. You will swirl these around a bit but it’s important to not over mix. Keep your knife in the very top layer.
- Bake– When you bake the cake most of the filling will get swallowed up. Don’t worry, that’s what’s supposed to happen! You can see in the photo below, some of the fillings will sink, some will be on top…it’s kind of all over the place which is the fun of it 🙂
You can eat it as is (we sometimes just eat it handheld like a bar!) Or top with sweetened whipped cream. I also think it’s fun to add a few extra strawberries, either freeze-dried or fresh.
Storing and Other Tips
- Storage: because of the cream cheese swirl, this cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Transfer extra slices to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- Serving: This cake is good chilled, but for the best texture, let slices sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving so the cake softens and the cheesecake swirls become creamy.
- Freezing: You can freeze this cake for up to 2 months. Cut into slices, wrap tightly in plastic and store in an airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Thaw them partially before chopping and then cook as directed. You will likely need to simmer a little longer to reduce the extra moisture.
No, actually! They give it a little extra strawberry flavor, but the cake will bake up just fine without them, you’ll just lack the flavor and color hue.
White or yellow work well. And of course you can always use a strawberry flavored cake as well. I think the flavor is a little artificial so that’s why I use a white mix, but if you like strawberry flavored box mixes, feel free!
Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Fresh Strawberry Swirl
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh strawberries about 7 ounces
- 3 tablespoons sugar
Cake
- 1 white cake mix (15.25oz) I only use Duncan Hines
- 1 oz freeze-dried strawberries crushed finely in the package
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ⅓ cup neutral oil avocado or vegetable
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 8 ounces cream cheese I recommend full fat
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt
Optional For Serving
- Sweetened whipped cream
- additional fresh or freeze dried berries for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉. Grease a 9×13 pan or line with parchment.
Strawberry Swirl
- In a small sauce pan, combine strawberries and sugar. Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring and smashing frequently. Mixture should release liquid from berries and then simmer. After about 6-ish minutes it should appear thickened and glossy and when you drag a spoon across the pan, it should leave a visible trail. It's important that you cook your berries enough for them to thicken, it should look a little loser than jam. Set it aside.
Cake Batter
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine cake mix and crushed freeze-dried strawberries (I just crush the whole package with my hands- its okay to have some small bits mixed with a more powder-y consistency.) Add melted butter, oil, milk, eggs vanilla, and almond extract. Beat on low speed until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and then beat on medium-high for 1-2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan.
Cream Cheese Swirl
- Microwave cream cheese briefly (10-15 seconds at a time, you do not want it hot, just softened so you can easily stir.) Stir in melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and sour cream until smooth.
Assemble
- Drop cream cheese mixture in heaping spoonfuls over the cake batter. Do not spread it into a full layer. See photos for example! Then drop dollops of the cooled strawberry mixture over the cake.
- Using a knife gently swirl JUST the top portion of the batter. Try to swirl just the top ½" maximium. Leave visible ribbons and mounds and don't over swirl.
Bake
- Place cake in oven. I've found baking times can sometimes vary depending on the type of pan you use and your swirling pattern, so I recommend setting a timer for 30 minutes and keeping an eye on it! The berry and cream cheese swirl will get eaten up by the cake batter and appear to sink. This is normal! Mine usually takes about 35-40 minutes. It will be done when you poke with a skewer and loose crumbs are attached. It can be tricky because you will poke through the cream cheese swirl, which can appear wet, so use other cues as well. The top should not look wet and you should take the cake out of the oven before you get any browning on top. You'll probably have to test with a skewer in multiple places.
- Allow to cool and then if desired, top with a little sweetened whipped cream. I like adding some sliced berries or a sprinkle of extra freeze dried berries on top, too!
