Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake with Cake Mix
This easy strawberry cream cheese cake with cake mix is soft, moist, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. Swirled with a tangy cream cheese layer, this simple dessert looks impressive but comes together in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 box strawberry cake mix plus ingredients listed on the box: eggs, oil, water
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh strawberries chopped (or frozen and thawed, drained)
- Powdered sugar optional, for dusting or glaze
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Prepare strawberry cake mix according to package directions (mixing with eggs, oil, and water).
- In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over the top.
- Swirl gently with a knife or toothpick to create a marbled effect.
- Scatter chopped strawberries on top, or fold them into the batter before pouring.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool, then dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with glaze if desired.
Notes
- Use white or vanilla cake mix with strawberry puree for a twist.
- Add a packet of strawberry gelatin to the batter for extra strawberry flavor.
- Substitute raspberries or blueberries for a different berry cake.
- Make it indulgent with a powdered sugar glaze or cream cheese frosting.
- Works in a bundt pan (adjust bake time to 45–50 minutes).