Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Combine your sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese with the remaining sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.

Combine the yellow cake mix, melted butter, milk, and a pinch of salt until just combined.

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread half of the cake batter across the bottom. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the batter, add the marinated strawberries, and dollops of the remaining batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.