This gooey, rich, delicious Earthquake Cake is full of chocolate, pecan, and coconuts and is an explosion of flavor in every bite! Try my Pumpkin Earthquake Cake for a cake with pumpkin and chocolate overload!
Earthquake Cake
I love a cake that’s instructions are: throw in everything but the kitchen sink. This Earthquake Cake is one of those classic cakes and really lives up to its name! It’s similar to a dump cake… but it gets its name from all the cracks, crevices, and valleys on top when it’s done baking.
It has gooey tunnels of goodness all around it which are filled with a chocolate and cream cheese surprise! From the outside, it looks just like your normal cake, but with each and every bite you have the addition of the cream cheese mixture, melty chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans!
How to Make an Earthquake Cake
This Earthquake Cake is so easy to make, and just like the name implies, it is bursting with flavor! So, preheat the oven to 350°F, prepare a 9×13-inch pan with non-stick spray, and get out the ingredients you need.
- First, prepare the cake mix by following the directions on the box.
- Next, sprinkle the shredded coconut and pecans on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the cake batter on top of the coconut and pecans. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat with a mixer until combined.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake batter.
- Top with chocolate chips and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the center is set. (To know when the cake is set, give the pan a nudge and make sure the center of the cake doesn’t jiggle.)
- Top with chocolate ice cream for the icing, I mean ice cream, on the cake!
Can I Make the Chocolate Cake Mix from Scratch?
Yes! I would recommend using my cake recipe from my Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe. Just mix together the ingredients as you would follow on a box mix. But, of course, don’t bake the cake. You will add the batter to the baking pan to bake with the other layers of the recipe.
Earthquake Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix, mixed according to package directions
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick or 113g) butter, melted
- 2½ cups (312.5g) confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- chocolate ice cream, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- Prepare the cake batter according to package directions.
- Sprinkle your coconut and pecans onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Spread your cake mix over the top. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt.
- Beat with a mixer until combined. Dollop the mixture over the cake, and spread it out.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the center is set.
- Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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This is one of my all time favorites!! The first time I made it, I actually over cooked it a bit, but what resulted was a gooier, stickier bottom, which kind of reminded me of a Mounds Candy Bar, melted…lol. But, much better. I have not overcooked another one, but still think I should try to get the same result. Everybody loved it!
Love the recipes, fun to do with granddaughter
So excited to subscride!!
I absolutely love your recipes
Love cooking and went recieve new recipe I’m so happy started try .
Just saw he Earthquake cake and I am going to make it tomorrow.
Looking forward to good recipes.
I Love baking! My new favorite cooking site!
Your cake looks so good. Would like to have some of you recipes.
Do I have to use coconut? I really don’t like it