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?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Can u use peanut butter in the earthquake cake??
Want mudslide cake recipe please.
This looks so good. I would like to try this. Can I use 2 pans of 8×8 instead of 9×13?
Love your recipes
Love your site Thank you
Love your recipes
Yes my friends gave me this recipe he from Charleston school I have made it twice people love this cake. And than I found your recipe on this page it is great
Quite a few years ago I made pumpkin cheese cake with a ginger snap crust . It was a recipe using equal as a sweetener instead of sugar and sugar free ginger snaps crushed and used as one would for graham cracker crust …. made it for one of my brothers a new type 2 diabetic at the time it was awesome!!! A winner to him! I have since started using more up to date better for you sweetners in recipes for friends that need less sugar. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
My youngest son asked me to make this Cake for his 30th Birthday. He Normally does not like a CHOCOLATE CAKE. but he said this one looked VERY INTERESTING!!
Well,he was RIGHT! Everybody LOVED IT & it was interesting with so many different textures & DELICIOUS flavors, IT WAS NOT YOU REGULAR BORING CHOCOLATE CAKE! We topped it with a variety of our favorite ice creams!! lol THANK YOU
I’m making this cake a day ahead of time. Do I need to refrigerate this cake or leave on the counter covered ?
Hi, Cheryl! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. Because of the cream cheese, store it in the refrigerator. Have a great day!