Lemon Earthquake Cake is a dessert that starts with a layer of coconut and macadamia nuts, followed by a lemon cake and cream cheese swirl, all topped and baked with white chocolate chips. Try my Oreo Earthquake Cake and Pumpkin Earthquake Cake for a couple more varieties of an earthquake cake.
Lemon Earthquake Cake
Just like an earthquake causes the earth to shift and cause cracks in the land, this Lemon Earthquake Cake has ingredients that may move around as it is being baked and you may see cracks and crevices in the top after it’s baked. It is supposed to be a bit messy and lumpy.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cake Mix: Look for a box of lemon cake mix. Follow the instructions on the box to make the cake.
Coconut: Use sweetened shredded coconut for this cake. Sweetened coconut has added sugar and sometimes other sweeteners as opposed to unsweetened coconut, which has not been coated with any sugars or sweeteners.
White Chocolate Chips: Look for high-quality white chocolate chips to use in baking recipes like this one.
Macadamia Nuts: Macadamia nuts are actually fruits that are produced by the macadamia tree. They are also known as Queensland nut, bush nut, maroochi nut, bauple nut, and Hawaii nut. They are considered a delicacy when compared to other kinds of nuts.
How to Make a Cream Cheese Swirl
It’s pretty easy to get that fancy marble swirl in a cake.
- Add dollops of cream cheese on top of the lemon cake batter. They shouldn’t be uniform or pretty.
- Use a knife or skewer to make loose vertical zig-zags from one end of the pan to the other.
- Then make zig-zags in the opposite direction.
How to Store Earthquake Cake
Because of the cream cheese layer, I do recommend storing covered in the refrigerator. It should last 2-3 days.
More Earthquake Cakes
Lemon Earthquake Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) lemon cake mix, mixed according to package directions
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (168 g) white chocolate chips
- vanilla 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 the coconut and macadamia nuts onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Spread your cake batter 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 use a knife to marble.
- Sprinkle white chocolate chips on top and bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until the center is set.
- Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.
Video
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.
Is this cake still good to eat at room temperature?
It’s heavenly!! I followed directions without changing anything. I baked it for 55 min. It came nice and brown on top and the dollops of the cream cheese batter creamy inside. It will definitely be made again!
I love your recipes
Has anyone made a version of this with white chocolate and raspberry?
Thx for the recipe. I’m a retired cook on a tow boat. I’ve tried all kind of DumpCakes but never this one. When I baked the Cake they were usually gone the next morning. I’m sorry I’m retired now & my crew members won’t get to devour this one however, when I have my family dinner I’ll get a chance to try it. Thx again 🤗 Norine
Maybe it’s me, but when you list a box cake in a recipe and call that cooking, you lost me. That passed for cooking in the 1950’s and 1960’s. That’s when they would put leftovers into a jello mold and call that dinner. I guess I expected more than doctoring up a box cake mix and passing that off a cooking.
Hey Chris! Feel free to not make a recipe that starts with a box mix. That is totally your call! Hope you feel better after attempting to shame people on the internet today.
Chris, get your point but do not think it applies to modern day life. So many demands on people and children. So many prices increases on food staples. I applaud any ingredient or method that encourages cooking at home versus drive thru. Anything that anyone tries to make themselves for others deserves applause and not a put down.
I love the desserts made with cake mixes! They are so easy and delicious! I’m making this lemon one for my bunco group, will let you know what they think of it. Can’t wait to try the strawberry one next! Keep the recipes coming!