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. But, that doesn’t change the fact that this is an ooey-gooey, lemony dessert with added nuts, coconut, and white chocolate.
Lemon Earthquake Cake Recipe
Each time you take a bite of this dessert, you will get a nutty, lemony flavor with a taste of coconut and white chocolate.
Ingredients (full recipe below)
- Lemon cake mix
- Shredded coconut
- Macadamia nuts
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- White chocolate chips
- Vanilla ice cream–This is optional to add after the cake has been baked, but if you have some vanilla ice cream on hand, I would highly recommend adding a scoop to the dessert!
How to Make a Lemon Earthquake Cake
This Earthquake Cake is so easy to make, and just like the name implies, it is bursting with flavor! If you love lemon cake and cheesecake, you get the best of both desserts in this cake. Plus, with the added nuts, coconut, and white chocolate chips, each bite is bursting with even more 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 lemon cake batter by following the directions on the box. (But don’t bake the cake.)
- Next, layer the bottom of the sprayed pan with the coconut and macadamia nuts. You can always leave the coconut or nuts (or both) out of the recipe if you prefer.
- Then, spread the cake batter that you just prepared over the layer of coconut and nuts.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat with a mixer until combined.
- Dollop the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake batter and create a marble swirl.
- Sprinkle the white chocolate chips on top and bake for 55-60 minutes. The cake is done when the center is set.
- Serve warm, and don’t forget about adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
How to Make a Marble Swirl
It’s pretty easy to get that fancy marble swirl in a cake. After you have the lemon cake batter in the pan and the cream cheese mixture prepared, it’s simple. Add dollops of the cream cheese mixture on top of the lemon cake batter. Use a butter knife or metal/wooden skewer to make loose vertical zig-zags from one end of the pan to the other.
Clean off the knife and make the zig-zag pattern in the opposite direction. You don’t need to over-swirl. A few swirls in each direction will be just enough to get the flavors mixed together.
Looking for More Lemon Desserts?
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.
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) lemon cake mix, mixed according to package directions
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113g) butter, melted
- 2 1/2 cups (312.5g) confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- vanilla ice cream, optional
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Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
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Prepare the cake batter according to package directions.
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Sprinkle the coconut and macadamia nuts onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
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Spread your cake batter over the top. Set aside.
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Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt.
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Beat with a mixer until combined. Dollop the mixture over the cake and use a knife to marble.
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Sprinkle white chocolate chips on top and bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until the center is set.
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Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.
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I love your cake recipes.
Looks delicious and I wish to make it soon.Thank you
This pineapple lemon cake looks amazing.
Cynthia Armstrong would love to see some of your recipes,desserts and dinners,the lemon cake looks delicious.
How do you sprinkle white chocolate chips on top and bake 55-60 minutes without them melting? My cake looked nothing like the photographed cake🤪.
How do you store the cake? Does it require refrigeration?
We did not refrigerate but only had it for 24 hours.
Sounds delicious, but I don’t use boxed cake mixes. I guess I will try to improvise.
Ah-mazing. Even my husband who disavows coconut loved it and didn’t complain about the coconut once! My lemon box mix was not lemony– so I added lemon juice and lemon zest to my cream cheese mixture, also subbed sliced almonds for macadamias. I baked it for 1 hour 20 mins at 325. This cake is incredible. Kept well on the counter and we gave away half to friends who loved it as well. They don’t typically love sweets and their comments was–Ohhh..yeahhh!