Earthquake Cake Recipe

This ooey gooey Earthquake Cake Recipe is packed full of chocolate, coconut, pecans, and a smooth cream cheese filling. A shortcut dessert, this easy recipe starts with a box of cake mix!

Chocolate cake is always good, but if you want to take a box of cake mix to a whole new level, all it takes is this easy recipe for an Earthquake Cake!

This dessert gets its name from the crags and cracks that happen while the cake bakes. It looks a bit like the earth after an earthquake, but it tastes like heaven.

Some people call this a Hurricane Cake too. You can call it whatever you like, it doesn’t matter when it tastes this good!

Devil’s food cake, a sweet cream cheese swirl, and plenty of shredded coconut and chopped pecans give this cake the most amazing texture and flavor.

You should also try my better than sex cake. It’s made with a boxed cake mix too. Cake mix cookie bars are another favorite shortcut dessert.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’ll love making an Earthquake Cake because it’s super simple!

Start by tossing some sweetened coconut and pecans in a pan. Then cover them with chocolate cake batter.

The last step is the most important because we’ll be adding a cream cheese frosting swirl and baking it so that it ends up in the middle of the cake!

There’s no need to frost a cake like this one because there is so much going on inside.

Ingredients In Earthquake Cake

Here’s what you need to make this cake:

• Chocolate Cake Mix: Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the package, adding water, oil, and eggs to the mix.
• Pecans: Toasted pecans will give you the most flavor. Chop the nuts into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the pan.
• Shredded Sweetened Coconut: Unsweetened coconut shreds just won’t give you the same flavor or texture.
• Cream Cheese: Let the cream cheese come to room temperature so that it mixes up into a smooth filling.
• Melted Butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt will blend with the cream cheese.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make an Earthquake Cake

Get ready to bake by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C) and greasing a 9×13-inch baking pan well with butter or cooking spray.

1. Mix the Cake Batter: In a large bowl, mix the Devil’s Food cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs according to the package instructions.

2. Layer the Ingredients: To your prepared baking pan, scatter the shredded coconut evenly. Then do the same with the chopped pecans. Make it as even as possible so that you’ll have pecans and coconut in each bite!
3. Pour the Cake Mix: Gently pour the cake batter evenly over the coconut and pecan layers in the pan.
4. Mix the Filling: In a separate mixing bowl, using a hand mixer beat the cream cheese and melted butter. Then add in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

5. Swirl: Use a spoon or a cookie scoop to drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese frosting over the cake batter. Use a knife or a chopstick to gently swirl the frosting into the cake batter, creating a marbled effect.
6. Bake: Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Cool slightly and serve warm, or cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

Tips for the Best Earthquake Cake

• Add more chocolate: This cake can be further enhanced with a sprinkle of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top before baking. You can also add the chips right after baking the cake, and they’ll melt into the top layer. I’d recommend not using milk chocolate, as the cake would end up much too sweet.
• Careful with the cream cheese: You want to keep your dollops of cream cheese filling about 1 inch away from the edges of the pan so that they won’t ooze out.
• I recommend Devil’s Food cake mix, but this recipe will work well with a regular chocolate cake mix, German chocolate cake, or chocolate fudge cake mix too.
• Don’t overbake this! You want the cake to be soft and gooey inside. Bake it only until it’s set in the center. If you’re going to test it with a toothpick, try to poke it in a spot with mostly chocolate cake, and not as much cream cheese.
• If you want clean slices, be sure to allow the cake to cool completely before cutting it. You can serve this cake warm, but you may end up serving it with a spoon since it will be gooey!

Storing Tips

Keep any leftovers in a well-sealed container in the fridge. They could last for up to 4 days (I’ve just never seen this cake last more than 2 days in my house!)

For longer storage, the baked cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Be sure to let the cake cool completely, then wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap.

Recipe FAQs

Does Earthquake Cake Need to Be Refrigerated?

Because of the cream cheese in this cake, it should be stored in the refrigerator. It’s actually delicious chilled, or you can let it thaw a bit at room temperature before serving.

Can I make the cake from scratch?

Yes! I’d recommend that you use the chocolate cake recipe in my Halloween Dirt Cake, it’s the perfect amount for a 9×13-inch cake with extras added in.

Can earthquake cake be other flavors?

Sure! Any cake mix flavor that you think would pair well with pecans, coconut, and cream cheese can be subbed in for chocolate. Try this recipe with yellow cake mix, spice cake mix, or red velvet cake mix.

More Easy Cake Recipes

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Coca Cola Cake

Heaven on Earth Cake

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

All Cakes →

This easy Earthquake Cake is just bursting with flavor in every bite! This will be your new favorite way to jazz up a box of cake mix, so be sure to Pin it for later! 

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 23 votes

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Earthquake Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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This earthquake cake recipe is a tasty and decadent dessert that combines chocolate cake with a swirl of cream cheese, pecans, and coconut.

12 servings

This earthquake cake recipe is a tasty and decadent dessert that combines chocolate cake with a swirl of cream cheese, pecans, and coconut.

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl
• 9×13 inch pan

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 15.25 oz box (432 g) Devil's Food Cake Mix
• ▢ 1 cup (90 g) shredded sweetened coconut
• ▢ 1 cup (100 g) chopped toasted pecans
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) water
• ▢ ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
• ▢ 3 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese at room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
• ▢ 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C if using a fan oven. Grease a 9×13 inch (approximately 23×33 cm) baking pan well.
• Scatter the shredded coconut evenly at the bottom of the greased pan, followed by the chopped toasted pecans. Make it as even as possible so there’s coconut and pecan in every bite.
• In a large bowl, mix together the Devil’s Food Cake Mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs according to the package instructions. Pour the cake batter evenly over the coconut and pecan layers in the pan.
• In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter. Then add in the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
• Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese frosting over the cake batter (I use a cookie scoop, but you can use a spoon), staying about 1 inch away from the edges to prevent it from oozing out of the pan. Use a knife or spatula to gently swirl the frosting into the cake batter, creating a marbled effect.
• Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
• Let the cake cool slightly and then serve warm, or allow it to cool completely to get neat slices.

Notes:

• Swirl as much as you like! The more you swirl the cream cheese into the cake batter, the more smooth the top of the cake will be. If you want your earthquake cake to be extra bumpy and wild, swirl less.
• Add more chocolate: This cake can be further enhanced with a sprinkle of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top before baking. You can also add the chips right after baking the cake, and they’ll melt into the top layer. I’d recommend not using milk chocolate, as the cake would end up much too sweet.
• You want to keep your dollops of cream cheese filling about 1 inch away from the edges of the pan so that they won’t ooze out.
• I recommend Devil’s Food cake mix, but this recipe will work well with a regular chocolate cake mix, German chocolate cake, or chocolate fudge cake mix too.
• Don’t overbake this! You want the cake to be soft and gooey inside. Bake it only until it’s set in the center. If you’re going to test it with a toothpick, try to poke it in a spot with mostly chocolate cake, and not as much cream cheese.
• If you want clean slices, be sure to allow the cake to cool completely before cutting it. You can serve this cake
• To Store: Keep earthquake cake in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 555kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 421mg, Potassium: 242mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 36g, Vitamin A: 561IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 2mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

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