Earthquake Cake Recipe

Earthquake Cake is loaded with chocolate goodness, chocolate ganache, and tropical coconut! Each bite is a celebration of texture and flavor!

As the saying goes, chocolate is happiness that you can eat. Make your day instantly brighter by baking some of these delights: Chocolate Mousse Brownies, Instant Pot Chocolate Muffins, and for a healthier option, Keto Chocolate Cheesecake Bites.

Earthquake Cake Recipe

Earthquake Cake, aside from its name, is a tasty “force” to be reckoned with. Its name originated from the baking process itself because the ingredients tend to move around, and the end result is a swirly and crumbly delight. 

It is great for a number of occasions whether during the holiday season or a simple birthday party. You can even pour syrup on top to make it even sweeter and more luscious. 

This easy dessert really deserves its name with its astoundingly great mixture of flavors and textures. The sweet chocolate, creamy cream cheese, and sweet coconut are perfect under a blanket of chocolate ganache.  

There is so much to love about this dessert. From its look down to its taste, it is one of the most mouthwatering and quickest sweet recipes that you can easily make. 

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How to make Earthquake Cake

1. Prep for baking. Heat oven to 350F, grease the pan and spread pecan and coconuts as the base. 
2. Make the cake mix. Follow package instructions and when done, mix with additional melted chocolate. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese first and make it smooth. Once done, add butter and sugar gradually.  Mix until well combined. 
3. Combine. Pour the batter over the pan. Use an ice cream scoop to place globs of the cheesecake on top.
4. Bake. Sprinkle some choco chips and bake for 40 minutes.
5. Serve. Once it has set, let it cool. Cut into bars and serve.

Earthquake Cake variations: 

This seismic delight isn’t only limited to oozing chocolate. Here are several varieties that you can follow:

1. Hawaiian. Replace the cake mix with the yellow mix and add a drop a teaspoon of pure pineapple extract. For the cream cheese mixture, just toss in some crushed pineapples. 
2. Pumpkin. Use a yellow mix, canned pumpkin puree, and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. 
3. Red Velvet. Simply use a red velvet cake mix.

Can I make a cake mix from scratch?

Of course! Although it may be time-consuming, it can be fulfilling to make every ingredient from the ground up. 

You really only need to mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and butter. I recommend using unsweetened cocoa and granulated sugar to avoid having clumps in your dessert.

More decadent desserts:

I love making desserts and if you need more ideas for other sweet recipes, then you’ve come to the right place. Have fun with my recipes for:

1. Mascarpone Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
2. Strawberry Poke Cake
3. Sugar Cookie Truffles

Who says you can only munch on sweet things? Delightful beverages can also be sweet and you should have one:

1. Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade
2. Mango Smoothie
3. Strawberry Banana Smoothie

How to store it?

Contrary to popular belief, this dessert should hardly need to be refrigerated. If you are making this dessert recipe in advance and will consume after three days from baking, you can keep it at room temperature and away from direct sunlight.

Otherwise, for a longer period, you should freeze it to retain its moisture. Put it in a box and wrap it with two layers of foil before placing it in the freezer. Make sure to thaw before serving.

Recipe Tips

1. I love topping off a bar of this dessert with vanilla ice cream. Kids love it and the cold ice cream melting in the bar feels really great on the mouth. 
2. I sometimes drizzle some chocolate syrup if I don’t have ice cream just for an extra creamy texture.

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5 from 3 reviews

Earthquake Cake Recipe

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Author: Catalina Castravet Serves: 12 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Total time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening  (for the pan)
• 1 cup pecans  (chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes 
• 1 box chocolate cake mix  (plus ingredients to listed on the package mix)
• 8 ounces chocolate  (chopped and melted)
• 1/2 cup butter  (melted)
• 8 ounces cream cheese  (softened to room temperature)
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 
• 1 cup white chocolate chips 

Chocolate Ganache:

• 8 ounces chocolate  (chopped)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat a 9"x13" pan with vegetable shortening and set aside.
3. Spread the pecans and coconut flakes in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
4. In a large bowl, prepare the cake mix according to package directions.
5. Stir in the melted chocolate into the cake batter.
6. Pour the cake batter over the coconut and pecans.
7. Add the cream cheese to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the melted butter and beat until combined.
8. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed until combined, with no lumps.
9. Take dollops of the cream cheese mixture using an ice cream scoop and distribute them evenly on top of the cake batter.
10. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the cake.
11. Bake the cake for 40 minutes or until the cake has set.
12. Cool completely before topping with the ganache.
13. Add chopped chocolate into a bowl.
14. Microwave the cream until just hot, pour it on top of the chopped chocolate, and let stand for 1 min. Stir until chocolate is fully melted and smooth.
15. If desired, garnish with more chocolate chips or sprinkles.
16. Let fully cool before cutting into squares to serve.

Calories: 874 Carbohydrates: 102 Protein: 9 Fat: 53 Saturated Fat: 27 Cholesterol: 36 Sodium: 510 Potassium: 515 Fiber: 6 Sugar: 80 Vitamin A: 376 Vitamin C: 1 Calcium: 154 Iron: 4

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