Earthquake cake is a delightful chocolate cake dessert made with crunchy pecans, coconut flakes, and chocolate chunks, with a delicious cream cheese batter mixed in. This is your ultimate chocolate treat!
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This is the last thing I baked before we set on a long, long journey by land to go to the USĀ one month ago.Ā All packed in our black 4runner with big pieces of luggageĀ set in the trunk, we went for a total of 30 hours drive to visit family in California.
As we drifted away from Canadian borders at sunset, theĀ last thing on my mind was this Earthquake Cake. I didn’t get to write myĀ Earthquake cake post as planned. I was busy packing and looking at my million lists to make sure nothing important is left behind.
IĀ thought to myself, Its okay, I will justĀ let it sit in my drafts for a while and finish writing it when I come back home.
And ta-da. Here I am now, writing the post like it was only a few days since I last drafted it. Time is crazy fast.
One day I was whipping earthquake cake thinking about our future vacation escapades, and the next thing I know, I am back home reminiscing about San Fransisco, Las Vegas, and Disneyland.
Now as I sit in the quiet room across my husband on my laptop, I swear I can still smell the dewy, clean air that sweeps through theĀ California mountains. I can still feel the calluses on my feet from our long walks. And needless to say, my back still hurts from the long drive.
I guess it is time for a slice of cake and a wonderful mug of hot chocolate.
What is Earthquake Cake?
While you may think this cake is as complicated and dreadful as it sounds, there is nothing dreadful about making it. Earthquake cake is simply a chocolate cake incorporated with lots of goodies such as nuts, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips.
It is so called as Earthquake cake because of the way it looks once it is baked: Crackly with a swirled surface and lots of holes all around. You know, like shattered earth, only it is cake.
A delicious one.
So as simple as it is, it would not hurt to get up and whip this cake now. That is, I think, a delicious diversion.
Much needed.
Here are other cake recipes you can try:
- Ovaltine Cake with Whipped Whipped Icing
- Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Orange Chocolate Glaze
- Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream Chocolate Icing
- Mocha Cake Roll
- Mango Cake Roll
- Mocha Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing

Earthquake Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Chocolate cake mix 18.25 oz, plus additonal ingredients to add to it (egg, milk and butter)
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 package cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle the coconut flakes in an even layer in the baking dish. Top with the chopped pecans.
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Prepare the chocolate cake according to package directions and pour over the coconut flakes and pecans. Spread evenly.
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Beat cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth. Drop dollops of this mixture on the surface of the cake batter, spacing them evenly. Use a knife and swirl it across the batter two or three times to create the swirled/ marbled effect. Sprinkle the chocolate chunks on top. Bake cake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes until cake is just set.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
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