Prepare to feel the earth move when you try this luscious Earthquake Cake! The sweet chocolate cake mixed with the creamy condensed milk is the perfect dessert for your next family dinner or potluck!
Earthquake Cake
Chocolate cake is one of my weaknesses. Add coconut and condensed milk, and I’m already there! This Earthquake Cake is such a rich, decadent dessert that every chocolate fan will love.
Why is it called Earthquake Cake? It’s because all the ingredients shift and move around in the baking process leaving you with pockets and cracks of sweetness! From the cream cheese mixture forming ribbons throughout the cake and the sweetened condensed milk bringing extra moisture.
Looking for more desserts with that home sweet home feel? Try our Grandma’s Cinnamon Coffee Cake and enjoy a delicious, dense cake morning, noon, or night!
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Pecans, chopped
- Shredded sweetened coconut
- Chocolate cake mix
- Water
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Sweetened condensed milk
This Earthquake Cake may not be the most eye-catching dessert, but it IS delicious! It’s super rich, so one piece may be more than enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.
What I used for my Earthquake Cake
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- Baking dish: I love this 9×13 baking dish because it’s great for everything in the oven. The ceramic material makes for even heat distribution so my cakes and lasagnas are always evenly baked.
- Hand mixer: I love this hand mixer. It fits easily into my hand and has 5 speeds to make all your sweet and savory dreams come true!
This cake will look like a mess when you put it in the oven, but fear not and let the cake mix do its thing. Once it rises, everything will be mixed together for an ooey gooey treat for the whole family!
How to Make Earthquake Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set it aside.
- Beat your cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer until smooth. We’ll use this later.
- Spread the pecans and coconut on the bottom of the baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, water, eggs, oil, and sweetened condensed milk. Pour over pecans and coconut in your baking pan.
- Spoon cream cheese mixture over batter — but don’t mix!
- Bake cake for 40 minutes. You can check with a toothpick for doneness for the chocolate cake part, but some parts of the cake, like the condensed milk, will not fully set, so don’t be alarmed!
What to serve with Earthquake Cake
This cake definitely doesn’t need frosting because the frosting is basically IN the cake. So, if you’re not putting anything on it, what are you putting with it?
This cake is extremely rich and definitely goes well with a little extra cream. Top this cake with whipped cream, serve it alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or just have a glass of milk with your dessert!
How to store Earthquake Cake
This cake is delicious but unless you’re feeding a crowd you will have leftovers.
There’s some debate about whether or not it should be refrigerated or left at room temperature, but I like to err on the side of caution when we’re talking baked goods with perishable ingredients baked into them.
Allow the cake to cool completely before covering with an air-tight lid. This Earthquake Cake will last up to 4 days in the fridge. The best type of meal prep if you ask me!
Other delicious dessert recipes to try…
- Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Blueberry Upside Down Cake
- Brownie Bottom Cheesecake
- Root Beer Float Sheet Cake
- Pig Pickin Cake
Earthquake Cake
A sweet chocolate cake mixed with condensed milk for an earth-moving dessert! Perfect for a family dinner or potluck.
Ingredients
- 1 (8oz/250g) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside.
- Beat cream cheese, butter and icing sugar together until smooth. Set aside.
- Spread pecans and coconut on the bottom of the baking pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, water, eggs, oil and sweetened condensed milk. Pour into baking pan.
- Spoon cream cheese mixture over cake.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 589Total Fat: 33.8gSaturated Fat: 15.6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15.6gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 478mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 2.4gSugar: 49.8gProtein: 6.9g
Miz Helen says
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Your post is on The Top Ten for Full Plate Thursday! Thanks so much for sharing with us and hope you enjoy your new Red Plate, I am pinning your post to our Features Board!
Miz Helen
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
I’ve never heard of Earthquake cake until now. My son once made a volcano cake for his son’s birthday and there was even smoke billowing out of the volcano – huge success with the kids at the party.
Nicole says
Followed recipe to the letter and baked in preheated oven that I am very confident holds the correct temperature. At 40 minutes it was only firm at the edges, absolute soup in the middle. I left it another 5-10 minutes and took it out when a toothpick came out clean. It was very good and very moist, but I’m wondering if I should have taken it out at 40 minutes regardless. Is it supposed to set while it cools?
Also, it’s really hard to know what to do with 1/2 cup of condensed milk without baking another recipe. Has anyone tried using the whole can?
Lady Michigan (Blanche) says
1250g Is that correct that is how many oz please my conversion chart says 3 lbs that cannot be right
Rosa parks says
can you leave the coconut out of the earthquake cake?
Stacie says
Yes, you can leave it out.
Tammy says
I used coconut oil, omitted pecans, and made an interesting pattern on top. Sprinkled chocolate chips over the top, and I cut the sugar down to half. It’s beautiful and baking in the oven as I write this. The top looks like a marble cake.