CHOCOLATE EARTHQUAKE CAKE – The Southern Lady Cooks

This is such a unique cake, made with a cake mix, but taken up a few levels! It’s so good and one your family will love!

If you love this recipe you will want to try this Turtle Cake! It’s delicious topped with ice cream.

❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE

They call it earthquake cake because it will crack in the middle in some recipes.  This one does not crack because I do it a little different.  I can’t leave this cake alone when I make it because I love chocolate and this is a chocolate lovers dream. This cake will melt in your mouth!

🍴KEY INGREDIENTS

• Nuts (I use walnuts. Pecans would be good, too)
• Coconut
• German chocolate cake mix or regular chocolate cake mix
• Milk
• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Chocolate chips

SWAPS

 You can make this cake with other cake mixes, too.  I like to divide the cake mix because I think it makes a much prettier cake. You can just put in all the cake mix and put the cream cheese mixture on top and bake. We have also made this with spice cake mix and using butterscotch chips. It was delicious.

🍽️HOW TO MAKE

This cake comes together really quickly and it’s wonderful topped with ice cream. Full printable recipe in recipe card below.

📖COOKING STEPS

Step 1
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle the nuts on the bottom of the dish. Layer the coconut on top of the nuts. In a separate bowl prepare the cake mix according to package directions except use the 1 cup of milk in place of the water called for in the directions on the box. Spread half the cake mixture over the coconut.

Step 2
In a microwave safe glass bowl melt the butter and cream cheese. This takes about 2 minutes in my microwave. Whisk the powdered sugar or mix with mixer into the cream cheese and melted butter. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the layer of cake mix in the baking dish. (You can drop it by spoon fulls if you want). Read step 3 below in the recipe card.

⭐TIP

All ovens vary, and you want to cook this until it tests done. As you can see from some of the comments, it may take up to an hour to cook. We love this cake heated up with vanilla ice cream. It’s so good!!

OTHER DELICIOUS CAKE RECIPES

STORING & SERVING SIZE

We store this cake in a cool place and it’s made in a 9X13, so it makes around 10-12 servings.

Chocolate Earthquake Cake

Anne Walkup

This Earthquake Cake is one your family will love. If you are a fan of chocolate add this one to your recipe lit!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Cake

Cuisine American

• 1 cup nuts I use walnuts. Pecans would be good, too
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
• 1 regular chocolate cake mix or can use German chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 stick butter or 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups chocolate chips

• Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle the nuts on the bottom of the dish. Layer the coconut on top of the nuts. In a separate bowl prepare the cake mix according to package directions except use the 1 cup of milk in place of the water called for in the directions on the box. Spread half the cake mixture over the coconut.

• In a microwave safe glass bowl melt the butter and cream cheese. This takes about 2 minutes in my microwave. Whisk the powdered sugar or mix with mixer into the cream cheese and melted butter. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the layer of cake mix in the baking dish. (You can drop it by spoon fulls if you want)

• Spread the other half of the cake mix on top of the cream cheese and sprinkle on the chocolate chips. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 40 to 45 minutes.

You can make this cake with other cake mixes, too. I like to divide the cake mix because I think it makes a much prettier cake. You can just put in all the cake mix and put the cream cheese mixture on top and bake.

Keyword Chocolate Earthquake Cake

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