“Wowzers did this come out GOOD. Made it for our small group and almost everyone went back for a second slice.”
This Classic Earthquake Cake is a delightful dessert known for its “cracked” top and irresistible layers of chocolate cake, gooey cream cheese, sweet coconut, and crunchy pecans. It’s an easy-to-make cake that delivers a rich, moist, and wonderfully textured experience, perfect for any gathering.
Ingredients:
For the Cake
For the Cream Cheese Swirl
Instructions:
- Preheat Oven & Prep Dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Layer Base: Evenly spread the sweetened, shredded coconut across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Then, sprinkle the roughly chopped pecans over the top of the coconut.
- Prepare Cake Batter: In a large bowl, mix together the German chocolate cake mix, water, vegetable or canola oil, and 3 eggs until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Pour Batter: Carefully pour the prepared cake batter over the coconut and pecans in the baking dish.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Swirl: In a separate medium bowl, mix the cream cheese (ensure it’s softened for easy mixing), softened butter, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Add Swirl: Scoop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter in the baking dish. Use a knife or a skewer to lightly swirl the cream cheese mixture into the cake batter. Don’t overmix; just create gentle swirls.
- Bake: Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the cake portion (avoiding the cream cheese pockets) comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This resting period helps the layers set.
