Easy Pumpkin Earthquake Cake is spice cake swirled with a creamy cheesecake mixture and chocolate chips placed on top. Fall is the perfect time to make this simple, delicious cake.
This cake is one of my favorites! If you are unfamiliar with earthquake cakes, they are often just cake batter with cream cheese filling incorporated. As it bakes, the cake batter bubbles up around the cream cheese, creating a lumpy top with crevices that are just amazing. I really love this cake warmed up and a scoop of ice cream on top. So good! Let us know how you like it!
Try some of our other favorite desserts, such as Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies, Chocolate Banana Split Cake, or Birthday Cake Cookies.
Ingredients for Earthquake Cake with Pumpkin
Pumpkin Cake
- spice cake mix
- eggs
- pure pumpkin puree
- water
- vegetable or canola oil
- granulated sugar
- pumpkin pie spice
Cream Cheese Filling
- cream cheese, softened
- butter, melted
- powdered sugar
- chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, white or butterscotch)
FAQs
A Pumpkin Earthquake Cake is a decadent dessert that combines the flavors of pumpkin, cream cheese, coconut, and pecans into a rich and indulgent treat. It gets its name from the unique texture it develops as it bakes, resembling the surface of the earth after an earthquake, with cracks and crevices forming in the cake.
While you can freeze Pumpkin Earthquake Cake, keep in mind that the texture may change slightly upon thawing. It's best to wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Pumpkin Earthquake Cake is delicious on its own, but you can enhance it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat.
Top Tips
- Make sure you buy 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix in the can.
- I made this cake using a spice cake mix along with pumpkin spice. You can change the cake to yellow or white. You can also leave out the pumpkin spice, if using the spice cake mix. It is all up to what you like.
- For chocolate chips on top, you can use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate chips, chocolate chunks or even butterscotch chips.
- Keep the cake refrigerated.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. (It usually doesn't last that long)
How to make Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13" baking pan with nonstick spray.
- In large bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, water, oil, sugar and pumpkin pie spice using a hand mixer or whisk.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.
- In microwave safe bowl, melt 1 stick of unsalted butter for 30 seconds, then increments of 10 seconds until fully melted. Add softened cream cheese to butter and beat until smooth.
- Pour in powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated.
- Place dollops of cream cheese mixture over the top of cake batter.
- Using a knife, skewer or toothpick, gently swirl the cream cheese with the cake batter.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
- Place in oven and bake 35-45 minutes, until toothpick in the center tests clean. Cool completely and keep refrigerated once cool. Slice and enjoy!
Pumpkin Earthquake Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 1 box spice cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, white or butterscotch)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×13″ baking pan with nonstick spray.
- In large bowl, combine cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, water, oil, sugar and pumpkin pie spice using a hand mixer or whisk.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.
- In microwave safe bowl, melt 1 stick of unsalted butter for 30 seconds, then increments of 10 seconds until fully melted.
- Add softened cream cheese to butter and beat until smooth.
- Pour in powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated.
- Place dollops of cream cheese mixture over the top of cake batter.
- Using a knife, skewer or toothpick, gently swirl the cream cheese with the cake batter.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
- Place in oven and bake 35-45 minutes, until toothpick in the center tests clean. Cool completely and keep refrigerated once cool. Slice and enjoy!
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