This easy low carb cake is truly delicious stuff! Keto chocolate cake swirled together with sugar-free cheesecake, pecans, and coconut for a healthy take on the famous earthquake cake.
Sometimes, messy food is the best food. And this Keto Earthquake Cake is the perfect example. It’s messy to make and messy to look at, but it’s crazy delicious.
Just think about it: all those mixed up layers, jumbled and swirled together, studded with pecans, coconut, and low carb chocolate chips. It’s like a keto chocolate cake slammed into a keto cheesecake, turned upside down, did a couple of backflips, and landed in a baking dish.
And with every bite, you get a mouthful of all that goodness mixed together. That’s my kind of keto cake recipe!
Why you need to try this recipe
Cake doesn’t need to be complicated or time consuming to be delicious. And this Keto Earthquake Cake proves that point. While it does dirty several bowls, it’s relatively easy to prepare.
And it’s easy to make it look good, because it’s supposed to look messy and jumbled! No perfect layers or perfect frosting, just swirl the cake and cheesecake together for a mouthwatering combo.
It’s a great recipe to take to a party or get-together, since it makes 20 servings. But if you want to make it just for your household, you can also freeze the leftovers!
And each gooey, swirled slice has only 3.3g net carbs per serving. Yummy stuff!
Reader Reviews
“OMG!!! These are so rich and decadent! By far the best bar out there! Thank you!” — Joanne J.
“Hi Carolyn! I’ve made this recipe twice now and I love it so much! My son who has celiac disease was just visiting with me and my husband so I made it for him to try and he loves it too. I followed the recipe to the tea and it was easy to make and I also made sure to clean the bowls and the beaters of course! Yum yum!” — Lisa L.
“This is the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve made. Sweet but doesn’t have the sugar substitute after taste. Anything sweet I make my wife doesn’t like because of the aftertaste, her statement was “this is holiday worthy”.” — Robert.
Ingredients you need
- Shredded coconut: Use unsweetened shredded coconut, rather than flaked coconut. It makes it easier to mix everything up together.
- Pecans: Use finely chopped pecans for better consistency and distribution.
- Almond flour: For a nut-free option you can use sunflower seed flour.
- Sweetener: The cake takes both granular and powdered sweetener. I used Swerve for both but you can also use allulose.
- Cocoa powder: Dutch process cocoa imparts a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.
- Protein powder: Protein powder helps the cake rise better and be fluffier. You can use whey, egg white, or plant-based protein.
- Cold coffee: I like coffee because it enhances the chocolate flavor, but water works too.
- Cream cheese: You can’t make the cheesecake filling without this!
- Sugar-free chocolate chips: You can use Lily’s or ChocZero. They both work well in this recipe.
- Kitchen staples: Eggs, butter, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Prepare the pan: Grease a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking pan. Sprinkle the bottom with the shredded coconut and the pecans.
2. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the eggs, 6 tablespoons of the melted butter, coffee or water, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour over the coconut and pecans.
4. Prepare the cheesecake filling: In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 8 tablespoons of melted butter until smooth. Beat in the powdered sweetener.
5. Swirl the cake: Dollop this mixture over the cake mixture by the spoonful. Use a knife to swirl into the cake mixture, scraping all the way to the bottom in some places to mix up the coconut and pecans.
6. Bake the cake: Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake at 325ºF for about 35 to 45 minutes, until cake is mostly set through but still a little soft and jiggly in the center. Err on the side of underdone, rather than over-baking it. Remove and let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
Tips for Success
The pan you use makes a difference. Metal and ceramic or glass conduct heat very differently so I specify ceramic/glass for this recipe. If you don’t have one, use the metal pan but keep your eye on it and test frequently for doneness.
Do NOT over-bake this cake. A few readers have had issues with it being dry, and that always comes from over-baking. Keep your eye on it, and err on the side of under-baking. The edges should be set, but the center should still have a little jiggle to it when you shake the pan. It should not be liquidy, however.
Conventional earthquake cake is made with chocolate cake mix, and you could certainly go that route for this recipe. I think it’s just as easy and less expensive to make your own.
It also usually takes shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and plenty of chocolate chips. But if any one of these additions doesn’t appeal to you, feel free to leave them out. They are not critical to the outcome of the cake itself.
If you truly object to adding protein powder, you can skip it. But just understand that the cake will not rise as well.
Frequently asked questions
This is a big cake that feeds 20 so it’s great for parties and get togethers. You can make it a day or so in advance and refrigerate it. Wrap it up tightly so that it doesn’t dry out, and let it come to room temperature before serving.
Because of the cheesecake filling, leftovers should be kept chilled. Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months.
This keto earthquake cake recipe has 7.4g of carbs and 4.1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.3g net carbs per slice.
More keto cake recipes to love!
- Gooey Keto Butter Cake
- Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
- Keto Chocolate Cheesecake
- Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake
Keto Earthquake Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (93 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup (54.5 g) chopped pecans
- 2 cups (224 g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 1/3 cup (28.67 g) cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (27 g) unflavoured whey protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 14 tbsp (143.75 g) butter, melted, divided
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) cold coffee or water, coffee helps boost chocolate flavor
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (182 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/2 cup (90 g) sugar-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking pan. Sprinkle the bottom with the shredded coconut and the pecans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in the eggs, 6 tablespoons of the melted butter, coffee or water, and vanilla extract until well combined. Spread over the coconut and pecans.
- In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 8 tablespoons of melted butter until smooth. Beat in the powdered sweetener.
- Dollop this mixture over the cake mixture by the spoonful. Use a knife to swirl into the cake mixture, scraping all the way to the bottom in some places to mix up the coconut and pecans.
- Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until cake is mostly set through but still a little soft and jiggly in the center. Err on the side of underdone, rather than over-baking it.
- Remove and let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Any chance I can use collagen powder instead of whey powder? Or chocolate ketologie? Or chocolate casein powder??
Don’t use the collagen, it makes things gummy. The other two might work but I can’t say for sure.
What is an approximate size for 1 serving??
Thank you so much for this!!!
P.s. monkfruit sweetner is the best!????❤
1/20th of the cake is the serving size. That’s as accurate as it gets…you have to eyeball it in your pan and cut into 20 squares.
This is absolutely devine. Never would have combined choco cake with cream cheese, but it works wonders. And i dont drink coffee but a shot of espresso indeed did the trick.
Total hit with the fam, I used sugar free white choc chips I made because thats what I had on hand.
This is in the oven now and I can’t wait to try!
Hello there! Is it possible to use a combination of collagen peptides/grass fed beef gelatin in lieu of the whey protein? TIA!
Nope. Makes it way too gummy. I’ve tried that before. You can leave out the whey if you need to but it does help the cake rise.
Excellent cake!! I made it with the coffee, added one extra egg since mine were medium, vanilla whey protein powder but didn’t omit vanilla. It is soooo tasty! It did not turn out like the photo, all the cream cheese part sunk in so it is a bit lumpy bumpy but still delish! thanks Carolyn!
Is it possible to use powdered goat milk in place of the whey protein powder? I know that’s an odd substitution, but it’s the closest thing I’ve got and your cake looks just too delicious! I need to make it now! Lol
I can’t say it would work for sure but it’s worth a try!
I have just one thing to say… OH. EM. GEE!!! I just totally burned my tongue on this! Delicious doesn’t even begin to describe this cake/heaven in a muffin pan. I used my powdered goat milk and pyure sweetener( in half increments), and I omitted the pecans and coconut since I’m not a huge fan of either. I will try them next time tho☺ the cupcakes came out moist and perfect! I cooked them about 25 minutes.
This is the first recipe of yours I have tried, but it will not be the last! Thank you so much!
I made this last night and this may be my new favorite dessert. I followed other’s advice and reduced the 10x sweetener to my liking. While it’s not as pretty as yours, it tastes amazing. I love the layers and the combo of ingredients. It came together rather easily. Mine took less time to bake, and next time I may bake it even less. Your recipes never disappoint, thank you for giving us a wonderful keto dessert!
I made this this week and did half without the coconut and pecans on the bottom because I have a daughter who doesn’t like them. I refrigerated the leftovers, and I just have to say, I feel like the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the better it gets! I actually wasn’t sure I was going to like this cake when it was still warm (after letting it cool). But when I ate it the next day straight from the refrigerator – without heating it up – I wanted to eat the whole thing! I’m having to make myself just cut one square each day! I think I will freeze the remaining cake, cut into squares, so I won’t overeat! 😉
Hi, I’m new to making low carb desserts and I never had to use whey protein powder or any protein powder. I read someone’s comment asking if the whey powder can be susbstituted by something else and you said egg white protein powder. My question is, do I have to use any protein powder at all?
Yes, you do. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein helps baked goods rise and hold their shape.
Is the whey protein powder a necessary ingredient, or can I leave it out?
Some protein powder is necessary but you can use egg white protein.
Do you think this will turn out okay without coconut. My family is not a fan.
Yes, it should be fine.
Instead of Swerve could u use THM gentle sweet and how much?
yes, probably. Swerve measures like sugar so base it on Gentle Sweet and sugar conversions.
I made this for my birthday and it is delicious!!! My bf thought it was amazing that I made it and it was LC. Thank you very much:-)
Belated Happy Birthday!
Um…this. was. awesome. First recipe of yours that I have tried, and thank you. It’s awesome. I used half the sugar and I used heavy whipping cream in place of the coffee/water, and it’s pretty much heavenly. I think that those who left comments that theirs turned out too dry is because they cooked it too long. My batter was also very thick but my cake was very moist and lovely, but I only baked for 35 minutes. Oven temps do vary. 🙂
This looks fantastic, but I do not like coconut. Do you think I can just leave it out, or would I need to replace it with something? Thank you!
Can totally leave it out!
Someone please tell me what I did wrong! I’m guessing that the cake part is suppose to be runny like a box cake mix? Mine was a clump – I added 2 more cups of water and still extremely thick! I’m a good cook and baker but I’m missing something somewhere – please help me!
Did you by chance use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Yes I did
Well, that would be your problem, then. These two flours are not interchangeable in the least.
Yes I did
Another delicious recipe loved by all!!! Thanks for all your hard work! I can’t wait to get my copy of your book from amazon!!
This was so good however it was dry because I got distracted and baked it too long. No problem just served with vanilla ice cream. I will make it again and make sure I don’t overbake. Since there are only two of us I froze half the cake.
Last night I made a trifle out of the frozen cake. I layered vanilla sf pudding, whipped cream, strawberries, and raspberry liquor with the cake. Everyone loved it.
Thanks for another great recipe.
Sounds delicious!