This crazy mixed up 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 dessert!
What is an Earthquake Cake?
I know what’s going to happen here. Call me clairvoyant or something but I know that the minute I publish this recipe, I am going to be inundated with questions. Why is this delicious chocolate and cream cheese concoction called “Earthquake Cake”???
This is Geology 101, friends, so hark back to your freshman year and remind yourself how the top layer of soil always sits neatly on top of clay or sandstone or granite layers.
But then an earthquake comes along and all those neat layers get churned up and messed up. Some bits that used to be on top are now on the bottom. And some of the bottom layers come all the way to the top. So that when you cut down into it, you see a bit of one layer here and a bit of another layer there.
Which is exactly what happens with this crazy mixed up keto earthquake cake…you pour everything into neat little layers and then you churn it all up. Some of the bottom layers of coconut and pecans comes to the top and some of the top layer of cream cheese sinks down to the middle or the bottom.
It’s a cake that looks like an earthquake hit it. Makes perfect sense to me!
How to make Keto Earthquake Cake
The chocolate cake
Conventional earthquake cake is made with chocolate cake mix, and you could certainly go that route for this keto version. My personal favorite is the Swerve Chocolate Cake Mix, but there are other good options out there like Good Dee’s.
But you can also make it from scratch, as I did, and I have provided those directions in the recipe.
The cheesecake filling
This is not a standard cheesecake filling, as you don’t add any eggs. You simply beat softened cream cheese with melted butter, sweetener, and vanilla. The makes the cheesecake extra gooey and delicious.
The add ins
Earthquake cake typically 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.
The baking pan
A few readers have had trouble with the cake being a bit dry and I believe the baking pan is a likely culprit. I recommend baking a cake like this in a glass or ceramic baking dish. It makes a big difference, as metal pans conduct heat more efficiently and so your cake will bake through more quickly and dry out.
Give it a jiggle
Because of the mixed up layers, it’s hard to be sure when this cake is cooked through. You want the edges to be set, but the center should jiggle somewhat when you shake the pan. If you are baking in glass or ceramic, it holds onto its heat for a while after the cake is out of the oven so it will continue to cook.
Let it cool properly
As with any keto cake, it’s important to let it cool completely before cutting into it. Otherwise it may fall apart too easily.
Can you make Keto Earthquake Cake ahead?
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.
More Delicious Keto Cake Recipes
- Keto Almond Ricotta Cake
- Keto Gooey Butter Cake
- Keto Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Keto Lemon Poppyseed Cake
- Keto Red Velvet Cake
- Keto Hummingbird Cake
Earthquake Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup Swerve Sweetener
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 14 tablespoon butter melted, divided
- ½ cup cold coffee or water coffee helps boost chocolate flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ½ cup sugar-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9x13 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 tablespoon melted butter, coffee or water, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour over the coconut and pecans.
- In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the remaining 8 tablespoon 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 45 minutes, until cake is mostly set through (will still be slightly soft and liquidy in the middle). Remove and let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
Video
Maggie says
Any chance I can use collagen powder instead of whey powder? Or chocolate ketologie? Or chocolate casein powder??
Carolyn says
Don’t use the collagen, it makes things gummy. The other two might work but I can’t say for sure.
Jennifer says
What is an approximate size for 1 serving??
Thank you so much for this!!!
P.s. monkfruit sweetner is the best!????❤
Carolyn says
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.
Myra says
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.
jenny bowman says
Total hit with the fam, I used sugar free white choc chips I made because thats what I had on hand.
Ginny says
This is in the oven now and I can’t wait to try!
Dona says
Hello there! Is it possible to use a combination of collagen peptides/grass fed beef gelatin in lieu of the whey protein? TIA!
Carolyn says
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.
Heather says
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!
Amanda says
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
Carolyn says
I can’t say it would work for sure but it’s worth a try!
Amanda says
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!
Sara Borders says
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!
Charlene says
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! 😉
Denisse says
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?
Carolyn says
Yes, you do. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein helps baked goods rise and hold their shape.
Carey says
Is the whey protein powder a necessary ingredient, or can I leave it out?
Carolyn says
Some protein powder is necessary but you can use egg white protein.
Kelly says
Do you think this will turn out okay without coconut. My family is not a fan.
Carolyn says
Yes, it should be fine.
Vickie S says
Instead of Swerve could u use THM gentle sweet and how much?
Carolyn says
yes, probably. Swerve measures like sugar so base it on Gentle Sweet and sugar conversions.
JL Richardson says
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:-)
Carolyn says
Belated Happy Birthday!
Becky says
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. 🙂
Sherry says
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!
Carolyn says
Can totally leave it out!
Linda Ramsey says
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!
Carolyn says
Did you by chance use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Linda says
Yes I did
Carolyn says
Well, that would be your problem, then. These two flours are not interchangeable in the least.
Linda Ramsey says
Yes I did
Holly White says
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!!
Barbara says
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.
Carolyn says
Sounds delicious!