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
MARY ANN TURK says
Could this be frozen? I would like to make the whole recipe and freeze half, as I am just cooking for 2.
Carolyn says
I can’t see why not!
Lisa says
Has anyone tried to use plant based protein instead of whey protein? Thanks for anybfeed back!
Carolyn says
I think it should work fine.
Joyce Ayres says
I also made this cake, first time it was awful had to throw it out. Next day I tried again , but I tweeked the recipe. Used a 8×8 pan, also lowered the temperature to 350 and baking time to 25-30 minutes. I used 1/4 cup monkfruit plus I mixed the pecans and coconut into the cake batter. Then with the cream cheese I cut everything in 1/2 . This time it was great and yummy.
Carolyn says
I’m sorry but I really don’t understand this. You lowered the temperature to 350? I am confused because the recipe has it at 325F. So if your first attempt was over-baked, I think you had your oven temperature much MUCH too high.
CJoy says
WOWSA… made this for Easter since had a crowd here and topped with your chocolate whipped topping dollop on each serving and people raved. We had some left over and ate it for over a week as kept in coldest refrigerator.
Keep up the INSPIRATIONAL GENIUS Desserts. My hubby and son have the sweet tooths and me reaching for your dessert book or printing out one to show them makes them drool.
Now if I can only find a store that has the brains to stock Swerve at a discount…like COSTCO!
(Use any influence possible, if I had any)
Thanks again!
Karen says
Looks delicious!!! how many servings? Not sure if I missed it but didn’t see it…
Carolyn says
The number of servings is at the top of the recipe so you just try to cut it into 20 equal portions.
Karen says
How did I miss that smh
Connie says
Wow! So delicious! Made your German chocolate brownies for my hubbies birthday last year and made this for his birthday this year. The brownies are wonderful but I think this just inched past! ????
Fitness guru says
Amazing!! Made it for my BD and it’s a killer!! Lol I’ve made some adjustments: all over and top’ covered by the chocolate frosting. Will make again.
Carolyn says
Belated happy birthday!
Marilyn Guthmann says
This is amazing! I left out the protein powder and added one egg to the cream cheese mixture. I baked it for 35 minutes instead of 45 and it turned out very moist and delicious. Definitely a keeper!
Loucrecia says
Thank you soooo much for posting your comment! I don’t have whey protein powder & I am not going to spend over $28 to get some when I’ve never needed it before. I like being able to make special stuff like this on occasion, but can’t go broke to do so.
Shirley says
Earthquake cake because it will rock your world! Thanks Carolyn.
MJ says
Is there anything in the world that can be substituted for the protein powder? Both whey and egg white protein powders are so expensive and I would never (or rarely) use them in recipes other than something like this. Fixed incomes suck and I can’t justify spending that kind of money — sorry but that’s the truth of the matter. I would dearly love to try this recipe and I know my diabetic husband would love, love, love to try the cake but I need to come up with something other than the protein powder. Thanks for your help!
Carolyn says
So, the best thing for me to do is tell you WHY I use protein powder. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another (dry) protein helps baked goods rise and hold their shape. That said, it’s going to be delicious without it, if you don’t mind it being a little more fragile. So skip it but just be aware.
angela says
Ooh, this sounds devine! I read through all the comments and you said it would be ok to substitute egg white powder for the protein powder. My question is are the ratios the same? I so want to make this for a Superbowl party. Once again, thank you for sharing your recipes. Makes being on keto so much easier!!!
Carolyn says
Yes, they should be the same. If you have one, bake it in a ceramic baking pan. People find it a bit dry when they use a metal pan.
Jessie Murray says
I just made this earthquake cake, I have only been doing keto for two weeks, and figured I would try it. I did all of the ingredients in your recipe, except I did use Isopure chocolate flavor for the protein powder. It is good, but the chocolate cake part is alil dry. Has anyone tried it with Coconut flour instead of almond? Thank you for sharing and it was worth a try. It is good. just need to tweek it abit for my tastes. Thank you again. Jessie
Carolyn says
It would be far more dry with coconut flour. What kind of pan did you use? If metal, that might be part of the problem.
Toni says
The flavors in this cake are amazing!!
Rachael Yerkes says
This is my kinda dessert! Love that it’s still delicious while being low carb
Kristyn says
Low carb cake..sign me up!! This looks so heavenly!! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Becky Hardin says
This looks so so amazing! Would love a big piece right out of the oven! Yum
Courtney O'Dell says
Holy delicious – this recipe is a major winner!
Jennefer Willard says
The reason the cake was originally called Earthquake Cake was because (in the original recipe) the cream cheese wasn’t mixed all through the cake. When you opened the oven you were greeted with a dark chocolate cake with huge cream cheese craters in the middle. Very rustic and beautiful. My aunt Marie made these when I was young and it was always a bit!!
Marla O`Steen says
Carolyn,
I finally got through all of the comments and noticed that you answered the question about using the whey powder!
Marla O`Steen says
Hi Carolyn,
I love your recipes and want to try this one but can’t afford the whey powder. Can I ask what it is for? Or why you use it? Is there something else I can use instead?