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 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 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.
Candace says
Is there a flour to substitute for almond? I have a nut allergy I’m trying to accommodate along with keto and GF guests, a few dairy-free but may just make an alternative option for them.
Carolyn says
Try using sunflower seed flour: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/how-to-make-your-own-sunflower-seed-flour/
Sandy says
Would vanilla protein powder work ok?
Carolyn says
Yes, just leave out any additional vanilla.
MJ says
can I make this without the coconut? I’m allergic to coconut.
Carolyn says
Yes, it’s not for consistency so just skip it.
Shea says
This one came out a bit dry and crumbly. I think because I didn’t have the metric numbers and instead of weighing everything, I went with “one cup of…” and it was too much. I truly appreciate when metric weights are included and they weren’t listed on this one. I’m brand new to keto baking and am realizing just how important precision is with ingredients.
CJ says
I think we should take our own responsibility in conversion. we are from all over the country and measure in different ways. I’m more comfortable in cups so when I come across a recipe in grams, I do my own research. These are free recipes, that Carolyn has created, developed,given her time, money and all to.. so appreciated. I wish you the best on your keto journey.
Fonda Carver says
What do you use to grease your pan?
Carolyn says
Usually butter. If I think it’s going to stick and it’s a cake I want to flip out (this one gets cut out of the pan), I usually grease with butter and then spray with avocado oil.
Susan says
Would it be possible to sub the coconut for something else or leave it out? I’ve LOVED every one of your recipes I’ve baked! And so has my family! 🤍
Carolyn says
You can leave it out.
Jen says
I’d love to make this but I don’t have whey protein powder or egg white protein powder on hand. However I do have a pea/chia seed protein powder. Would that work? I realize that peas aren’t keto but would it affect the texture?
Carolyn says
That should work… the pea protein should be low carb still. It’s not the carb part of the peas they extract!
Betty Adams says
Can I use Splenda instead of Swerve and what happens ifidonthave protein powder?
Carolyn says
I don’t use Splenda so I really can’t say. Protein powder helps the cake rise properly.
Casey Smith says
I’m anxious to try this! earthquake cake was my favorite as a kid! I was wondering if it would work to use collagen peptides in place of the whey protein?
Carolyn says
In most recipes, I would say no. It makes things gummy and hard to cook through. But it might work in this weird cake.
Kristina Olson says
Any substitutions for the whey protein powder?
Carolyn says
Egg white protein powder.
Ann says
I tried this recipe and mine turned out more of a brownie than a cake. It was delicious.
Joanne Johnson says
OMG!!! These are so rich and decadent! By far the best bar out there! Thank you!
Elizabeth says
is there a reason you use baking powder and not xanthan gum?
Carolyn says
Baking powder helps cokes rise. No xanthan gum is necessary so why add an unnecessary ingredient?
Lisa kavanaugh says
Can I use egg white powder in place of whey protein?
linda says
can this earthquake cake by frozen? it makes so much we wouldn’t eat it all before it went bad. Or, what quantities of ingredients for smaller pan?
Carolyn says
Absolutely!
Lisa L says
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! I’m loving your Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking cookbook that I recently bought as well and it is so helpful for understanding which ingredients to use for different recipes and why they work. I’m really enjoying baking again and feel I have the ability to make what ever I want now! Thank you so much for your help through your videos too!
Jade says
Is there a good substitute for the whey protein powder?!
Carolyn says
Egg white protein powder.
Laura says
Would collagen powder work?
Bob says
My wife made this but for some reason it was really dry and crumbly. Any ideas what happened?
Carolyn says
Simply put… it got over-baked. Do you know what kind of pan she used?
MGD says
Hi can I use either baking powder or baking soda in lieu of the whey powder? If so how much would I use?
Thank you 🙂
Carolyn says
No sorry, that is not a proper replacement for protein. Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein helps baked goods rise and hold their shape. Baking powder and soda are leavening agents, creating gas that causes a rise, but they don’t create structure.
MGD says
Ok thank you for responding. I’m so happy I found you and look forward to trying your recipes ❤️
Robert Troyer says
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”.
Carolyn says
That’s so great to hear!