My Grandmothers Earthquake Cake…..

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When I was a very little girl my parents took me to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas to see the Dinosaur tracks in the riverbed. Ever since then I have always loved dinosaurs and studying about the Earths geological history almost to an obsessive level.

Acrocanthosaurus tracks at the "Main" site, Dinosaur Valley State Park Photo By Glen J. Kuban
Acrocanthosaurus tracks at the “Main” site, Dinosaur Valley State Park
Photo By Glen J. Kuban

I had these visions of what the earth must have looked like back then with these “fearfully great lizards” roaming around eating large pre-historic ferns (well and each other), volcanos would erupting in the distance, and there were constant Earthquakes….

Dinosaur Statues on display at Dinosaur Valley State Park Entrance. These statues were originally on display at the New York 1964-65 Worlds Fair. Picture from the Texas Parks and Wildlife website
Dinosaur Statues on display at Dinosaur Valley State Park Entrance.
These statues were originally on display at the New York 1964-65 Worlds Fair.
Picture from the Texas Parks and Wildlife website

I was…  Am a Science nerd and proud of it.

As a kid I didn’t go to a daycare center while my parents were at work instead I stayed at my Grandmothers. We would spend our mornings out in the garden, and mid-day usually in the kitchen cooking, canning, and baking. So being the little Dinosaur and Geology nerd that I was, imagine my excitement when my Grandmother told me one day we were going to baking an Earthquake Cake!!!

I can still remember my grandmother taking the cake out of the oven and seeing the big impressive crack right down the middle. It was as if there had been an earthquake in the oven and I thought it was so cool!! Ever since then I have loved this cake.

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This Earthquake Cake might not be the most beautiful cake upon first appearances. But like with all things it’s not what’s on the outside that matters but what is on the inside.

When you slice into this Earthquake cake reveling its flavorful layers of chocolate cake, the gooey cream cheese center, and that little bit of crunch from the coconut and pecans you will understand why I love this cake too.

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Earthquake Cake

Ingredients:

1 Cup Shredded Coconut

1 Cup Pecans, Chopped

1 Box German Chocolate Mix

¼ Cup Strong Coffee or Espresso (2 shots)

½ Cup Softened Unsalted Butter

1 box Powdered Sugar

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

 

Directions:

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees

In a greased 9×13 baking pan place the shredded coconut and chopped pecans in an even layer.

Mix the German Chocolate cake mix according to the package instructions, replacing ¼ cup of the water with ¼ cup of strong coffee or espresso. Pour the cake batter into the pan on top of the coconut and pecans.

Using a hand mixer mix together the softened cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until fluffy then pour on top of the cake mix and swirl in with a knife, creating a marbled look.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. The cake will crack when it’s done, that’s why it’s called Earthquake cake.

Posted by

My name is Melody and I am the cook and blogger behind Meals With Mel. I have a love for traveling, I share a joy for gardening, and I have a passion for cooking. Although I do some baking, I don't consider myself a baker as I can't stand having to measure. When it comes to cooking my philosophy is add a bit of this, a dash of that, a splash of something doesn't hurt, never forget some type of pepper and always add at least one clove of garlic. Thanks for stopping by my Spicy Texas Kitchen and I hope to see you again!!! Melody

18 thoughts on “My Grandmothers Earthquake Cake…..”

    1. Thanks!! I always love family cake recipes and Earthquake Cake is just a fun cake. Dinosaur valley is an amazing place and if you ever find yourself in North Texas it’s a must see. There is also a large stretch of the tracks on display at the Natural History Museum in New York which is pretty cool too.

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  6. That is gorgeous china! What is the name of the pattern, if you know? Oh, and the recipe looks scrumptious, too! Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Pingback: My Grandmothers Earthquake Cake….. | homethoughtsfromabroad626

  9. How neat, Mel! Ours and our two close friend families (how do you say that? Whole families that are your friends??) all went on a huge road trip up to that Dinosaur park and loved seeing the tracks. It was really special to see those tracks out in nature, not shut up inside of some museum. Anyway, love the back story and your grandmother’s name for the cake! Sounds delish. As with most Mexican food, I believe the messier it looks, the better it tastes! 😉

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    1. That’s so cool!!! Dinosaur State Park is such a awe inspiring place and I’m glad you, your family and your friends enjoyed it :). Glad you liked the cake too it’s a fun recipe that’s really special to me. Have a great weekend!!

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