Delicious Pumpkin Earthquake Cake Recipe

Name: Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 190 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Chopped pecans (- Substitute walnuts or omit for allergies); 1 cup Shredded coconut (- Optional); 1 cup Butterscotch chips (- Or chocolate chips); ½ cup Butter (- Cut into small pieces); 1 box Yellow cake mix (- 15.25 oz); 1 can Pumpkin puree (- 15 oz (not pumpkin pie filling)); 3 large Eggs (- Room temperature); ½ cup Vegetable oil (- Or melted coconut oil); 2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice (- Adjust to taste); 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 8 oz Cream cheese (- Softened); ¼ cup Butter (- Softened); 2 cups Powdered sugar (- Sifted); 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 1 tbsp Ground cinnamon (- Optional “Oliver twist” variation)

The smell hit me first - warm pumpkin spice mixed with something buttery and sweet. I opened the oven door to check on my pumpkin earthquake cake, and my heart sank. The top had cracked in fifteen different directions, cream cheese was bubbling up through every split, and it looked nothing like the picture I'd seen online. Oliver peered around my arm and gasped. "It's like a treasure map!" he said, tracing the cracks with his finger in the air.I almost started over. But when we cut into it an hour later, that first bite changed everything. The cream cheese had created pockets of tangy sweetness throughout the spiced pumpkin base.

Homemade Pumpkin Earthquake Cake with whipped cream, chocolate chips, pecans, and caramel drizzle on a white plate.

Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Earthquake Cake

I've brought this to four Thanksgiving dinners and way too many potlucks to count, and here's the thing - people always ask for the recipe. This pumpkin earthquake cake with butterscotch chips is basically foolproof because messy is literally the point. No stress about smooth frosting or perfect layers. The cracks are supposed to be there, which means you can't really screw it up.

The whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes of actual work. You layer some nuts and coconut in a pan, pour pumpkin batter over it, drop spoonfuls of sweetened cream cheese on top, and that's it. The oven does everything else. Oliver handles half the steps himself, and he just turned seven last month. This cream cheese filled Pumpkin Earthquake Cake also stays moist for three days easy - not just edible, but actually tastes better the next day. The pumpkin keeps it tender, the cream cheese makes it rich, and those pecans on the bottom get this amazing chewy texture.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
Ingredients For Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
Step by Step Method
Pumpkin Earthquake Cake Variations
Equipment For Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
Storing Your Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
Substitutions
Top Tip
FAQ
Time to Make Some Delicious Chaos!
Related
Pairing
Pumpkin Earthquake Cake

Ingredients For Pumpkin Earthquake Cake

The Bottom Layer:

Chopped pecans
Shredded coconut
Butterscotch chips
Butter pieces

The Pumpkin Batter:

Yellow cake mix
Pumpkin puree
Eggs
Vegetable oil
Pumpkin pie spice
Vanilla extract

The Cream Cheese Swirl:

Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
Butter

See recipe card for quantities.

Overhead view of pumpkin earthquake cake ingredients in glass bowls on a rustic wooden table, including pumpkin, pecans, eggs, butter, and cream cheese.

Step by Step Method

Step 1: Build the Bottom Layer

Spray your 9x13 pan really well with non-stick spray
Scatter pecans evenly across the bottom of the pan
Sprinkle shredded coconut over the pecans
Drop butterscotch chips on top of everything
Dot small pieces of butter randomly over the mixture

Step 2: Mix the Pumpkin Batter

Pumpkin cake batter being mixed in a glass bowl with a blue whisk, surrounded by eggs and spices on a blue towel.

Combine cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, and oil in a large bowl
Add pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract
Mix until just combined - lumps are fine, don't overmix
Pour batter over the bottom layer and spread gently

Step 3: Create the Cream Cheese Swirl

Creamy whipped cream cheese mixture in a glass bowl with a black spatula on a marble counter and blue kitchen towel, ready for pumpkin earthquake cake.

Beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth
Add powdered sugar and vanilla, mix until creamy
Drop large spoonfuls randomly across the pumpkin batter
Use a knife to swirl once or twice - barely touch it

Step 4: Bake Until Cracked

Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes
Watch for cracks forming on top as it bakes
Center will jiggle slightly when done - that's perfect
Top will look rough and cracked - exactly what you want

Step 5: Cool and Serve

Slice of homemade pumpkin earthquake cake topped with pecans, cream cheese drizzle, and caramel sauce on a white plate.

Let cake cool completely in the pan - at least 2 hours
The layers settle and firm up as it cools
Cut into squares and watch the cream cheese ooze
Serve at room temperature for best texture

Pumpkin Earthquake Cake Variations

From reader requests and my own kitchen experiments, these variations disappeared the fastest:

Maple Pecan Delight:

Skip butterscotch chips and double the pecans on bottom
Stir 2 tablespoons maple syrup into the pumpkin batter
Drizzle warm maple glaze over cooled cake
Top with extra chopped pecans for crunch

Chocolate Explosion:

Swap yellow cake mix for chocolate cake mix
Use chocolate chips instead of butterscotch
Mix 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into cream cheese layer
Finish with melted chocolate drizzle after cooling

Caramel Apple Twist:

Fold 1 cup diced apples into the pumpkin batter
Replace butterscotch with caramel chips
Add ½ teaspoon apple pie spice to cream cheese mixture
Drizzle with caramel sauce before serving

Spiced Gingerbread Style:

Add 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger to batter
Replace some sugar with molasses for deeper flavor
Sprinkle crystallized ginger pieces on top before baking
Dust with cinnamon sugar after it cools

Equipment For Pumpkin Earthquake Cake

9x13 baking pan (metal or glass)
Large mixing bowl
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Measuring cups and spoons
Rubber spatula

Storing Your Pumpkin Earthquake Cake

Counter Storage (2 days max):

Cover loosely with foil once completely cool
Keep at room temperature away from heat
The cake stays moist but the bottom loses some crunch after day two
Still tastes amazing, just different texture

Refrigerator (5 days):

Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil
Store flat in the pan or transfer to container
Let sit at room temperature 20 minutes before serving
Cold cream cheese layer gets too firm straight from fridge

Freezing (not recommended):

I tried this twice for my column.
The cream cheese layer separates and gets watery when thawed.
The texture just isn't the same.
Make it fresh or keep it in the fridge, but skip the freezer.

Make-Ahead Tip:

Mix your dry ingredients together the night before.
Leave cream cheese and butter out 2 hours before you start baking.
Everything else comes together in 15 minutes.

Substitutions

I've made this Pumpkin Earthquake Cake for people with nut allergies, picky eaters, and various dietary needs. Here's what I've tested:

Nuts & Chips:

Pecans → Walnuts, almonds, or skip entirely
Coconut → Extra nuts or leave it out completely
Butterscotch chips → Chocolate chips, white chips, peanut butter chips

Cake Base:

Yellow cake mix → Spice cake mix (reduce pumpkin pie spice to 1 tsp)
Regular mix → Gluten-free cake mix
Pumpkin puree → Sweet potato puree

Cream Cheese:

Full-fat → Reduced-fat (slightly different texture)
Regular → Dairy-free cream cheese
Standard → Neufchatel cheese

Sweeteners:

Powdered sugar → Coconut sugar (blend it first)
Regular → Sugar-free sweetener for diabetics
White sugar → Light brown sugar for deeper flavor

Oil:

Vegetable oil → Melted coconut oil
Regular → Applesauce (reduces fat)
Standard → Melted butter

Slice of pumpkin earthquake cake topped with pecans, cream cheese swirls, and caramel drizzle on a white plate.

Top Tip

Oliver and I stumbled on our favorite twist to this pumpkin earthquake cake by total accident. One Wednesday night, I was rushing to get this in the oven before his soccer practice. Oliver was measuring butterscotch chips when he bumped the cinnamon jar with his elbow. About a tablespoon dumped straight into the cream cheese mixture I'd just whipped up.

I reached for a spoon to scoop it out, but Oliver grabbed my arm. "Wait! Pumpkin and cinnamon are best friends, Mom." I figured what the heck - we were already running late. So we just stirred it in and crossed our fingers.

That cinnamon in the cream cheese layer was a total win. It gave this warm, spicy bite that balanced out all the sweetness. Now we do it every time - a full tablespoon mixed right into the cream cheese before we dollop it on top. People always ask why ours tastes different from other versions they've tried.

We also throw extra butterscotch chips on top of the cream cheese dollops right before it goes in the oven. They melt down into the cracks and make these little caramel pockets. Oliver calls them "earthquake treasures," and honestly? He's not wrong.

FAQ

What is the most delicious cake in the world?

That's totally personal, but this layered pumpkin cake with cheesecake style filling ranks pretty high for me. I've tested hundreds of cakes for my column, and "delicious" usually means you get different textures and flavors in one bite. This pumpkin earthquake cake recipe gives you gooey, crunchy, creamy, and spiced all at once - which is probably why it keeps winning fall bake-offs.

What is an earthquake cake?

An Pumpkin Earthquake Cake gets its name from the cracked, rough top that forms while it bakes. The cream cheese layer heats up and pushes through the batter, creating cracks that look like earthquake damage. I've made dozens of these, and no two ever crack the same way. It's supposed to look messy - that's the whole point.

Can I put a can of pumpkin in a cake mix?

Yep, and it works great. I use 15-ounce cans of pumpkin puree in cake mixes all the time for this homemade Pumpkin Earthquake Cake with pecans and coconut. The pumpkin adds moisture and flavor while keeping things simple. Just make sure you grab pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which already has spices and sugar.

What's the easiest cake to make?

This one, hands down. I've taught this pumpkin puree cake with cream cheese layer to people who'd never baked before, and they got it right every time. No frosting, no worrying about looks, barely any measuring. If you can dump, stir, and pour, you can make this spiced Pumpkin Earthquake Cake mix dessert on your first try.

Time to Make Some Delicious Chaos!

Now you've got everything you need to make this pumpkin earthquake cake - from the basic technique to Oliver's accidental cinnamon discovery that became our favorite twist. This fall dessert is proof that the messiest-looking cakes often taste the best. Those cracks aren't flaws - they're flavor highways that soak up all the good stuff from the bottom layer.You can make this tonight with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. No special equipment, no tricky techniques, no stress about making it look pretty. Just layer, pour, swirl, and let the oven work its magic. When you pull it out and see those dramatic cracks forming across the top, you'll know you did it right.

Want more crowd-pleasing desserts? Try our Best German Chocolate Cake Roll Recipe that looks fancy but comes together easier than you'd think. Need a hands-off dinner? Our Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy is perfect for busy weeknights when you want comfort food without the work. For chocolate lovers, don't miss our Easy Black Forest Cheesecake that combines two classic desserts into one showstopper!

Share your Pumpkin Earthquake Cake photos! We seriously love seeing those cracked tops - each one is different, and they're all perfect in their own way.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rate this Pumpkin Earthquake Cake and let us know how yours turned out! Join our baking community and share your kitchen wins (and funny fails - we've all had them).

Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Earthquake Cake