Rich & Gooey Pumpkin Earthquake Cake with Chocolate Chips
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Fall is in the air and that means one thing – pumpkin everything! This Pumpkin Earthquake Cake is the perfect way to celebrate the season. It’s loaded with pumpkin flavor, and chocolate chips add a delicious touch of sweetness. Whether you’re serving it at a party or packing it up for a snack, this cake is sure to please!
For more seasonal food, check out The Ultimate List of Autumn Recipes for the Fall Season!
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Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions, to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
This pumpkin earthquake cake is so easy to make and results in a super moist, rich, and gooey dessert that is always a huge hit with everyone who tries it!
A sweet cream cheese mixture is dolloped (technical term!) between layers of pumpkin spice cake batter, which when baked causes cracks to form on the surface – and that is how earthquake cakes got their name.
I know you’ll love this yummy pumpkin cake recipe just as much as we do!
We love cooking with pumpkins on The Purple Pumpkin Blog (I mean, obvious right?!) And I’ve got lots more great Pumpkin Recipes for you to try – right-click and open a new tab so that you can read them after this one.
The post is part of the Crafty October series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog and is filled with free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Halloween! You can check out Crafty October from 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 for tons of awesome Halloween ideas and inspiration!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been linked to Amazon or other stores if available online. Staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., aren’t always included here as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen. The complete list of ALL ingredients with measurements is found on the recipe card.
- Dairy – Cream Cheese, Unsalted Butter
- Other – Eggs
- Box of White Cake Mix
- Canned Pumpkin Purée – NOT pumpkin pie filling
- White Sugar
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Powdered Sugar – also known as Icing Sugar or Confectioners Sugar
- Chocolate Chips – semi-sweet (US), plain (UK)
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, that you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Canned Pumpkin
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is pumpkin purée, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Spiced Pumpkin & Walnut Tea Loaf
- Pumpkin Pie Crème Brûlée
- Easy Pumpkin Cake with Frosting & Sprinkles
For another creative pumpkin dessert, try this chewy and delicious Pumpkin Mochi—a unique treat that’s just as irresistible as pumpkin earthquake cake.
More Cake Recipes
Looking for more cakes to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Yellow Sheet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Jewish Apple Cake Recipe – Dairy-Free for Rosh Hashanah
- A Classic White Cake Recipe Perfect For Afternoon Tea
Recipe Tips
- Because of the cream cheese filling, store the cake in the fridge if not served immediately.
- Storing Leftovers: Cool and transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze this cake in individual portions or the cake as a whole. If freezing the whole cake, bake in a disposable aluminum cake pan to make freezing easier.
- Cool completely before wrapping in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil – this will help to prevent freezer burn and the transfer of freezer smells.
- If freezing individual potions, once frozen transfer them into a large freezer-safe food bag or container.
- Label with the name of the dish and the date so you can keep track of your food storage.
- It will last for up to one month.
- To defrost, place in the fridge overnight to thaw completely before serving.
How Do I Make A Pumpkin Earthquake Cake?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup canola oil
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 8oz/225g cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar icing sugar
- 1 cup chocolate chips semi-sweet/plain
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick baking spray and set it aside.
- Place the cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, water, canola oil, and pumpkin pie spice into a mixing bowl and beat until combined and smooth. Set it aside.
- Place the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar into another bowl and beat until combined and smooth. Set it aside.
- Pour half of the pumpkin cake batter into the baking dish.
- Use half of the cream cheese mixture and scoop spoonfuls onto the batter. Use a knife or skewer to swirl it around.
- Pour the remaining pumpkin cake batter on top, followed by the remaining cream cheese mixture, and swirl around.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (A few crumbs on the toothpick are fine!)
- Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Special Dinner!
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: How to Make the Ultimate Warm Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Soup: Slow Cooker Pumpkin + Apple Soup
- Salad: Classic Caesar Salad with Homemade Dressing & Croutons
- Main Dish: Amazing Pecan Crusted Pork Chops with a Fresh Plum Sauce
- Side Dish: Comforting & Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Red Potatoes
- Beverage: Apple Cider Margarita
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.
This post is part of my long-running Crafty October series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog. Since 2012, I’ve shared Halloween recipes, printables, and crafts every October. While I don’t officially run the series anymore, all my new Halloween posts are still part of this decades-long celebration of spooky fun! Browse past Crafty October years for even more inspiration: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.
Joanne
October 10, 2022 @ 4:29 pm
This sounds delicious! I had never heard of an earthquake cake before. Pinned.