Eggless Earthquake Cake

If you love desserts with lots of different textures, this eggless earthquake cake is going to be a fun bake for you.

It gets its name because the sweet cream cheese layer sinks into the chocolate batter as it bakes, creating a cracked, uneven top.

Best of all, this recipe is completely eggless. That makes it a wonderful treat if you have an egg allergy or simply do not eat eggs at home.

You start with a crunchy layer of coconut and pecans on the bottom, pour the rich chocolate batter over it, and swirl in sweet cream cheese.

Every slice gives you a mix of soft cake, gooey pockets, and toasted nuts without needing a single egg.

Why You’ll Love It

Irresistible Texture – You get soft cake, melted chocolate, crunchy pecans, and a warm, gooey cheesecake center in every bite.

Super Moist Crumb – The mix of buttermilk, yogurt, and hot coffee keeps the chocolate cake amazingly soft without any eggs.

No Frosting Needed – The rich cream cheese swirls right into the batter, so the cake frosts itself as it bakes.

Deep Chocolate Flavor – Hot coffee blooms the cocoa powder, giving the cake an intense, rich flavor that chocolate lovers adore.

Ingredient List

For the Base

• 1 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
• 1 cup Pecans, Chopped

For the Chocolate Cake

• 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
• 2/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 3/4 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk, Room Temperature
• 1/3 cup Plain Yogurt, Room Temperature
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 cup Hot Coffee

For the Cream Cheese Layer

• 8 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Topping

• 1/2 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and sprinkle the coconut and pecans evenly over the bottom.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Step 3

Add the buttermilk, yogurt, oil and vanilla and whisk for 1 minute until thick and smooth. Stir in the hot coffee until the batter is glossy, then pour it gently over the coconut and pecans and spread it evenly.

Step 4

In another bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy.

Step 5

Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate batter, leaving small gaps between them. Drag a skewer through a few times for a light marbled look, then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.

Step 6

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the chocolate areas are set and a toothpick inserted into a chocolate section comes out with a few moist crumbs.

The cream cheese areas will stay soft and gooey, creating the signature cracked top.

Step 7

Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, and store leftovers in the fridge.

Tips

Pour the Batter Gently Over the Base

When adding the chocolate batter, pour it slowly in a zig-zag pattern across the nuts and coconut rather than dumping it all in the center.

If you dump it all in one spot, the heavy batter will push the pecans and coconut to the corners and mess up your bottom layer.

I recommend gently smoothing the top with a spatula so the base layer stays completely flat and in place.

Soften the Cream Cheese and Butter Completely

Make sure your cream cheese and butter sit on the counter until they are soft to the touch before mixing them.

If they are even slightly cold, your mixture will turn out lumpy and will feel too heavy to drop gently over the batter.

From my experience, fully softened ingredients blend into a silky cream that melts into the cake just the right way while baking.

Do Not Skip the Hot Coffee

I always use freshly brewed hot coffee because the heat wakes up the cocoa powder and brings out a deep chocolate flavor.

In an eggless recipe like this, the hot liquid also helps dissolve the sugar quickly and creates a tender crumb.

If you prefer not to use caffeine, hot decaf coffee or plain boiling water will work just as well.

Try These Next

• Eggless German Chocolate Cake
• Eggless Gooey Butter Cake
• Eggless Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
• Eggless One Bowl Chocolate Cake
• Eggless Texas Sheet Cake

Questions You Might Have

Can I replace the hot coffee with something else?

You can easily swap the hot coffee for equal amounts of hot water or warm milk.

The coffee simply deepens the rich chocolate flavor in this eggless cake, but it will not make the dessert taste like coffee.