slow cooker 4-ingredient earthquake cake
Slow cooker 4-ingredient earthquake cake bakes into a gooey chocolate coconut dessert with cream cheese pockets and no cake mix required.
This cake gets its name from the way the top cracks and sinks as it cools. Under that crackled surface you get pockets of cream cheese and a coconut layer that stays soft.
You need four ingredients. A box of chocolate cake mix counts as one, and yes, you can use a homemade batter instead if you keep it to the same amount.
A 6-quart slow cooker works best. Anything smaller and the cake climbs the sides and stays raw in the middle.
About the Ingredients
1 box (15.25 oz / 432 g) chocolate cake mix
Any brand works, but avoid the ones labeled pudding in the mix if you can, since they bake up firmer here. Yellow or devil's food cake mix both work as a swap.
3 large eggs
Room temperature eggs blend smoother. If you only have cold ones, set them in warm water for five minutes.
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
Melted coconut oil or melted butter works the same way. Do not use olive oil, the flavor comes through.
8 oz (227 g) cream cheese, softened
Full-fat block cream cheese, not spreadable tub kind. The tub version turns runny and disappears into the batter.
1 cup (85 g) sweetened shredded coconut
Toast it first for a nuttier taste, or leave it plain. Unsweetened coconut works but add two tablespoons of sugar to the batter.
1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
This sweetens the cream cheese layer. Granulated sugar makes it grainy, so stick with powdered if you have it.
1/2 cup (90 g) chocolate chips
Semi-sweet or milk chocolate both work. Mini chips melt faster and spread more evenly through the pockets.
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
Just enough to loosen the batter. Add one tablespoon at a time if it still looks stiff.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Grease the insert
Rub butter or spray oil over the bottom and two inches up the sides of a 6-quart slow cooker. Skip this and the edges weld to the ceramic.
2. Mix the batter
Whisk the cake mix, eggs, oil, and water in a bowl until just smooth, about 30 seconds. It will look thick, like brownie batter.
3. Add the coconut
Fold in the shredded coconut and half the chocolate chips. The batter gets stiff here, so use a sturdy spoon.
4. Layer the cream cheese
Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then drop it over the batter in eight or nine spoonfuls. Do not stir.
5. Add the chips
Scatter the rest of the chocolate chips over the top. They sink as the cake bakes and leave streaks through the middle.
6. Bake on low
Cover and cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the edges pull away from the sides and the center reads 200 F (93 C) on a thermometer. The middle will still look damp, and that is right.
7. Cool and serve
Turn the cooker off and leave the lid off for 20 minutes. Scoop into bowls while warm. The top sets as it sits.
Tips & Tricks
- Mix the cake batter by hand for 30 seconds past smooth. Overmixing makes it tough and rubbery.
- Drop the cream cheese in spoonfuls, do not stir it in. Stirring blends it and you lose the pockets.
- Lay a clean kitchen towel under the lid if your slow cooker drips. It catches the condensation before it lands on the cake.
- Check at 90 minutes the first time. Every slow cooker runs at a different temperature and yours may finish early.
Pro Tips
Delicious Variations
German chocolate version
swap the shredded coconut for 3/4 cup pecans and drizzle the finished cake with caramel sauce.
Peanut butter swirl
drop 1/3 cup peanut butter in with the cream cheese spoonfuls and use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate.
White chocolate coconut
use vanilla cake mix, white chocolate chips, and add 1 teaspoon almond extract to the batter.
How to Store slow cooker 4-ingredient earthquake cake
Refrigerator
Cover and refrigerate up to 4 days. It firms up cold, so warm single servings for 30 seconds in the microwave.
Freezer
Scoop into a freezer bag, press flat, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheating
Microwave a bowl for 30 to 45 seconds on high. Add a splash of milk if it looks dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make this with a homemade cake batter instead of a box mix?
Yes, use about 4 cups of any chocolate cake batter. Keep the same eggs, oil, and water ratios so the texture stays the same. A from-scratch batter with butter instead of oil will come out denser.
Q: How do I know when it is done without a thermometer?
The edges pull away from the sides and the center jiggles only slightly when you nudge the insert. A toothpick in the middle will come out wet, and that is fine because this cake is meant to be gooey. If the top looks dry and cracked all over, it has gone too far.
Q: Can I bake this in the oven instead?
Yes, bake it in a greased 9×13 pan at 350 F (175 C) for 35 to 40 minutes. The cream cheese pockets will be less pronounced because the oven heat is drier. The slow cooker version stays softer.
Q: Why did my cream cheese layer disappear?
You probably stirred it into the batter. Drop it in spoonfuls and leave it alone. Cold cream cheese also sinks too far, so let it sit out for 30 minutes first.
Q: Is this cake supposed to be runny in the middle?
Yes, that is the whole point. It sets to a soft pudding texture, not a sliceable crumb. If you want a firm cake, bake it another 30 minutes, but it will taste more like a brownie.
Do not skip the 20-minute rest at the end. That is what turns a wet scoop into a real dessert. Dinner's done. Go put your feet up.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Earthquake Cake – Easy Dessert
Slow cooker 4-ingredient earthquake cake bakes into a gooey chocolate coconut dessert with cream cheese pockets and no cake mix required.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 oz / 432 g) chocolate cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (85 g) sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (90 g) chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
📋 Instructions
- 1Grease the insert — Rub butter or spray oil over the bottom and two inches up the sides of a 6-quart slow cooker. Skip this and the edges weld to the ceramic.
- 2Mix the batter — Whisk the cake mix, eggs, oil, and water in a bowl until just smooth, about 30 seconds. It will look thick, like brownie batter.
- 3Add the coconut — Fold in the shredded coconut and half the chocolate chips. The batter gets stiff here, so use a sturdy spoon.
- 4Layer the cream cheese — Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, then drop it over the batter in eight or nine spoonfuls. Do not stir.
- 5Add the chips — Scatter the rest of the chocolate chips over the top. They sink as the cake bakes and leave streaks through the middle.
- 6Bake on low — Cover and cook on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the edges pull away from the sides and the center reads 200 F (93 C) on a thermometer. The middle will still look damp, and that is right.
- 7Cool and serve — Turn the cooker off and leave the lid off for 20 minutes. Scoop into bowls while warm. The top sets as it sits.
