Earthquake Cake

We made this doctored cake a few months ago and I'm just now getting around to posting it for you guys. It was ooey-gooey delicious, and it just might be the easy cake recipe you're looking for with upcoming holiday potlucks around the corner!

With just 6 ingredients, it doesn't get any easier than this, and you don't even have to make a separate frosting for it. A second "batter" gets baked into the cake and it kind of frosts itself!

Earthquake Cake

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 box Devil's food cake mix
1 stick butter, softened
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and sprinkle with coconut and pecans. Set aside. 
3. Mix cake mix according to package directions and pour over coconut and pecans.
4. Cream together butter, cream cheese, and confectioner's sugar. Spoon this mixture randomly over top of the cake mix.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of the cream cheese mixture if you're using them.
6. Bake for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes:

Some versions of this recipe call for you to swirl the cream cheese layer with the cake batter layer before baking. I opted not to do this because, quite frankly, dropping the cream cheese mixture into the cake batter and leaving it is what causes the "earthquake" effect when it bakes. Swirling the two layers together would create more of a marble effect.

This cake is supposed to be a gooey cake, so testing for done-ness with a toothpick in the center of the cake will not work. It will be a little jiggly in the center when you remove it from the oven, but the sides will be done. Look at this yummy cake!

The original recipe called for German Chocolate cake mix, but I substituted Devil's food cake mix and it did not disappoint!

I opted not to add chocolate chips because the recipe already looked pretty decadent. I can only imagine that they send it right over the top!