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Earthquake Pumpkin Cake

Earthquake pumpkin cake with a crackled, golden top and cream cheese pools dropped over pumpkin cake batter. The cream cheese sinks while baking to create the signature swirl-and-crack pattern, finished with a caramel drizzle.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin cake
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
  • 0.5 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3 eggs
  • 0.333 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For cream cheese earthquake layer (dropped over batter)
  • 16 oz cream cheese softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.667 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For caramel drizzle
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prepare the pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 pan.
Make and spread the pumpkin cake batter
  1. Beat the yellow cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, water, and pumpkin pie spice until combined, then spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Make the cream cheese earthquake layer
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese, eggs, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
Drop and drizzle for the earthquake pattern
  1. Drop large spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter without mixing it in.
  2. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cream cheese blobs.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the cream cheese sinks and creates the earthquake swirl pattern.
  2. Cool completely before cutting, noting the cake should look cracked and swirled—this is correct.

Notes

For the clearest earthquake look, use softened cream cheese (not melted) and drop spoonfuls gently so the cream cheese stays in blobs. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezer: no. For a lower-sugar swap, use reduced-sugar caramel sauce and keep the powdered sugar the same for structure.