This decadent pumpkin earthquake cake is a perfect fall treat! Made with a moist white cake mix, canned pumpkin, and pumpkin spice, it’s packed with warm, cozy fall flavors.
Pumpkin, cream cheese, and butterscotch chips come together perfectly in this delicious Pumpkin Earthquake Cake. If you’re not familiar with Earthquake Cakes, they are a type of cake that features a delicious swirl of cream cheese frosting. Most Earthquake Cakes start with a cake mix, making them simple and easy to prepare. Don’t let the use of a cake mix deter you from making this Pumpkin Earthquake Cake. In fact, I tried making it from scratch and found that it actually tastes better when using a cake mix. The additional ingredients in the recipe help to mask the flavor of the cake mix, making it impossible to tell that you didn’t start from scratch. Give this Pumpkin Earthquake Cake a try and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. Also, don’t forget to try the Red Velvet Earthquake Cake and theChocolate Fudge Earthquake Cake too! This Pumpkin Earthquake Cake is the perfect dessert for fall. The warm flavors of pumpkin and butterscotch are sure to please everyone. This cake is also relatively easy to make, so it’s a great option for a busy weeknight, or to whip up for a last minute party. Serve this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious and decadent treat.
Pumpkin Earthquake Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box of white cake mix you DO NOT need the ingredients on the box
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 1/2 C butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 C powdered sugar
- 1 C butterscotch chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9 x 13″ pan.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove top.
- Stir the melted butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until combined.
- Stir in the butterscotch chips; set aside.
- Mix the cake mix, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree together.
- Pour into the prepared pan.
- Spoon dollops of the cream cheese mixture onto the batter.
- Take a butter knife and swirl the cream cheese mixture into the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Look below for step by step directions with photos↓
FAQ’s
- Do I have to use a white cake mix? I like to use a white cake mix to really showcase the pumpkin flavor, however you can use a yellow cake mix or even a spice cake mix.
- Can I use different flavored chips? Of course! We think the butterscotch chips go very well with the pumpkin, but you can use whatever flavor you prefer.
- Can you explain an earthquake cake? The inside of the cake is super moist from the cream cheese mixture and the top gets crackly and caramelized. It tastes like a very moist spiced pumpkin cake and a cheesecake combined.
- How do you store this cake? To store, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to a week. For long-term storage, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, transfer to the refrigerator overnight. Serve at room temperature for optimal flavor.
Step by step directions with photos:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9 x 13″ pan.
Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove top.
Stir the melted butter, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until combined.
Stir in the butterscotch chips; set aside.
Mix the cake mix, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree together.
Pour into the prepared pan.
Spoon dollops of the cream cheese mixture onto the batter.
Take a butter knife and swirl the cream cheese mixture into the batter.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool.
Slice, serve and enjoy!
Don’t forget to try this delicious Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!
Snap a picture of your pumpkin earthquake cake and tag @flourmewithlove so I can share with my readers!
This sounds great and I want to try this. I noticed a lot of your recipes have nuts, is it possible to leave them out? I am afraid that since the recipe has such a large amount of them, it may not turn out. I have a granddaughter that is severely allergic to nuts and we are with them a lot during the holiday season.
I'm not sure if you looked at a different recipe, but this Pumpkin Earthquake Cake doesn't call for any nuts 🙂 As far as the other recipes, you can leave them out and it'll be just fine!
I would add coconut and pecans instead of butterscotch chips.
This is calling my name.
I hope you don't mind, but I enjoyed your pumpkin recipe so much, that I put a link to it on my new blog. I can't wait for Autumn 🙂 http://www.frolicinflorida.com
Thank you!
Dont get me wrong here but you have melted butter but nowhere in the recipe does it say where to add it ? can you clear that up for me? no one seems to have noticed or comment on it 🙂
It's the first step; melt the butter then proceed to step two by mixing in the cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Then lastly the butterscotch chips.