Here is one of the most delectable desserts you will ever eat. Pina Colada Earthquake Cake, oh my. This is another one of my delicious Earthquake Cakes where a cheesecake filling bakes into a cake, and as it bakes the cake explodes (rises) and then falls leaving craters and the middle of the cake sinks down which is how it gets its crazy name.

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It’s truly a heavenly delight. Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is made with a pineapple cake mix and includes crushed pineapple in the batter. It’s layered over macadamia nuts, coconut and vanilla chips. (I’ve also used white chocolate chips with good results).

It’s topped with a cheesecake frosting before baking. After it’s cooked you serve it garnished with pineapple slices, toasted coconut and maraschino cherries for a spectacular and amazing culinary experience to die for!

Every now and then you need to make a special dessert for a special occasion. Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is that kind of dessert. It has texture, it has flavor, it has presentation (in spite of the volcanic explosion when the cake craters and sinks in the middle), and it’s also one of the best smelling cakes you’ll ever enjoy. No kidding. If you enjoy the smells of coconut and pineapple you’ll love this cake.

While Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is magnificent, Earthquake Cakes in general are not the easiest cakes to bake. In case you didn’t get it the first time, these are “HIGH MAINTENANCE” cakes. First of all, you really need to bake these in a glass baking dish. If you try aluminum your cake will stick to the bottom and it won’t be pretty. Second, you will have to cover the top of the cake after about 40 minutes of baking time or the cake will get too browned on top and the cream cheese, especially, will brown.

However, if you try to cover the cake the whole length of baking time it will end up taking about 2 hours to bake. No kidding. I’ve tried it every which way possible. Third, these cakes usually take longer than most layer cakes which can be done in about a half hour.

I’ve had these cakes take as little as 45 minutes and as long as an hour and 15 minutes. I have had others write in that after 30 minutes their cake was done and browned! So, this is a cake that you have to watch like a hawk throughout the baking time. Definitely cut your temperature down if you have a hot oven. I left the light on in my oven the whole time and checked the cake every 10 minutes after the first 20 minutes of baking time.

Fourth, this is one of those few cakes that I really grease and flour the baking dish very generously (no cooking spray) in order to get the cake to come out easily. Finally, when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, the cake is baked. My oven seems to run slow so it usually takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.

If you want to make a lovely cake for an occasion like a birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, job promotion, or another special day in the life of one of your loved one or friend, I can highly recommend Pina Colada Earthquake Cake. It’s especially delightful for those who love pineapple desserts.

It’s rich, gooey, decadent and so tempting you’ll not be able to stop eating it. All I can say is that this cake just seems to melt in your mouth and explode with lots of amazing flavors. It’s outrageously good, and one you will love after the very first bite. Just be sure to follow my instructions carefully so it turns out well.

When I initially posted this recipe in March 2015 I was a little unhappy with brown the nuts got on the bottom. I decided to remake this recipe for company (May 2017) and tried again. This time, after the cake was baked and cooled I spread sliced pineapple on top (patted dry) and placed maraschino cherries in the center of each pineapple slice. Finally I garnished the cake with icing because we served it as a birthday cake! Even people who didn’t care for pineapple enjoyed this cake. It’s that good. 🙂

This scrumptious cake is featured at All Free Casserole Recipes here.

Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is one of the most sensational cakes you’ll ever eat!

The cheesecake icing layer bakes into the cake adding incredible sweetness to the cake so that it needs no other frosting (although I added some.) 🙂

This is the perfect cake for birthdays, anniversaries or holidays. 

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients.

Grease and flour a 9×13″ glass baking dish (don’t merely spray with cooking spray). Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with macadamia nuts.

Add coconut.

Add vanilla chips.

Mix pineapple cake mix, eggs, half-and-half and canola oil.

Mix ingredients with an electric mixer to combine. Add well-drained crushed pineapple.

Stir ingredients with a wooden spoon to combine.

Pour cake batter filling over top of vanilla chips in baking dish.

To make cheesecake filling: Place butter and cream cheese in a saucepan over low to medium heat and whisk continuously to melt. You may have to break the cream cheese up into cubes to get the cheese to melt more evenly and quickly.

Once the cheese melts remove from heat.

Add powdered sugar.

Beat ingredients with an electric mixer to combine.

Pour cheesecake mixture over top of cake batter in baking dish.

Bake cake about 30-40 minutes at 350. Tent with foil and bake an additional 30-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (My cake took 1 hour 15 minutes).

Cool cake completely. If desired, garnish cake with pineapple slices (patted dry) and maraschino cherries (rinsed, drained, patted dry).

I was able to snap a couple of photos before we had dug into the cake!

Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is a fabulous dessert for special occasions like Valentine’s Day, or anytime you want a dessert to salivate over.

If you enjoy pineapple you will LOVE this dessert!

Here’s the recipe.

PINA COLADA EARTHQUAKE CAKE

(My own concoction)

Pina Colada Earthquake Cake

Teresa Ambra

Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is spectacular! This amazing cake craters and explodes like a volcano while baking. It's a spectacular cake that's filled with a pineapple cake mix and crushed pineapple, macadamia nuts, vanilla chips, coconut, a cheesecake filling. It's garnished with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries. Fantastic dessert for special occasions like Christmas or Valentine's Day.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cheesecakes, Dessert

Cuisine Hawaiian

Servings 15

Calories 666 kcal

Equipment

• 1 9x13" glass baking dish
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 medium mixing bowl
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 whisk
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 sauce pan
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 1/2 cups Macadamia nuts roasted chopped (6-ounces)
• 12 oz. pkg. premier white baking chips
• 20 oz. can crushed pineapple drained
• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 large eggs (to mix with cake mix)
• 1/3 cup canola oil (to mix with cake mix)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy whipping cream (to mix with cake mix)
• 8 oz. can pineapple slices for garnish, if desired
• 12 maraschino cherries for garnish, if desired

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Generously grease and flour a 9x13” baking dish.
• (Don't merely spray with cooking spray).
• Spread macadamia nuts, coconut and then white vanilla chips in the bottom of the prepared dish.
• Mix cake mix according to package directions using 3 eggs, 1/3 cup canola oil, ½ cup half-and-half with an electric mixer.
• Add drained crushed pineapple and stir to combine.
• Spread cake mixture over top of the white vanilla chips.
• Melt butter and cream cheese over low to medium heat in small saucepan.
• Remove from heat.
• Add powdered sugar and whisk to combine.
• Spread powdered sugar mixture over top of cake batter in baking dish.
• Smooth the top.
• Bake cake at 350° for about 40-45 minutes.
• If top is starting to get too brown, tent cake lightly with foil.
• Bake an additional 20-40 minutes or until cake tests done when checking with a toothpick.
• Cool completely before cutting into squares.
• If desired, garnish cake with pineapple slices and drained maraschino cherries that have been rinsed, drained and patted dry with a paper towel.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

NOTE: You must really grease and flour the baking dish for this to come out right. Use either Crisco shortening, butter or margarine to grease. Then shake, tilt and rotate the baking dish until flour covers the bottom and sides of baking dish.

 

NOTE: You must use a glass baking dish to bake this cake in. It will not come out of an aluminum pan very well.

 

NOTE: cream cheese tends to brown when baking for long lengths of time. The foil needs to cover the top but not be tightened down. It will take longer to bake the cake this way so that the top cooks properly. But the end result will be a perfectly beautiful cake on top and it won’t be overly browned.

 

NOTE: You will need to use 3 large eggs, 1/3 cup canola oil and ½ cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half combined with the cake mix to make one of the layers for this cake.

 

NOTE: I recommend baking this cake in the middle of the oven so it doesn’t brown too much on the top or the bottom of the baking dish.

 

NOTE: Each oven is different. While I have had these cakes bake in 45 minutes, most of the time, the cakes in my oven take about an hour and fifteen minutes. Check your oven. Your oven may bake faster than mine.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 666kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 8gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 400mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 3gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 210mgIron: 2mg

Keyword cake, cream cheese, dessert, pineapple, pineapple dessert

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is filled with crushed pineapple, coconut, macadamia nuts, vanilla chips and a cheesecake topping that bakes into the cake and causes an explosion while baking!

Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is a cake to write home about!

This cake will have you drooling!

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

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Red Velvet Earthquake Cake

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Carrot Cake Earthquake Cake

Funfetti Earthquake Cake

Pina Colada Earthquake Cake

Teresa Ambra

Pina Colada Earthquake Cake is spectacular! This amazing cake craters and explodes like a volcano while baking. It's a spectacular cake that's filled with a pineapple cake mix and crushed pineapple, macadamia nuts, vanilla chips, coconut, a cheesecake filling. It's garnished with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries. Fantastic dessert for special occasions like Christmas or Valentine's Day.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Cakes and Cheesecakes, Dessert

Cuisine Hawaiian

Servings 15

Calories 666 kcal

Equipment

• 1 9×13" glass baking dish
• 1 large mixing bowl
• 1 medium mixing bowl
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 whisk
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 sauce pan
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 1/2 cups Macadamia nuts roasted chopped (6-ounces)
• 12 oz. pkg. premier white baking chips
• 20 oz. can crushed pineapple drained
• 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 large eggs (to mix with cake mix)
• 1/3 cup canola oil (to mix with cake mix)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy whipping cream (to mix with cake mix)
• 8 oz. can pineapple slices for garnish, if desired
• 12 maraschino cherries for garnish, if desired

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Generously grease and flour a 9×13” baking dish.
• (Don't merely spray with cooking spray).
• Spread macadamia nuts, coconut and then white vanilla chips in the bottom of the prepared dish.
• Mix cake mix according to package directions using 3 eggs, 1/3 cup canola oil, ½ cup half-and-half with an electric mixer.
• Add drained crushed pineapple and stir to combine.
• Spread cake mixture over top of the white vanilla chips.
• Melt butter and cream cheese over low to medium heat in small saucepan.
• Remove from heat.
• Add powdered sugar and whisk to combine.
• Spread powdered sugar mixture over top of cake batter in baking dish.
• Smooth the top.
• Bake cake at 350° for about 40-45 minutes.
• If top is starting to get too brown, tent cake lightly with foil.
• Bake an additional 20-40 minutes or until cake tests done when checking with a toothpick.
• Cool completely before cutting into squares.
• If desired, garnish cake with pineapple slices and drained maraschino cherries that have been rinsed, drained and patted dry with a paper towel.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

NOTE: You must really grease and flour the baking dish for this to come out right. Use either Crisco shortening, butter or margarine to grease. Then shake, tilt and rotate the baking dish until flour covers the bottom and sides of baking dish.

 

NOTE: You must use a glass baking dish to bake this cake in. It will not come out of an aluminum pan very well.

 

NOTE: cream cheese tends to brown when baking for long lengths of time. The foil needs to cover the top but not be tightened down. It will take longer to bake the cake this way so that the top cooks properly. But the end result will be a perfectly beautiful cake on top and it won’t be overly browned.

 

NOTE: You will need to use 3 large eggs, 1/3 cup canola oil and ½ cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half combined with the cake mix to make one of the layers for this cake.

 

NOTE: I recommend baking this cake in the middle of the oven so it doesn’t brown too much on the top or the bottom of the baking dish.

 

NOTE: Each oven is different. While I have had these cakes bake in 45 minutes, most of the time, the cakes in my oven take about an hour and fifteen minutes. Check your oven. Your oven may bake faster than mine.

 

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 666kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 8gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 400mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 3gSugar: 71gVitamin A: 315IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 210mgIron: 2mg

Keyword cake, cream cheese, dessert, pineapple, pineapple dessert

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!