Reese’s Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake
This Reese's Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake combines rich chocolate cake with a creamy peanut butter cream cheese swirl, chocolate chips, and peanut butter cups that crack the top as it bakes.
Equipment
- 9x13 cake pan
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Chocolate Fudge cake mix, plus ingredients needed to prepare (eggs, oil, water)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup chocolate peanut butter cups halved
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 °F. The cake bakes best when the pan goes into a fully preheated oven.
- Prepare the chocolate fudge cake mix with the eggs, oil, and water called for on the package, then pour the batter into a lightly greased 9x13 cake pan. Leave the batter unbaked in the pan so the heavier peanut butter mixture can sink into it during baking.
- Melt the butter on the stovetop until bubbly, then transfer it to a mixing bowl with the softened cream cheese and beat until smooth. The mixture should lose any cream cheese lumps before you add the remaining ingredients.
- Beat in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until fully combined, then add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and mix well after each addition. Stop when the filling looks light, fluffy, and thick enough to hold soft spoonfuls.
- Drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter mixture evenly over the cake batter, then scatter the chocolate chips and halved peanut butter cups across the top. Spaced-out dollops help the cake bake more evenly and create cracks all over the surface instead of one heavy patch in the center.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, then cool the cake for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing and serving warm. The edges should look set and the center should have only a slight jiggle, not a loose slosh.
Notes
Texture tip: Ensure your cream cheese is fully softened to room temperature before mixing. If it is too cold, the butter and sugar can separate, creating a broken or lumpy swirl instead of a smooth ribbon.
Doneness cue: The cake is properly baked when the edges look set and the center has only a slight jiggle. If the center ripples like liquid, it needs more baking time. Cover the top loosely with foil if it browns too quickly.
Storage: Because the ribbon contains cream cheese, leftovers must be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator to keep the texture fresh and creamy.
Reheating: Warm individual slices in the microwave using short, gentle bursts at lower power. Stop heating as soon as the peanut butter swirl softens to preserve the molten, gooey center.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.