Day 6: Earthquake Cake.

Yum yum yum.

Fresh from the oven, smelling delightful.

Cooled to room temperature.

My fail... trying to turn it out onto the cooling rack for aesthetic purposes...

The bottom really didn't wanna come up out of the dish.....

So I had to scrape and try to put it back together... Whoops.

Finished Product.  It was yummy.  Have your milk ready though, it's oober rich.

     The first time I tried this cake, my friend Stephen brought if over because his Mom had made it for him for his birthday, but I was throwing the party.  I tried it, and it was absolutely wonderful, aside from the coconut.  I looked up a million recipes, but none seemed to be the same as that one, so the closest I got was this one.


     Here is the recipe I used.  It's sort of adapted from the one above, but not much. 

• 1 pkg German Chocolate Cake Mix.
• 1 cup chopped pecans.
• 1 cup chopped walnuts.
• 1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened.
• 1 16 oz. pkg confectioner's sugar.
• 1 stick of butter or margarine, softened.
• 2 tsp. whole milk.

     LIBERALLY grease and flour the bottom and edges of a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish.  I didn't do this liberally enough apparently because the bottom of my cake wanted to stick when I went to flip it... I had to scrape it off and put it back together like a puzzle... but I digress.  Cover the bottom of the baking dish with the chopped pecans and walnuts.
     Make the German Chocolate Cake Mix according to package instructions.  Pour the batter over the pecans and walnuts.  Next, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, softened cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and milk together until completely incorporated and smooth.  Pour this over the cake mixture.  I poured mine directly down the center and sort of spread it.  I'm not sure if that made a difference but it was just too thick to make a perfect layer over the top.  Bake on the center rack of a preheated 325 degree oven for about an hour or until the middle cracks. (That's why it's called an earthquake cake.) 
     I don't think you HAVE to turn it out onto a cooling rack once it's cooled to room temp, I just thought it would look prettier that way for the blog... obviously that was a mistake.. LOL. 
     You could substitute the walnut for flaked coconut if you want, but I just really detest coconut... it's a texture thing... Anyway, also, the other recipe called for a teaspoon of vanilla extract in the cream cheese mixture, but I didn't have any.  After eating it, and seeing how incredibly rich it was, I don't know if vanilla would be the best idea, but I'm very new to this, so feel free to let me know that I'm wrong.  To me, it tastes EXACTLY like pecan pie, only instead of crust, you have delicious chocolate cake.  I guess that's it.   Happy Baking!!!