The Ultimate Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake Recipe

Are you searching for a dessert that’s pure indulgence in every spoonful? A bake that marries the rich depths of chocolate with the creamy, savoury notes of peanut butter? If your answer is a resounding ‘yes’, then allow us to introduce you to your new favourite treat: the Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake. This is no ordinary cake; it’s a wonderfully messy, unforgettable delight. It boasts a molten core, a signature cracked surface, and pockets of gooey bliss. It’s the kind of dessert that can elevate a simple weeknight meal, like our Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe, into a truly memorable occasion.

We’ve designed this recipe to be as simple as it is sensational. By starting with a quality chocolate cake mix, we minimise preparation time without compromising on taste. The real magic unfolds in the oven, as a decadent peanut butter and cream cheese filling gently sinks into the batter. This ‘seismic’ movement creates the famous cracked appearance that gives the cake its name, making it both a feast for the eyes and a delight for the palate.

What Exactly Is an Earthquake Cake?

Before we get to baking, let’s explore what makes an “earthquake cake” so unique. The name is a direct nod to its charmingly rugged, cracked surface, which forms as it bakes. It is, by design, beautifully imperfect. A traditional version might begin with a base of nuts and coconut, but for our recipe, we use a foundation of chocolate chips and chopped Reese’s cups for extra indulgence. Over this, we pour the cake batter, followed by spoonfuls of a rich cream cheese mixture. In the oven, the lighter cake batter rises, while the denser filling sinks and swirls throughout, creating incredible tunnels of molten deliciousness. This process results in a gloriously chaotic top with deep cracks and craters that hint at the gooey treasure within. Every bite offers a fantastic mix of textures, from a chewy, brownie-like crust to a soft, moist crumb and a decadent, pudding-like core. It is, quite simply, the ideal molten chocolate peanut butter cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A Classic Flavour Pairing Perfected: We’ve taken the beloved combination of chocolate and peanut butter and made it even better with generous chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It’s a true celebration for anyone who adores this iconic duo.
• Effortless to Create: By using a boxed cake mix as our foundation, we keep the process simple and straightforward. This means fewer steps and less washing up, making it a brilliant recipe for bakers of any experience level.
• A Guaranteed Showstopper: The striking, fissured top of the “earthquake” cake is visually impressive and certain to draw admiring gasps. It looks wonderfully intricate, but we’ll know just how easy it was to achieve!
• Gooey, Molten, and Utterly Irresistible: The texture truly is the main event. With its gooey peanut butter and cream cheese centre, this dessert is a magnificent fusion of a brownie, a cheesecake, and a lava cake.
• Suits Any Occasion: Whether you’re planning a birthday celebration, a family dinner, or simply want a special treat to follow a meal like our Sticky Chicken Rice Bowls, this cake is always the perfect choice.

Ingredients

• 1 box (approx. 430g) chocolate fudge or devil’s food cake mix
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 120ml vegetable oil
• 240ml water or milk
• 225g full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 115g unsalted butter, melted
• 150g smooth peanut butter
• 250g icing sugar, sifted
• 150g chocolate chips (milk or dark), divided
• 150g Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (a mix of full-size and minis), roughly chopped, divided
• Optional: 100g chopped pecans or walnuts for the base

Step-by-Step Instructions for Your Earthquake Cake

We’ve laid out this fantastic Reese’s dessert recipe in clear, easy-to-follow stages. Just follow along with us, and you’ll soon be tucking into a warm, gooey cake. Let’s begin!

1. Step 1: Prepare Your Baking Tin

   To begin, set your oven to preheat at 175°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4). Thoroughly grease and flour a 23x33cm (9×13 inch) baking tin. If you’re including the optional nuts, scatter them evenly over the base. Next, sprinkle over half of the chocolate chips (75g) and half of your chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (75g). This layer will transform into a delightful, chewy base during baking.

2. Step 2: Mix the Chocolate Cake Batter

   In a large bowl, tip in the chocolate cake mix, eggs, oil, and water (or milk, for an even richer cake). With an electric mixer or a hand whisk, beat on a low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated. Turn the speed up to medium and continue beating for approximately two minutes, until you have a smooth, airy batter. Take care not to overmix. Carefully pour this batter over the chocolate and nut layer in your tin.

3. Step 3: Create the Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling

   Now for the star of the show: the filling! In a separate bowl, place the softened cream cheese, melted butter, and smooth peanut butter. Use an electric mixer to beat them together until the mixture is perfectly smooth and creamy. Sift in the icing sugar gradually, beating on a low speed until it is fully mixed in and the filling becomes light and fluffy.

4. Step 4: Assemble and Create the ‘Earthquake’

   Using a large spoon, drop dollops of the wonderful peanut butter cream cheese filling all over the surface of the cake batter. There’s no need for precision here; a random pattern is what helps create that classic “earthquake” finish. Scatter the rest of the chocolate chips and chopped Reese’s cups over the entire cake. We like to gently press some of the larger Reese’s pieces into the surface.

5. Step 5: Bake to Gooey Perfection

   Carefully place the tin into your preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. You’ll know the cake is ready when the edges look set and have begun to pull away from the sides. A skewer inserted into a cakey section (avoiding the gooey centre!) should come out with moist crumbs. The middle should remain soft and wobbly—this is where the molten magic resides. It’s what makes this such a superb peanut butter chocolate cake.

6. Step 6: Cool and Serve

   Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before you slice into it. This dessert is at its most sublime when served warm, maybe with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream to balance the richness. The chocolate and peanut butter will be irresistibly melted and gooey. Dive in and enjoy the beautiful mess!

Tips for the Perfect Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake

Keen to make sure your cake turns out perfectly every time? We’ve put together a few of our favourite tips and tricks to guide you.

The Importance of Room Temperature Ingredients

For the creamiest, lump-free filling, it’s essential that your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature. Cold cream cheese can be difficult to beat smooth, while cold eggs won’t mix as evenly into the batter. We suggest taking them out of the refrigerator about 60 minutes before you plan to start.

Don’t Hesitate to Customise

While we think this recipe is perfect just as it is, it also serves as a brilliant canvas for your own creativity. Why not explore some other Earthquake cake variations? You could try:

• Stirring a teaspoon of vanilla extract into the cream cheese filling.
• Adding a swirl of caramel sauce alongside the peanut butter mixture.
• Experimenting with different chocolate chips, such as white or peanut butter varieties.
• Sprinkling salted peanuts over the top for an added crunch and salty contrast.

How to Store Your Cake

Due to the cream cheese filling, it’s best to store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. It will stay delicious for up to 4-5 days. You can enjoy a slice cold, or warm it gently in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to restore that lovely molten texture.

FAQ

A Dessert Worthy of an Encore

And there we have it—a dessert that is just as enjoyable to create as it is to devour. The Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Earthquake Cake is more than a simple recipe; it’s a surefire hit, a true celebration of all things rich and delicious. The blend of moist chocolate cake, a creamy, cheesecake-like peanut butter filling, and chunks of iconic Reese’s cups results in a harmony of taste and texture that will have everyone begging for the recipe.

So, the next time a special dessert is called for, we wholeheartedly encourage you to try this one. Gather your ingredients, embrace the gloriously cracked finish, and get ready for a dessert experience that will send delicious shockwaves through your taste buds. We would love to hear how yours turns out, so please do leave us a comment below!

Recipe Card

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 box (430g) chocolate cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• 120ml vegetable oil
• 240ml water or milk
• 225g full-fat cream cheese, softened
• 115g unsalted butter, melted
• 150g smooth peanut butter
• 250g icing sugar, sifted
• 150g chocolate chips, divided
• 150g Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped & divided
• Optional: 100g chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 175°C (160°C Fan). Grease a 23x33cm (9×13 inch) tin. Layer optional nuts, half the chocolate chips (75g), and half the Reese’s cups (75g) on the base.
2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, oil, and water until smooth. Pour batter over the base. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, melted butter, and peanut butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until fluffy.
3. Drop spoonfuls of the filling over the batter. Top with remaining chocolate chips and Reese’s cups. Bake for 40-50 minutes until edges are set but the centre is still soft and wobbly. Cool for 15-20 minutes before serving warm.