Subscribe to THE DAILY RECIPE
 
Subscribe to DEAL OF THE DAY
 


September 19, 2026

Read about our staffHi Friends,

Today is a big day for me. Its my retirement party! I officially retire from day to day responsibilities the end of this month.

That gives me more time to devote to writing this newsletter as well as others. Do you notice the new header graphic in this? Keep tuned as we will be launching a whole website with past recipes, hacks and more.

I also write Handy Hints, which just went through a name change launching next week. It will be called Genius House Hacks and I'll give you a sneak peek at the website GeniusHouseHacks.com

No for today's decadent recipe. Earthquake Cake, a cracked, gooey, ridiculously easy 9x13 that looks like it survived a disaster and tastes like it took hours.

Happy Cooking,
Anisa

Please add anisa@gophercentral.com to your address book or visit here.

Daily
Photo: Anisa making her 3 Ingredient Queso Dip


Earthquake Cake
Serves 12 to 15 | Prep 15 min | Bake 45 min
Ingredients

  • 1 box German chocolate cake mix, plus the eggs, oil, and water called for on the box
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan.
  2. Scatter the pecans and coconut evenly over the bottom of the pan.
  3. Mix the cake batter according to the box directions, then pour it evenly over the pecans and coconut.
  4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the batter.
  5. Beat the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy.
  6. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the batter, then swirl gently with a knife. Don't overmix, you want pockets, not a blend.
  7. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake portion is set. The swirled areas will stay soft and gooey, that's the point.
  8. Cool at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Ever try to swirl a cream cheese filling into cake batter and end up wrestling a mixer cord across the kitchen?

Mine always seems to be exactly six inches too short for whatever outlet I'm near. This BlendMix Cordless Mini Hand Mixer fixes that. It's rechargeable, so there's no cord fighting you at all.

Three speed settings whip the cream cheese filling smooth in under a minute, the stainless attachments are dishwasher safe, and one charge gives you plenty of runtime for a cake this size.

Deal Alert: just $11.99, down from $39.99.
Swirl Like a Pro, Grab Yours HERE Dessert chaos, minus the elbow grease!

Anisa's Kitchen Hack:

Room temperature cream cheese blends in half the time. If you forgot to set it out, cut it into cubes first and give it five minutes on the counter instead of thirty.

Keep a designated "ugly pan" for potlucks, one you don't mind not getting back. You'll never again lose a good dish to a forgetful friend.


See All Of Our Wonderful Items Here


Missed An Issue? Visit our archives loaded with past & new issues.

END OF Daily Recipe - Another GopherCentral publication
https://www.gophercentral.com

Copyright 2026 by GopherCentral All rights reserved.
Please forward this to a friend, in its entirety, to others.