A: There are several reasons:

1. Since each cake is baked with very fresh ingredients, the cake might last a month without the vodka before spoiling. After steeping each fresh-baked cake in vodka, its shelf life is closer to a year and it doesn’t lose any of its freshness

2. Vodka adds to the already moist, dense texture of the cake

3. Vodka enhances the rich quality of the chocolate cake without adding additional non-cocoa flavor

There is such a relatively small amount of vodka in the cake that only those with medical reasons to avoid alcohol should be wary of the Earthquake Cake. The rest of us like to serve it with a little whipped cream and/or fresh berries (when we’re not eating it directly out of the package)!