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+ servings
Halloween Dirt Cake

Spookiest Halloween Dirt Cake Recipe

This Halloween Dirt Cake Recipe is the star of our Halloween celebrations. It’s rich and chocolatey, and very, very silly.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 servings

Equipment

  • 8 x 8 inch square pan
  • parchment paper

Ingredients
 
 

Ingredients for the Cake:

  • 5 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 2/3 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup boiling water

Ingredients for the Frosting:

  • 1 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
  • 3 tbsp butter cubed
  • 1 oz semisweet chocolate chopped
  • 1 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 2/3 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Decorations:

  • 6 Milano cookies
  • 1 tube black icing
  • gummy body parts and/or gummy worms candy pumpkins, or any other gummy candies that strike your fancy
  • 20 oreo cookies or other chocolate sandwich cookies

Instructions
 

Instructions for the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Grease and line one 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add egg.
  • Beat in vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
  • Add to creamed butter mixture, alternating with sour cream, beating at medium speed after each addition.
  • Stir in water until blended.
  • Transfer to prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake is springy when touched.
  • Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from wire rack to cool completely.

Instructions for the frosting:

  • In a metal bowl over simmering water, melt butter and chocolates.
  • Stir until smooth. Cool slightly.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine confectioners' sugar, sour cream and vanilla.
  • Stir in chocolate and beat until smooth.

Aaand the Best Part: Decorating!

  • Decouple each oreo and scrape the frosting off. Place oreos in a food processor. Pulse until fine crumbs are formed. Alternatively, put the oreo cookies in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
  • Carefully cut milano cookies in half and write RIP or any other spooky message you desire on them.
  • Slather a layer of frosting over the cake, then sprinkle with crushed cookies on top.
  • Tuck the milano gravestones into the top of the dirt cake.
  • Scatter the creepy things, candy worms, and/or pumpkins.

Notes

We make this as an 8 x 8 inch square, but you could easily make individual servings of this graveyard dirt cake in a clear plastic cup. As a reminder, should you be facing a busy Halloween season, this chocolate cake keeps extremely well wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer and defrosts quickly in the refrigerator.
Keyword chocolate, chocolate cake, frosting, oreo
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!