This Graveyard Dirt Cake is a classic Halloween dessert that's sure to please any crowd. It's layers of chocolate cake, cream cheese chocolate frosting, Oreo crumbs, and fun toppings to make this spooky dessert that will look great on your Halloween table.
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Why you'll love this recipe
✔️ You only need simple ingredients and some Halloween candy and it's all easy to find at your local grocery store.
✔️ It's a great way to spend time in the kitchen with your kids. The kids will have a blast helping you decorate this fun treat.
✔️ And, it's so festive that it's perfect for Halloween parties, plus, it doesn't take a lot of effort to make.
Ingredients
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- Devil's Food Cake Mix
- instant chocolate pudding
- eggs
- vegetable oil
- cream cheese and butter
- powdered sugar
- Cool Whip
- milk
- Oreos
- spooky garnishes; cookies for gravestones, candy pumpkins, gummy worms, shovels, or any other spooky candy
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For complete directions, scroll down to the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the cake. In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, 1 box of the instant chocolate pudding, eggs, water, and oil. Mix on low until combined, then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. The batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the confectioner's sugar, and FOLD in the whipped topping until well-combined. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the remaining box of instant pudding, and cold milk. Whisk until smooth and allow to sit for 5 minutes in order to set.
- Gently but thoroughly FOLD the pudding into the cream cheese mixture.
- Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled, carefully spread the topping mixture into an even layer over the cake.
- Cover the entire cake with crushed Oreos to resemble dirt.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove cake from refrigerator, and decorate with Halloween-themed cookies, chocolates, and candies. Get creative!
Equipment
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- edible "bone" sprinkles to decorate the cake
- decorator "shovels"
- edible black marker to write on the gravestones.
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FAQ's
Don't worry it doesn't actually contain dirt! This delicious dessert is layers of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding frosting, cookie crumbs, and festive toppings.
It was first seen in the 1980s in the Midwest. It's a twist on the traditional Mississippi Mud Cake that became popular in 1960.
Yes, due to the cream cheese and whipped topping you will want to keep this dirt cake cold until you are ready to serve.
Test kitchen tips
- I recommend that you use the original Oreo Cookies instead of the double stuffed. You want more chocolate than white filling to get the best look for this graveyard cake.
- Use a gentle touch when you are folding the pudding into the cream cheese mixture. You don't want to deflate the whipped topping.
- A food processor will make quick work of crushing the cookies, but if you don't have one you can place the cookies in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to break them up. You will need fine crumbs for the top of the cake.
- Making this spooky cake for a fall cake walk? Bake it in a foil pan and top with it plastic wrap.
Variations
- Peeps Ghosts would look great on top of this cake. Ghosts belong in cemeteries, right?
- You can also use Nutter Butter Cookies or Milano Cookies to make cookie tombstones. Use a black edible marker or black gel to write fun messages on the cookies.
- Candy bones sticking out of this fun dessert can add a little more spooky flare. You can't have a graveyard without bones!
- Want individual cups? Bake the cake, and then once it's cooled break it up and add to the bottom of plastic cups, the top with the other layers for Graveyard Dirt Cake Cups.
- If you are not a fan of chocolate cake, you can switch out the boxed chocolate cake mix for a white or yellow cake mix instead.
Storage
Refrigerate - Store the cake in an airtight container container in the fridge for up to three days. If you don't have a lid that fits your baking dish wrap it with plastic wrap or foil.
Freezer - You can freeze this cake, but I recommend that you freeze it without the decorations on top. To freeze it wrap your baking dish in plastic wrap and then foil and store it in the fridge for up to three months. Thaw the cake in the fridge overnight before serving.
Related recipes
- In the mood for another sweet treat? Check out these Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats. They are more cute than spooky and taste great!
- The Coconut Tres Leches Cake is the most moist decadent cake!
- The Nutter Butter Mummy Cookies are a fun, easy-to-make recipe!
Serve with
- This Mummy Meatloaf is the perfect main dish to serve on Halloween night before you dive into a slice of this fun cake.
- Halloween Potatoes are not only spooky but they also pair so well with a hearty meal like meatloaf.
- While the kids are going door to door on Halloween night the adults can indulge in a Boozy Halloween Cocktail and enjoy time with friends.
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If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!
Halloween Dirt Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large mixing bowls
- 9x13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 15 ounce box Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 2 boxes 3.4 oz. instant chocolate pudding, divided
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 4 cups whipped topping Cool Whip
- 2 cups cold milk
- 15-20 Oreos finely crushed
- Garnishes such as cookies (to resemble gravestones), candy pumpkins, gummy worms, or any other spooky candy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the cake. In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, 1 box of the instant chocolate pudding, eggs, water, and oil. Mix on low until combined, then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. The batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the confectioner's sugar, and FOLD in the whipped topping until well-combined. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the remaining box of instant pudding, and cold milk. Whisk until smooth and allow to sit for 5 minutes in order to set.
- Gently but thoroughly FOLD the pudding into the cream cheese mixture.
- Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled, carefully spread the topping mixture into an even layer over the cake.
- Cover the entire cake with crushed Oreos to resemble dirt.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove cake from refrigerator, and decorate with Halloween-themed cookies, chocolates, and candies. Get creative!
- Serve and enjoy!
Linda says
Not sure why but I had probably twice the amount of topping for cake than needed!
Bowl Me Over says
Well... I slather on the frosting pretty thick 😋 so there's that! I hope you enjoyed the graveyard cake. Happy Halloween Linda!