A sweet and spooky Halloween chocolate cake recipe layered with chocolate frosting and Oreo cookie crumbs. This easy graveyard cake is perfect for Halloween parties and a fun activity to make with kids.
Pair this cake recipe with HOCUS POCUS OREO BALLS, Halloween Dirt Cups, and a HALLOWEEN DESSERT BOARD for your next Halloween party or movie night.
Halloween Cake
Our family loves a classic Halloween dessert recipe. This graveyard cake is a twist on the famous dirt cake, also known as a graveyard cake made with pudding. We like to use a chocolate cake mix topped with homemade chocolate frosting and decorated with oreo cookie crumbs as dirt. Gravestone icing decorations, ghosts, black cats, and pumpkins decorate the graveyard.
The cemetery cake is spooky and adorable, not creepy, just the way we like it. Have fun decorating with various Halloween candy decorations like marshmallow ghost peeps, sprinkles, candy corn, and festive Halloween icing toppers.
Chocolate graveyard dirt cake ingredients
- Cake mix – we use our favorite gluten-free chocolate cake mix. Any chocolate cake recipe or box mix for a 9×13 pan will work.
- Chocolate frosting – this decadent chocolate frosting is made with butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, and powdered sugar.
- Oreo cookie crumbs – regular or gluten-free Oreos cookies are crushed into fine crumbs in a plastic bag or food processor. The cookie crumbs create the dirt layer on top of the cake.
- Icing decorations – grey icing tombstones, black cats, and ghosts decorate the cake’s top layer. Marshmallow ghost peeps and cookies can also be used.
- Candy decorations – mellowcreme pumpkins, sprinkles, candy bones, gummy worms, and candy eyes make adorable cake decorations.
How to make a graveyard cake [VIDEO TUTORIAL]
- Bake the cake in a 9×13 pan according to the package directions. Cool the cake completely before decorating.
- Mix butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, and milk to create the chocolate frosting.
- Crush Oreo cookies in a food processor or plastic bag with a rolling pin.
- Spread the frosting on the chocolate cake. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs on top, gently pressing them into the frosting. This step will prevent the cookie crumbs from falling when slicing the cake.
- Decorate with candy decorations.
Cookies for the tombstones
Cookies make a great alternative to icing tombstone decorations. Black icing or edible markers can be used to write RIP on the tombstones. If you’re not gluten-free, these cookies work well in this recipe.
- Milano cookies
- Chocolate graham crackers
- Nutter Butter cookies covered in chocolate
More Halloween dessert recipes
Halloween Graveyard Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1⅓ cups water
- 4 large eggs
Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp milk or heavy cream
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Graveyard Decorations
- 15 Oreo cookies crushed
- tombstone icing decorations
- mellowcreme pumpkins
- Halloween candy
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
- Whisk together oil, water, and eggs. Add cake mix and stir until smooth.
- Bake cake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake before decorating.
Chocolate Frosting
- Use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to beat butter until light and creamy (about 3 minutes).
- Add confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until ingredients are well blended.
Decorating the graveyard cake
- Spread frosting on cooled chocolate cake.
- Sprinkle with crushed Oreo cookies. Decorate with Halloween candy and icing tombstone decorations.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!