This Chocolate Dirt Cake is totally homemade and will take you back to your childhood! Kids and adults alike will love this richly moist and chocolaty cake with Oreo “dirt” crumbs and gummy worms!
I love Halloween! It’s such a fun holiday to dress up, eat candy and watch creepy things!
Notice I said “creepy” and not “scary.” There is a difference and I tend to veer toward creepier than scarier because I’m a chicken.
I always hype myself up to watch scary movies by distracting myself during the movie, watching during the daytime, etc., but when it comes down to it, I absorb more than I realize and that night I’m staring at the ceiling hyperventilating because I’m worried some demon nun will eat me.
That was the case with the new take on It. I was so freaked out, even though I’m not particularly scared of clowns. I rented the movie, watched it during the day time and tried to envision the actors in other roles they play (which is one of my tried and true secrets for those who watch scary movies!). There were more jump scares than anything, but the movie lost ALL credibility for being scary at the dance scene towards the end. I mean, seriously? A dancing demon clown? It was so unbelievably dumb that I shouted “what the hell?” and rolled my eyes through the credits.
Anyway, this Halloween I plan on “boo”-ing people in my apartment complex with dog treats for their pups. I figure that’s a fun way to reverse trick-or-treat and get the dogs involved. Plus, my Border Collie Mannie just got a fancy new stroller so he and Jack, my Shorkie, can tag along.
Now: let’s talk Chocolate Dirt Cake!! A quintessential kid-friendly Halloween treat!
Worms and dirt desserts have been around forever, but I happen to think this cake is the best! It’s entirely homemade, from the richly moist chocolate cake to the decadent chocolate frosting! Top it with Oreo cookie crumbs and gummy worms for a super easy, slightly spooky Halloween treat kids and adults will love!
Easy, fast, fudgy, moist Homemade Chocolate Dirt Cake! You’re going to love it!
Homemade Chocolate Dirt Cake
This Homemade Chocolate Dirt Cake is fantastic! Super moist and fudgy chocolate cake with a rich chocolate frosting, Oreo “dirt” crumbles and gummy worms for a spooky and easy Halloween treat!
Servings: 15
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups granulated white sugar
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup HOT strong black coffee
For Fudge Frosting & Topping:
- 3/4 cup butter (1½ sticks) softened
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 25 Oreo cookies coarsely crushed
- Gummy worms for decoration
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Liberally grease a 9×13 light metal rectangular baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Add in the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and mix on low until combined. Lastly, very carefully and slowly stream in the hot coffee with the mixer on low until fully incorporated into the batter. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist but not wet crumbs. Cool completely.
For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, cocoa powder and vanilla extract until soft and fluffy, about 1 minute. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar, about one cup at a time, alternating with little bits of the heavy cream. Frosting should be light and fluffy.
Spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Top with the Oreo cookie crumbs in an even layer. Arrange gummy worms over the top of the cake.
Notes
For best results, I like to use a cocoa powder with at least 1g of fat per serving. A higher fat content lends to a more moist and richer cake. Ghirardelli unsweetened 100% cocoa powder is what I used.
Richly chocolaty and super moist cake, fluffy chocolate frosting and tons of Oreos and gummy worms – kids and adults alike will love this cake!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
