Graveyard Cake

Total Time

Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 35 min. + cooling

Makes

16 servings

Updated: Oct. 24, 2022
Underneath tasty tombstones, ghosts, pumpkins, worms and soil that make this dessert a conversation piece, you'll find a delectable chocolate cake made from scratch in a few simple steps. It's a recipe I use year-round with different frostings. —Vicki Schlechter, Davis, California

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • FROSTING:
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 18 Oreo cookies
  • Black decorator's icing or gel
  • 9 cream-filled oval vanilla sandwich cookies
  • 1 cup whipped topping
  • Pumpkin candies and gummy worms, optional

Directions

  1. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a saucepan, combine butter, water and cocoa; bring to a boil over medium heat. Add to flour mixture; beat well. Beat in sour cream and eggs.
  2. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine butter, milk and cocoa; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in sugar and vanilla. Pour over warm cake. Crumble chocolate cookies; sprinkle over frosting while still warm. Cool completely.
  4. For tombstone, use icing to decorate vanilla cookies with words or faces; place on cake. For ghosts, make mounds of whipped topping; use icing to add eyes and mouths as desired. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, add pumpkins and gummy worms if desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 483 calories, 22g fat (12g saturated fat), 70mg cholesterol, 423mg sodium, 69g carbohydrate (48g sugars, 1g fiber), 4g protein.