Graveyard Cake

Name: Graveyard Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 16 servings.
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

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

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.
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.
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.
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.

Originally published as Graveyard Cake in Taste of Home October/November 1998

Reviews

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proud-mom-of-5

Oct 19, 2013

i have made this befor but only it was cup cakes with cookies as head stones and crushed oreo cookies as the dirt on the cup cake then i places a pumpkin candy onyop of the grave and everyone at my daughters school bragged on how cool it looked,so u can actually do it this way or do cupcakes,this is a must try everone will adore them:):)
yoloqueen1000

Sep 28, 2013

My favorite cake--hard to make cakes that rise easily at high altitude and moist at the same time---perfection every time. Use year-round with different frostings.
ad554836

Sep 1, 2013

This is an excellent chocolate cake recipe! I have never have done the ghosts/graveyard part... we just top it with Oreo crumbs and that's it. It's delicious! Just be sure to wait on putting on the frosting because if the cake is too hot still, the steam will be trapped and it will sink. That happened to me and it was so sad!
Shardia

Nov 1, 2011

Family loved it