Halloween Graveyard Chocolate Poke Cake
Halloween Graveyard Chocolate Poke Cake starts with a doctored cake mix that’s filled with chocolate pudding & then decorated for Halloween!
Why We Love Graveyard Chocolate Poke Cake
- It’s so freaking cute! Sure graveyards are scary, but who can resist edible tombstones and marshmallow ghosts?!
- This recipe starts with a box mix but tastes lke it’s from a bakery.
- There are no fancy ingredients, and you don’t have to be a cake decorating expert to pull off this masterpiece!
- Everyone from kids to grandparents loves dirt cake. Weird name, but SUPER yummy!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Chocolate Poke Cake
BOXED MIXES: This poke cake starts with a boxed chocolate cake mix and chocolate instant pudding mix. We’re adding pudding to the cake, filling, and frosting. it’s amazing!
CAKE ADD-INS: While boxed cake mix is fine, you can add in things like sour cream, vanilla, milk (instead of water), and a little salt to really gussy it up and give it that homemade taste.
FROSTING: Instead of Cool Whip like a lot of poke cake use (mine included) we’re using a homemade whipped cream pudding frosting instead to keep things light and fluffy.
TOPPINGS: This is where the fun comes in! We’re going to use an assortment of cookies, candies, icing, and sprinkles to make this graveyard come to life! But you don’t have to stop there, gummy worms and other Halloween candies can make a great addition to the scene.
How to Make Halloween Graveyard Cake
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 Mix all of the cake ingredients together and then pour into a greased 9-inch x 13-inch cake pan. The batter will be thick so use a rubber spatula to spread it to the edges and corners.
STEP 2 Bake the cake in a 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. Then take it out and cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. Then use the back of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top.
STEP 3 Mix the pudding filling. Once it’s thickened up, spread it all over the cake and into the holes.
STEP 4 Whip up the frosting using a stand mixer or a hand mixer until it’s nice a fluffy.
STEP 5 Spread the frosting over the pudding layer. Top the frosting with crushed Oreos for the graveyard dirt.
STEP 6 Write RIP on the Milano cookies and stick them into the cake so they stand up. Add the ghosts, pumpkins, and sprinkles to finish off the graveyard scene.
Tips & Tricks
- I used Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge cake mix, but any standard chocolate cake mix should work.
- This cake should be refrigerated within 2 hours after frosting or the frosting can get really dark and dense.
- Store any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days..
- The cake can be baked up to one day in advance and then frosted and decorated right before serving.
- Place the cookie tombstones and ghots around the cake so that one topping is on each slice of cake. Then add a pumpking next to each tombstone or ghost. You can add a couple of pumpkins if you want more decorations on each slice.
Halloween Chocolate Dirt Cake FAQ
What is the purpose of a poke cake?
A poke cake is a cake with holes poked into it so a filling can be added to the cake and allowed to soak in. Usually, pudding or jello mixtures are used to fill the holes created in the cake. It’s a great way to add colors and other flavors to your cake.
Can you freeze a poke cake?
You sure can. Once the filling has been added, wrap and freeze the cake. Then thaw it in the fridge overnight before topping it with frosting and decorating.
Why is it called dirt cake?
Since crushed Oreos resemble dirt or soil, they’ve been used for years to top cakes and pudding to create “dirt cake”. Usually, you’ll see gummy worms added on top or stuck into the pudding so it looks like they’re crawling out of the soil. I’ve even seen golden Oreos used for sand cakes. It’s just a fun topping and name to spark your dessert imagination.
Other Recipes You May like
- RumChata Poke Cake
- Mom’s Best Ever Coconut Cake
- Homemade Chocolate Cake
- Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
- Angel Food Cake
- Guinness Gingerbread
Halloween Graveyard Chocolate Poke Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 16 ounces chocolate cake mix (1 box)
- 3.9 ounces chocolate fudge instant pudding mix (1 small box)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
FIlling
- 3.9 ounces chocolate instant pudding mix (1 small box)
- 2 cups milk
Frosting
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup chocolate instant pudding mix (1 small box)
Toppings
- 16 Oreo cookies
- 9 Milano cookies
- 3 ghost Peeps
- 12 candy pumpkins
- Black gel icing for writing
- Halloween sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch cake pan, set aside.
- Mix together all the cake ingredients until fully combined and transfer to the prepared cake pan. The batter will be thick and you will need to use a rubber spatula to spread it out.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 30 minutes and poke holes all over to top with the handle of a wooden spoon.
Filling
- Whisk together the pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes, then allow to thicken slightly.
- Spread the pudding over the top of the cake all the way to the edges.
Frosting
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together the frosting ingredients until thick and fluffy.
- Spread the frosting over the top of the cake all the way to the edges.
Topping
- Add the Oreos to a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. (Or place in a plastic Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin.) Sprinkle the Oreo crumbs over the top of the cake.
- Write R.I.P. on the Milano cookies to make tombstones and then press them into the frosting so they stand up.
- Press the ghost Peeps into the frosting so they stand up. If they have a hard time doing so, you can use toothpicks to help secure them.
- Add the candy pumpkins near the ghosts and tombstones. Add sprinkles, if desired. Cut into 12 slices before serving.
Notes
- This cake should be refrigerated within 2 hours after frosting or the frosting can get really dark and dense. It will keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- The cake can be baked up to one day in advance and then frosted and decorated just before serving.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Hi! My daughter picked this for her birthday & im just going over the list to get ingredients. I see the pudding is 3 oz but all I can find at my grocery store is 3.9 oz boxes. Is that the same thing? Or just weigh out 3 oz? Thanks!
Hi Emily. You’re right. It should be 3.9 ounces (AKA the smaller instant pudding boxes). I think I was on auto pilot with gelatin boxes being 3 ounces when I was typing this up. So sorry for the confusion. I’ve updated the recipe card accordingly. Thank you for pointing this out!