Description
This Halloween Chocolate Cake is a rich, moist chocolate delight perfect for spooky celebrations. Featuring a deep cocoa flavor enhanced by hot coffee and a luscious chocolate buttercream frosting, it’s decorated with Milano cookie tombstones, crushed Oreo cookies, and festive Halloween sprinkles to create a haunted graveyard effect. Ideal for parties and Halloween festivities, this cake balances intense chocolate intensity with beautiful, themed decoration.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1¼ cup unsalted butter
- 3½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cake Decorations
- 6 Milano Cookies
- 8 Oreo cookies crushed
- Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the cake after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract on medium speed until smooth and combined. Add the buttermilk and mix again until incorporated.
- Combine Batter: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients. Add the hot brewed coffee and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is smooth and fully combined. The hot coffee enhances the chocolate flavor and thins the batter for a moist cake.
- Bake Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly. Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Baking times can vary, so begin checking around 35 minutes to avoid overbaking.
- Prepare Buttercream Frosting: While the cake bakes, beat the unsalted butter in a stand mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 1 minute to combine, then increase to high speed and beat for an additional minute until smooth and fluffy. Adjust consistency if necessary by adding more sugar if too thin, or more cream if too thick.
- Set Aside Piping Frosting: Place about half a cup of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and set aside for decorating tombstones.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cake has cooled completely, evenly spread the remaining chocolate buttercream over the top and sides using an icing spatula for a smooth finish.
- Create Cookie Tombstones: Carefully cut the Milano cookies in half. Using the piping bag filled with reserved frosting, pipe the letters “RIP” onto the flat side of each cookie half to resemble tombstones.
- Decorate Cake: Sprinkle the crushed Oreo cookies and Halloween sprinkles evenly over the frosted cake to mimic dirt and Halloween elements. Arrange the cookie tombstones around the edges and on the surface of the cake to complete the spooky graveyard appearance.
Notes
- Ensure eggs and buttermilk are at room temperature to achieve a smooth batter and proper rise.
- Hot coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor but does not make the batter taste like coffee.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
- Adjust frosting consistency by adding more confectioners’ sugar or heavy cream as needed for piping or spreading.
- For a larger or smaller cake, adjust ingredient quantities and baking time accordingly.
- Use parchment paper for easy cake removal and clean edges.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
Keywords: Halloween cake, chocolate cake, spooky cake, graveyard cake, chocolate buttercream, Halloween dessert, festive cake
