- \n
- Flour:<\/strong> All-purpose flour provides the cake with much of its structure. In keeping with the cake\u2019s theme, you could call it the recipe\u2019s \u201cbackbone.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Sugar:<\/strong> The granulated sugar in this recipe is primarily a sweetener, though it does soften the cake’s texture.<\/li>\n
- Baking soda:<\/strong> Baking soda is the leavening in this cake, reacting with the acidity of the sour cream to make the cake light and airy.<\/li>\n
- Butter:<\/strong> Butter brings richness and flavor to both the cake batter and the icing.<\/li>\n
- Cocoa:<\/strong> This recipe uses cocoa to bring a chocolate flavor to the cake batter and the icing.<\/li>\n
- Sour cream:<\/strong> Sour cream enriches the cake\u2019s flavor and its pleasant tang complements the chocolate flavor of the cocoa. It also provides the acidity baking soda needs to do its work in making the cake rise.<\/li>\n
- Eggs:<\/strong> Eggs add richness and softness to the finished cake, and they also help the wet, dry and fatty ingredients combine (emulsify) more readily.<\/li>\n
- Milk:<\/strong> The milk and butter in the icing help moisten the dry ingredients and give them a smooth, spreadable texture.<\/li>\n
- Confectioners\u2019 sugar:<\/strong> This powdered sugar acts as a sweetener and thickener in the frosting, giving it its finished texture and mouthfeel.<\/li>\n
- Vanilla:<\/strong> The vanilla extract in the frosting isn\u2019t a primary flavoring, but instead plays a supporting role by enhancing the cocoa\u2019s chocolate flavor.<\/li>\n
- Oreo cookies:<\/strong> Crumbled Oreo cookies make the cemetery \u201cdirt\u201d that garnishes the top of the cake.<\/li>\n
- Black icing or gel:<\/strong> Black icing is exceedingly difficult to make from scratch, so for spooky-season treats such as this cake you\u2019re better off using a commercial decorator\u2019s gel or icing that comes in pure black.<\/li>\n
- Vanilla cookies:<\/strong> The oblong vanilla sandwich cookies are just the right shape to make \u201ctombstones\u201d on your cemetery cake, and they\u2019re big enough that you can pipe decorations on them.<\/li>\n
- Whipped topping:<\/strong> Blobs of whipped topping make charmingly perfect ghost decorations with eyes or mouths of black gel or icing.<\/li>\n
- Candy toppings:<\/strong> The optional pumpkin candies and gummy worms aren\u2019t essential for making this cake, but they do add to its fun factor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Directions<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Make the cake batter<\/h3>\n
![\"Hot](\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Cemetary-Cake_TOHD_9298_AbbeyLittlejohn_1.jpg?fit=700%2C1024\")
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt and then set the dry ingredients aside. In a saucepan combine the butter, water and cocoa and bring them to a boil over medium heat. Pour the hot liquids into the flour mixture and beat well to combine them; then beat in the sour cream and eggs.<\/p>\n
Step 2: Bake the cake<\/h3>\n
![\"Cake](\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Cemetary-Cake_TOHD_9298_AbbeyLittlejohn_2.jpg?fit=700%2C1024\")
Pour the batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake the cake at 350\u00b0F for 35 to 38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.<\/p>\n
Step 3: Make the cooked frosting<\/h3>\n
![\"Melted](\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Cemetary-Cake_TOHD_9298_AbbeyLittlejohn_3.jpg?fit=700%2C1024\")
While the cake is cooling, combine the frosting\u2019s butter, milk and cocoa in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Remove your saucepan from the heat, and stir in the confectioners\u2019 sugar and vanilla. Pour the frosting over the still-warm cake, spreading it or tilting the pan if necessary so the cake is evenly covered. Crumble the Oreo cookies and spread them over the frosting while it\u2019s still warm and soft. Cool the cake completely.<\/p>\n
Step 4: Decorate the graveyard cake<\/h3>\n
![\"Cemetery](\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Cemetary-Cake_TOHD_9298_AbbeyLittlejohn_4.jpg?fit=700%2C1024\")
For tombstones, use icing to decorate the oblong vanilla cookies with words (RIP) or spooky faces, and place them on the cake. Pipe or spoon mounds of whipped topping onto the cake as ghosts, and use the decorator\u2019s gel or icing to add eyes or mouths to them as needed. Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour after decorating it, so all of the components have time to set. Just before serving, add the pumpkin candies and gummy worms if you\u2019ve decided to use them.<\/p>\n
![\"Cemetery](\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Cemetary-Cake_TOHD_9298_AbbeyLittlejohn_5-scaled.jpg?fit=700%2C1024\")
Cemetery Cake Variations<\/h2>\n
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- Go autumnal rather than macabre:<\/strong> Halloween is an excuse to have fun, but so are cakes. You can shift this one from Halloween-centric to generally autumnal and enjoy that fun for a longer period by changing the toppings. You might opt to pipe lots of green leaves and vines on the cake, for example, and then use pumpkin candies to complete your \u201cpumpkin patch.\u201d Alternatively you might ice small, leaf-shaped cookies in decorative autumn colors and scatter them around the top of the cake.<\/li>\n
- Tweak it for your sports fan:<\/strong> An easy, flavorful sheet cake such as this one can easily be adapted for other themes, and an obvious one is sports. Spread the cake with green icing, and you have a grassy field for a football- or soccer-themed cake. Use caramel frosting<\/a> and you have a hardwood basketball court or bowling lanes. With white frosting you can make a rink for your figure skater or hockey fan. Sports-themed decorations are easy to find at baking supply shops or online, and they\u2019re also easy to improvise with icing and a piping bag<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Follow the seasons:<\/strong> Sheet cakes are the no-fuss dessert option any time you have a gathering, so pull out this recipe for all of your seasonal celebrations. Garnish with crushed candy canes and marshmallow snowmen at Christmas time; candy hearts and pink icing for Valentine\u2019s; pastel icing, peeps and little candy eggs at Easter, and, well\u2026 you get the idea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
How to Store a Cemetery Cake<\/h2>\n
Any leftover cake can simply stay in the pan, with an airtight cover. Alternatively you can portion the leftovers into individual food storage containers with tight-fitting lids. In either case the whipped-topping \u201cghosts won\u2019t hold up well at room temperature (especially if you\u2019ve used real whipped cream), so the cake should be refrigerated or the ghosts scraped off. The kind of non-dairy whipped topping that doesn\u2019t say \u201crefrigerated after opening\u201d is technically food-safe<\/a> at room temperature, but it will still sag, deflate and generally not be appealing.<\/p>\n
How long will my cemetery cake keep?<\/h3>\n
In your refrigerator with an airtight cover the cake will last for three to five days. The ghosts and candy toppings (if you\u2019ve used them) will predictably begin to lose their texture and may discolor the surrounding frosting, but the cake will still taste fine.<\/p>\n
Can I freeze the cemetery cake?<\/h3>\n
Yes, any leftover cake can be frozen and later thawed. Remove any remaining toppings first, then cut the cake into individual servings. For the best storage life, freeze the portions on a parchment-lined sheet tray and then wrap them individually before packing them into freeze bags or freezer-safe containers. Portions will last for one to three months, depending how well they\u2019re packaged.<\/p>\n
Cemetery Cake Tips<\/h2>\n
![\"Cemetery](\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Cemetary-Cake_TOHD_9298_AbbeyLittlejohn_7.jpg?fit=700%2C1024\")