Older Than Dirt Cake
A birthday rendition of the popular 'dirt cake' - make this deliciously hilarious 'Older than Dirt' chocolate Oreo birthday cake!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 795kcal
Equipment
- Baker's floured cooking spray (optional, but I prefer this spray to parchment rounds)
- 1 Squeeze bottle (or small piping bag or spoon; to add cake drip)
- 1 'Older Than Dirt' Cake topper (here's one available on Amazon, but I think I like this one from Swankerie’s Etsy shop better! (Mine was black and 5” across)
Ingredients
Older Than Dirt Cake layers
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (350g)
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar (450g)
- 1 ¼ cup cocoa powder (100g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks/250g, softened)
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (one package, softened)
- 1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
- 5 ½ -6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 4-6 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
Drip & Decorations
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup; for cake drip)
- 6 ounces heavy whipping cream (3/4 cup; for cake drip)
- 1 cup of chopped chocolate (for decorating; I used Dove chocolate)
- 15-20 Dark Chocolate Oreos, chopped (regular Oreos would work; chocolate Oreos just fit the dirt theme better!)
- 10-15 Gummy worms I used a mix of Black Forest, Trolli, and Haribo twin snakes!
Instructions
Older Than Dirt Cake layers
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (180C) or 325 FC (160C) for a convection oven. Grease 3 8-inch cake pans with non-stick or baker's floured spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low for a minute to combine dry ingredients. Add softened butter 1 Tablespoon at a time until well incorporated into the dry ingredients and no lumps of butter are visible.
- Next, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla together until well combined. With the mixer on low, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a steady stream until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 20 seconds.
- Fill the three pans evenly - I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part, and each of mine weighed out to about 550g. Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans, and cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
- Once your cake layers are cool, level them (if needed/desired). This can be done with a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and a ruler.
- Ensure cake layers are well-cooled or chilled before decorating. This is a great time to start prepping your frosting and ganache!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream frosting
- Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with cocoa powder and milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Assembly
- Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with frosting, and use your offset spatula to press in slightly to the center and create a bit of a ‘rim’ around the outside of the cake. Sprinkle the frosting with chopped chocolate, Oreo pieces, and a drizzle of chocolate ganache if you’d like (recipe below).
- Add your next cake layer on top. Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer. I usually do this with my large offset spatula.
- Firmly set your crumb coat – about 10 minutes in the freezer. Once your crumb coat has set, add your final layer of frosting and texture – I used a small offset spatula followed by fewer-than-usual passes with a bench scraper for this part; it added an irregular mud-like texture to the cake sides that I liked. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge to set the frosting.
Chocolate ganache drip
- Place chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl. Microwave on half power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
Decorating
- When your ganache has cooled to a moderate temperature – it should feel slightly warm and still be fairly liquid – transfer it to a squeeze bottle or piping bag. (Or use a spoon; you'll just have a little less control.)
- Slowly drizzle ganache around the upper edge of your cake, pausing every inch or so to let more fall in a drip down the side of the cake. I left a few breaks in the drip to make room to add some gummy worms to the sides. Return cake to the fridge or freezer to set the drips.
- Top your cake with your cake topper! Transfer some frosting to your piping bag – I used the large star tip – and add a rim of frosting swirls around the top of the cake. Decorate gummy worms and sprinkles of chopped chocolate and Oreos - I covered the cake top with worms, chocolate, and Oreos and added a few gummy worms to the sides of the cake as well.
- And you're done! Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 795kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g