Teenage Dirtbag Cake (Dirt Cake)

Remember dirt cups? A little bit of spooky mixed with whimsy! This Teenage Dirtbag Cake is basically the grown-up version nostalgic childhood dessert but layered into a cake that’s meant to be scooped. Its a bit messy, nostalgic and a little ridiculous – which sounds perfect to us!

There are two layers of rich chocolate cake filled with a fluffy whipped chocolate frosting and oreo ‘dirt’ before being covered in more chocolate frosting. The cake is then coated with more crushed oreo crumbles  to make the top of the cake look like a garden bed. It’s completed with squirming gummy worms and rock-shaped chocolates. And the best part about this cake is that it is meant to be scooped with a big spoon. Just like a pile of dirt. 

It’s whimsical enough for spring parties or spooky enough for Halloween! It’s also a fun way to celebrate a birthday or make it for anyone who enjoys a nostalgic dessert. Queue Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag” , grab your spoons, and lets dig in!

How to Make This Teenage Dirtbag Cake, Step by Step

Step 1. Preheat oven, prep cake pan and measure out ingredients. 

Start by preheating the oven to 325°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter or non stick spray. We also recommend lining the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper. Trace the shape of the pan and cut a circle to fit the bottom of the pan. Set the pans to the side while you make the cake batter. 

We also recommend to mea measuring out all your cake batter ingredients to make it easier to assemble the batter. 

Step 2. Make cake batter. 

You can make the batter with a hand mixer or a stand electric mixer. Start by creaming butter in on medium-high speed for a couple minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Beat in sugar until it is whipped and combined. 

Next, reduce the speed to medium-low and mix in a couple in room temperature eggs one at a time until they are just blended in. Mix in some vanilla extract before adding in your dry ingredients and buttermilk. You will alternate adding flour and buttermilk to the batter. 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Add half of the mixture into the bowl and mix until just combined. Mix in half of the buttermilk to the batter. Repeat this one more time until all the flour and buttermilk are evenly blended into the batter. 

Step 3. Bake cakes and let them cool completely.

Split the batter between two cake pans and bake them for 18-22  minutes until cooked through. 

You’ll know their done when a toothpick removes clean. If there is batter left on the toothpick when you remove it, let it bake for 3-5 additional minutes until baked through. 

Let the baked cakes cool completely on a wire rack before icing and decorating the cake. 

Step 4. Make icing and prep toppings. 

The cake is topped with a delicious chocolate whipped frosting. We wanted it to have a light texture so to that it was similar to the lighter texture of pudding in a dirt cup. 

To make the chocolate whipped frosting, start by melting chocolate chips in the microwave until just melted. Heat the chocolate in 30 second increments and stir in between each heating. 

Add the melted chocolate to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add in room temperature butter and vanilla and whisk until the batter is smooth and has a whipped-like texture. 

Lastly, make the Oreo dirt! Add a couple cups of chocolate cookies to a large ziplock bag. Seal the bag and use a rolling pin or wooden spoon to crush the cookies into fine crumbs. It’s okay if you have different sized cookie crumbs. The imperfection will make it look even more like dirt. 

Step 5. Ice cake, add dirt, worms and rocks. Scoop to serve!

Once the frosting is whipped and Oreo cookies are crushed, you’re ready to assemble the cake. 

Place one of the cake rounds on your serving tray and spread a generous layer of chocolate frosting over the top. Add a thin layer of cookie crumbles to the top of the frosting before placing the other cake round on top. 

Use the rest of the frosting to coat the sides and top of the cake. Add cookie crumbles, gummy worms, chocolate rock candies, and edible flowers to make the cake come to life. Once assembled, grab a spoon and dig in!

Tips for Making Teenage Dirtbag Cake

• Let the chocolate cake cool completely before frosting. If your cake is too warm, the frosting will melt! Make sure the cakes are completely cooled before baking. If you don’t have an hour to spare, you can chill can in the freezer. Let the cake cool, you can let it rest for about 15 minutes on the counter and chill it in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill quickly.
• Don’t overmix the cake batter. You will have to alternate adding flour and buttermilk into the cake. This is where it is important that you don’t overmix the batter. Ovemixing can over develop the gluten and make the cake texture tougher. Mix until flour and milk are just combined.
• Use room temperature eggs for the cake batter. Room temperature eggs are going to create a consistent, smooth batter. If the eggs are too cold, they could clump the fats in the butter and give the batter an inconsistent texture.
• Don’t worry about making this cake perfect! The beauty is in the mess with this cake! It’s supposed to be a bit messy and fun, which takes the pressure off making a perfectly iced cake.

How to store the dirt cake

After the cake is assembled, cover it and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, take it out of the fridge and let the cake sit at room temperature 20-30 minutes before you serve the cake so that the frosting can soften.

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