Ingredients:

  • 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp (10g) baking soda
  • 1 tsp (5g) salt
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup (115g) vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (240ml) hot coffee
  • 2 cups (450g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 cups (720g) powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup (60g) cocoa powder
  • 3 tbsp (45ml) heavy cream
  • 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
  • Black gel food coloring
  • 1 small chocolate cake or 4-6 chocolate cupcakes (for wheels)
  • 300g chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
  • 200g colorful candy pebbles

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour two 9x13 inch baking pans.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, 75g cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Whisk in the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and eggs until combined.
  4. Stir in the hot coffee last to bloom the cocoa.
  5. Divide batter between pans and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Once cooled completely, wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours to ensure structural stability for carving.
  7. Prepare the frosting by beating the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar together, then mixing in 60g cocoa powder, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Reserve 1 cup of frosting for the terrain and tint the remaining frosting black using gel food coloring for the tires.
  8. Place one rectangular cake layer on a 12-inch cardboard cake round as the base.
  9. Using a serrated knife, carve the second rectangular layer into a smaller cab shape (a shorter rectangle with a slanted front and slightly rounded edges).
  10. Stack the carved cab on top of the base layer, using a layer of frosting as glue.
  11. Cut four thick circles from a separate small cake or use chocolate cupcakes; frost these with the black buttercream to create oversized tires.
  12. Press the four black tires into the sides of the chassis.
  13. Spread the reserved 1 cup of frosting on the cake board around the truck and cover it with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and colorful candy pebbles to create the dirt track.