Christmas Dirt Cake!

One other very popular addition to the poinsettia-themed Christmas party was the wonderful dirt cake.  It's particularly fun to spring it on people who have never heard of such a thing!  Such was the case at my cast party.  I had the poinsettia cake and poinsettia cookies on display, and in the middle of the table was a beautiful poinsettia plant in a pot.  (The poinsettia stems were very carefully wrapped in plastic wrap and then again in tin foil so that no sap would get out into the cake).  Everyone thought it was the plant from the play and was just nice decoration.  When it was time for dessert, I asked, "Who wants some dirt?" and dug the spoon into the pot.  I've never seen so many jaws drop!  When they actually tasted it, no one even thought of eating the poinsettia cake and cookies!  

 

Recipe for Dirt Cake (from Cooks.com):

1 – 1 1/4 lb. Package of Oreo cookies (or chocolate sandwich cookies, like Zero)

8 oz. Cream cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

3 cups milk

12 oz. Cool Whip (or sweetened whipped cream)

2 (3 1/2 oz) packages of vanilla or chocolate pudding

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Crush Oreos. Put 1/3 of the crushed Oreos into a new, clean flower pot. Set aside.

Mix butter, cream cheese and sugar and vanilla together. Set aside.

Combine milk and pudding mix. Fold Cool Whip into the pudding.

Fold together pudding mixture and butter-cream cheese mixture.

Layer this mixture (about 1/3 of it) onto the crumbled cookies in the pot. Next, add another layer of the pudding mixture, then another layer of cookie crumbs, continuing until all ingredients are used. Make sure that your top is layer is one of cookie crumbs.  It looks like nice, rich potting soil.

Chill in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours before serving.  Wrap your flowers and stick them into the dirt cake before displaying and serving!



It's not your traditional cake, but it certainly is a novelty and it's a lot of fun!