Learn how to make the easiest Monster truck cake that your kids will LOVE.

If you have young monster truck fans you want to impress, they will adore this chocolate “muddy” version of a monster truck cake with their favorite Monster Jam truck (the Grave Digger, etc.) at the finish line for the win!
This makes a great birthday cake idea for boys AND girls- even those big kids who love their trucks!
And you won’t have to hire a cake designer to make this cake.
It’s easy peasy.
I’m not exaggerating when I say this is probably the easiest fancy birthday cakes that I’ve made yet!
One huge reason why its easy: the messier and more imperfect – the better! You’ll see why when you read the tutorial…
Get the kids involved too.
It’s a perfect project to show your kiddos how creative and fun baking and cake decorating can be. And you’ll have fun together as a bonus!
My son (the birthday boy) loved crushing the cookies, and sprinkling them in the “mud” chocolate. He also enjoyed putting the Chocolate malt ball “rock boulders” in place.
If you want more super easy birthday cake ideas, check out our other cakes, like:
Grave Digger Cake
Chances if your making this grave digger cake, you already have this popular toy truck. You can use this toy as a cake topper on this cake- simple!
If you don’t have to grave digger, any monster truck will do.
How to make Chocolate “Mud” Cake Topper
To make a part of the top of the cake look muddy (like in a Monster Jam), we used the Oreo cookies (with the white middles removed) and crushed them up into small pieces.
This part was super fun for my 5 year old – no adult help required. Even though I wanted to jump in and join the fun- I restrained myself and let the kids do their thing.

My son took a small potato masher to crush the Oreo cookies in a bowl. This technique worked well for the kids.
You can do it this way or just chop them up in a food processor. Just make sure you don’t crush them too fine – you want “chunky” texture for a muddier look.
Birthday Cake Ideas for Boys
Making birthday cakes for kids is super fun and with the right tutorial can be surprisingly easy, fun and gratifying- even if you’re NOT a cake decorator or even baker.
Not to mention, it makes cakes that much more special to the special birthday boy!
If you are looking for more easy ideas, check out Marybeth’s (from babySavers) awesome list of 10 birthday cake ideas for boys. There’s lots of inspiration in that list, be sure to check it out!
Now, on to the step by step tutorial /recipe on how to make this grave digger birthday cake!
How to make a Monster Truck Cake

Make this super easy Monster Jam cake for Grave Digger / Monster Truck fans, big and small! Uses cake mix and premade icing to make it even faster and easier.
Ingredients
- Boxed cake mix (Betty Crocker, Dunkin Hines)
- Vanilla Icing
- Chocolate Icing
- Green Food Color
- Box of Oreo cookies
- Chocolate Malt Balls
- 2 round 8" or 9" cake pans
- Optional:
- Monster truck decorations (Grave Digger toy truck, birthday number cake topper, finish line flag cake topper)
Instructions
1. Mix the boxed cake mix according to instructions on the box. Divide the batter into 2 8" or 9" round cake pans. Bake according to instructions
2.Once cakes are cooled, stack them on top of each other on a cake stand or cake plate.
3. Using a knife, cut out a shallow piece from 1/4 of the cake (as shown in the picture below) Once the cake is done, it will give the effect that the monster truck is going up a hill.
4. Mix your vanilla icing with some green food coloring. Start out with a few drops of food coloring and mix. Add more to get a tint of green that you like.
Remember, a little food coloring goes a long way, and its always best to add incrementally, so that your color isn' too dark.
5. Take your green food coloring and ice the entire cake (but leave out the area you cut out in step 3). To ice you can use a butter knife or a baking spatula.
Dont worry if bits and pieces of your cake crumble off as you ice. The beauty of this monster truck cake is that its suppose to look "messy" and "muddy" so you can't go wrong.
6. Using the chocolate frosting, frost the part your cut out in step 3. Optional: IF you want you can also use the chocolate icing to ice a bottom border around the cake. This will give effect of muddy road the monster truck climbed.
7. Take your oreo cookies and remove the white icing from the middles.
Crush the cookie only pieces using a potato masher in a bowl. (or put them in a giant ziploc back and "hammer" them with a rolling pin)
8. Sprinkle the crushed orea pieces on the chocolate frosting any way you wish.
9. Finish off by adding your chocolate malt balls (to mimic big rock boulders) in chocolate icing.
You can then add your Grave Digger monster truck (or any other truck your have) climbing the chocoalte muddy path to the finish line.
Optional: Add in finish line flags and birthday number.
Notes
You can use a couple of toy cars and place the beneath the monster truck - a la Monster jam! Have fun with it and add whatever else you think your Monster Truck fan will love!
To get even more cool monster truck cake ideas, checkout Pinterest!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Wilton Aluminum 8-Inch Round Cake Pan Set, Set of 2
-
Hot Wheels Monster Jam 2017 25th Anniversary Grave Digger (Includes Re-Crushable Car) 1:64 Scale
-
Whoppers Malted Milk Balls, 12 oz Cartons (Pack of 2)
-
Club House Food Colour NEON LIQUID FOOD COLORING KIT of 4 colors (0.25 oz each) Pack Of 2
-
Pangda 100 Pack Checkered Racing Flag Party Cupcake Picks Toothpick Flag Dinner Flags Cake Toppers Decorations
-
Duncan Hines Classic Devil's Food Cake Mix (2 Pack)
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 385mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 33gProtein: 3g
For fun here are some extra pictures of the monster jam birthday cake we made






Hope you enjoyed this monster jam birthday cake tutorial! Enjoy your cake, mud never tasted so good!
Until next time, stay nifty!
<3
Jasmine
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Jessie
Wednesday 22nd of June 2022
Hi Jasmine, I’m going to try to make your cake next weekend! Just wonder what the benefit of splitting the cake mix in two is? Thanks
Jamie
Thursday 4th of August 2022
@Jasmine Khinda, Hi! Just wondering how far in advanced you think I could get away with baking and storing this ;) Thanks!
Jasmine Khinda
Monday 25th of July 2022
Hey Jessie,
Thank you for the question! The benefit of baking 2 cakes is so you can add icing/buttercream to the centre of the cake so it tastes better and not just all cake. And the cake height is also taller with 2 cakes stacked, opposed to making a single cake. Hope that answers your question.
Cheers, Jasmine
Crystal Lett
Thursday 28th of April 2022
How many boxes of cake mix did you use?
Jasmine Khinda
Wednesday 4th of May 2022
Hi Crystal,
I used 1 box of cake mix divided into 2 round pans. Hope that helps.
Cheers, Jasmine
Vianna
Tuesday 19th of April 2022
Hi! Do you frost in between the two separate cake layers as well?
Jasmine Khinda
Wednesday 20th of April 2022
Hi Vianna,
Yes, I did frost between the two separate cake layers. Hope that helps and enjoy making it!
Cheers, Jasmine
Christel
Tuesday 8th of June 2021
Do you recommend using neon green food dye? Or regular green?
Jasmine K
Monday 21st of June 2021
Hi Christel, I used the regular green food dye, I can't comment on the neon as I haven't used it to create this green tone.
Cheers, Jasmine
Sarah
Sunday 26th of July 2020
How much cans of cream did you use?
Jasmine K
Friday 31st of July 2020
Hi Sarah, I used 2 cans of store bought icing (340 ml each) for the entire cake ( 1 vanilla and 1 chocolate).
Cheers, Jasmine