📖 Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. This ensures the cake comes out easily without sticking and ruining its shape.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure there aren't any lumps of cocoa or baking powder. Lumps will mess with the texture, and nobody wants that!
3. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Don’t overbeat; just combine until smooth.
4. Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be thin, which is normal. It's a little scary how runny it gets, I know. Just trust the process, it works!
5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. This is where I sometimes mess up and end up with uneven layers. Try to be more careful than me!
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Oven times vary, so start checking around 30 minutes.
7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you try to move them too soon, they might break. Patience, young Padawan!
8. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
9. Add the green food coloring and vanilla extract. Mix well until the frosting is evenly colored. If you want a more vibrant green, add more food coloring, a little at a time.
10. Once the cakes are completely cool, level them with a serrated knife if necessary. I always seem to have one layer that's a bit wonky. Leveling them makes for a much prettier cake.
11. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with a generous amount of frosting.
12. Top with the second cake layer and frost the entire cake. Get creative with your frosting swirls and peaks. I love using a piping bag for this!
13. Decorate with edible zombie decorations, such as gummy worms, candy eyeballs, and green sprinkles. This is where the fun begins! Let your inner zombie artist shine.
14. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to set. This helps prevent the cake from sliding apart when you cut it. Plus, cold cake is just better, isn't it?