Learn how to make a festive Halloween cake that’ll be sure to impress.
A spooktacular Halloween event to attend is pretty much guaranteed each year (except in the time of Coronavirus). The only thing you might have to worry about? How to make sure a Halloween cake outshines the stockpiles of candy the kids of all ages will be gobbling up.
Lucky for you, there are endless creative Halloween cake ideas around the web. Whether you’re making a cake from scratch or working on a fondant masterpiece with your family, these 8 Halloween birthday cake ideas will make sure an October 31 birthday or celebration doesn’t get lost in the costume and candy magic of the day.
From homemade black cats and spider webs to adorable woodland foxes and fondant pumpkins that are edible pieces of art, you’re sure to find a Halloween cake that feels as celebratory as it does spooky.
Tips for Success:
- Read through all the ingredients and instructions so you can get a better idea of how much time and what you need to make this cake.
- In some of these cake recipes, you’ll need 1 cup buttermilk; if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily use 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to make your own.
- To make cake flour at home, mix 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch. Sift or whisk together to get rid of any lumps.
- Be careful not to overmix this cake batter, or else the cake will come out dense. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- In this cake recipe, you can make the caramel milk, soft caramel, and apple pie filling ahead of time. Keep in airtight containers for up to one week.
- You can bake the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze up to one month.
- You can make the buttercream a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Then take them out to come back to room temperature. Make sure the buttercream is at room temperature before re-whipping.
- Serve at room temperature and use a hot knife to get clean cake slices.
Here’s how to make these 8 fun and festive Halloween Cakes!
Let’s Get Decorating!
1. Spider Web Cake
Halloween is an excellent time of year to experiment and step out of your comfort zone while baking and decorating cakes. Celebrate Halloween this year with this creepy crawly Spider Web Cake. Learn how to make this surprisingly simple Spider Web Cake!
Get the recipe at Spider Web Cake by KatieRosario.com
2. Poison Apple Cake
Learn how to make this Spooky Poison Apple Cake for Halloween! Halloween is an excellent time of year to step out of your comfort zone and try new cake decorating tips and tricks! This Poison Apple Cake is made with bright green vanilla cake layers filled with creamy purple vanilla buttercream and black mirror glaze dripping down the cake. This poison apple is an impressive cake that anyone can make!
Get the recipe at Poison Apple Cake by KatieRosario.com
3. Big Pumpkin Spice Cake
Sweater weather & this pumpkin spice cake is perfect for Fall! This pumpkin spice cake is made with soft pumpkin spice cake layers & creamy vanilla buttercream that’s decorated to look like a pumpkin you might find at your local pumpkin patch. This pumpkin spice cake is perfect for all fall celebrations and something that will undoubtedly impress your friends & family.
Get the recipe at Big Pumpkin Spice Cake by KatieRosario.com
4. Caramel Apple Cake
Learn how to make this insanely delicious Caramel Apple Cake. Kick-off apple season with this tasty Caramel Apple Cake! A caramel cake made with apple pie filling, paired with caramel buttercream and caramel drizzle. This Caramel Apple Cake has a beautiful balance of sweet, salty, and full of warm fall spices.
Get the recipe at Caramel Apple Cake by KatieRosario.com
5. Pumpkin Pie Cake
Learn how to take your pumpkin pie “cake” to the next level. This Pumpkin Pie Cake is a creative spin on the traditional pumpkin pie that your friends and family will devour! It’s made with pumpkin spice cake, no-bake pumpkin cheesecake filling, buttery pie crust, and vanilla buttercream. Here’s a fall-inspired cake that will have you craving a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie!
Get the recipe at Pumpkin Pie Cake by KatieRosario.com
6. Black Cat Cake
Halloween is not complete without the classic Black Cat so let’s turn that into a fun and festive Halloween cake! This Black Cat Cake is made with tender vanilla cake layers filled with black chocolate buttercream and fondant decorations. I’ll show you step by step how to make cat eyes, ears, nose, and whiskers out of fondant to complete this perfect Halloween cake!
Get the recipe at Black Cat Cake by KatieRosario.com
7. Apple Pie Cake
Learn how to make this Apple Pie Cake with this easy tutorial! Now you don’t have to choose between a cake or a pie because you can easily have them together. This apple pie cake recipe will soon become a crowd favorite. This apple pie cake is perfect for Fall!
Get the recipe at Apple Pie Cake by KatieRosario.com
8. Woodland Fox Cake
Learn how to make a trendy Woodland Fox Cake with this easy and fun tutorial! I’ll show you exactly how to make Woodland Fox cake at home that’s perfect for the fall season, baby showers, and birthdays! I’ll teach you basic cake decorating techniques that will help you become a better cake decorator! You’ll also make a colorful buttercream flower crown to complete this woodland fox cake!
Get the recipe at Woodland Fox Cake by KatieRosario.com
You May Also Enjoy:
- Common Baking Mistakes & How to Avoid Them (free training)
- Cake Planning Checklist (freebie)
- How to Decorate Your First Cake (free course)
- Cake Decorating for Beginners (online course)
I’m so excited to see your Halloween cake creations. Please feel free to email me here at xokatierosario@gmail.com with any questions you may have; I’ll be happy to help!
Happy Halloween!
P.S. Hey, if you liked this tutorial, you really should check out Cake Decorating for Beginners, my online cake program. I coach you on everything I teach on these cake tutorials so that you can uplevel your baking and decorating skills. We 10x it so you get the results you want most. Like any new skill, it’s important to learn from the ground up to build a foundation so that you can take on any cake challenge. It is an investment your future self will thank you for. Check it out at XOKatieRosario.com/online-cake-course. I will see you there!