Everybody loves themed cakes. Not only are they quite tasty, but they also provide a bit of fun for certain events. One such example of that is with Halloween.
The scary holiday is perfect for cakes because it has a wide amount of different iconology and symbolism associated with it. From witches and skeletons to graveyards and black cats, there is always something fun to bake.
A Good Ol’ Scary Time
Halloween is all about the candy, but that does not mean there isn’t room for other desserts. When it comes to Halloween cakes there is only rule: be creative.
As you will see in the following list, Halloween cakes are not necessarily about the inside. Rather, the focus should be on the appearance. Just go with your favorite flavor and then pick the idea that calls out to you.
1. Halloween Candy Cake
Though the point of Halloween cakes is to move away from candy, that does not mean you have to ignore the holiday’s sweet theme. Taking a traditional cake and sprinkling some of your favorites treats on top can be a good way to blend baking with trick-or-treat.
This is a great option when making something for kids because it gives them the best of both worlds. They get to have cake without missing out on the exciting treats that make the holiday so fun.
You can personalize the top to fit what you or your kids like. Reese’s and candy corn are just as good as gum drops and snickers. The choice comes down to preference. You can even do half-and-half with chocolate and gummy candy.
When doing this cake, it is also a good idea to ice the sides with traditional Halloween iconography. For example, you can use orange and black icing to make the cake look like a pumpkin trick-or-treat pail or you can use white to decorate it with ghosts.
Verdict: 5 Stars
2. Mummy Cake
While candy looks great on top of Halloween cakes, those desserts can be a bit tricky to put together and ice. If you want something that’s a bit easier, a mummy cake is a great way to go.
As you may guess, the goal of this cake is to make it look a mummy. To do that, you want to create a round cake by either using two pans or baking a long sheet and cutting it into two round layers.
Once that’s done, you want to cover the whole thing in white icing. However, rather than making it smooth, you want to cover the cake in a way so that the frosting appears in bandage-like strips.
To finish the look, take two chocolate or chocolate-covered cookies and put white dots on them to make the eyes.
Set those on the top of the cake in a way where they set a bit back into the frosting.
Verdict: 5 Stars
3. Monster Cake
This cake is similar to the above cake except, of course, instead of using white frosting and eyes to make a mummy, you want to use colorful decorations and fun icing flavors to create a monster.
All of the Halloween Cakes on this list come with their own perks, and the great thing about a monster cake is how much control you have. You can make a more serious Frankenstein-like creature, or you can go more cartoony and build something out of Sesame Street.
The set up for this one is just like the mummy cake in that you want to create a round two-layer cake and then cover it with a layer of icing. However, once that’s done, you have freedom to customize as you see fit.
For example, while you want eyes on top (made with either cookies or icing) everything else is up to you. Maybe your monster cake has scales all over it, maybe it’s five different colors, or maybe you use candy corn to put on spikes. You can even draw on a mouth and then fill it with different gummy candy.
Those different possibilities are what make this one so fun to bake and why it’s a hit.
Verdict: 5 Stars
4. Bloody Cake
Out of all the Halloween cakes on this list, none are quite a simple as a bloody cake. This idea, while easy to put together, is extremely effective at evoking what Halloween is all about.
There are two ways you can go with this style, and they’re both extremely similar. You can either use white icing to cover a cake and then cover it with red icing in blood-splatter-like patterns, or you can white ice it and then run red icing down over the top so that it drips across the sides like blood splatter.
Each of those methods are quite simple (the first is the easier of the two) but they both work great.
As with all Halloween cakes, bloody cakes can be any flavor you want. However, to make the most of this one it is best to use a white cake with berry filling. The combination of red and white perfectly mimics the exterior to create a cohesive eating experience.
Verdict: 5 Stars
5. Graveyard Cake
Next up is a Halloween classic. A graveyard is perfect for Halloween cakes simply because it gives you a chance to set an entire scene.
While the above cakes are typically a single object, this dessert is all about building out an entire graveyard.
You can keep this simple with just a few cookie graves and tombstones around a green icing lawn, or you can go all out and use icing/candy to create fences, crypts, and trees.
For an extra Halloween flair, it also helps to pepper in some ghosts, ghouls or skeletons as well. Using models or toys can be a great way to make the cake pop.
Another bonus is that this dessert can be used on top of any shape you want. The only requirement is that it has a flat top so that you can accurately build the yard.
Verdict: 5 Stars
6. Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Though this one is not strictly Halloween themed, a salted caramel apple cake still falls into the category of Halloween Cakes and can be a great way to give a different spin on the tasty desserts.
You will notice that most of the Halloween cakes on this list are specifically themed for Halloween itself. This cake evokes fall, which gives it a unique spin that won’t look out of place among the different goblins and ghouls on the dessert table.
This is perhaps the only cake where you need to make the inside match the outside, but that is not a problem because the flavor is incredible.
You can decorate this one however you wish, but one of the best ways is to frost it with a deep or off-color orange (don’t want to be too bright) and then drizzling caramel over the outside.
You can then slice some apples and put them on the top or the sides as you wish.
Verdict: 5 Stars
7. Spiderweb Cake
There are countless images associated with Halloween, and one of the most well-known are spiders. The creepy-crawly arachnids have been a part of the holiday for years, so why not incorporate them into your Halloween cakes?
A spiderweb cake, like the mummy or bloody cake, is perfect for people who want to create a great dessert without needing to do too much.
For this one, you bake a round iced cake, ice it, and then put on another layer of white or black icing in a spiderweb pattern.
The bottom icing layer can be any color you want as long as it doesn’t clash with the webs. Orange with black webs looks great, as does black with white webs.
To add some extra flair to this one, you can draw on spiders or sprinkle plastic ones on top. Anything to add a bit of realism and spookiness.
Verdict: 4.5 Stars
8. Candy Bar Cake
Harkening back to the start of this list for Halloween cakes, a candy bar cake is a more subdued version of number one.
That is because, rather than decorating the outside with bright candy, you’re simply infusing the cake with candy chunks. That allows you to enjoy your favorite treats while maintaining a more sophist acted air around your dessert.
There are many different ways to make this style of cake, but one of the best is to use chocolate cake batter and then cut up candy pieces into the mix. That, combined with a flavored icing or interesting topping, will give the dessert a truly unique and Halloween feel.
A single dark frosting layer is a great presentation, as is using a few different colors to evoke the candy that is inside. For example, using dark brown, light brown, and gold for Snickers.
If you feel that is too plain, crushing up the candy bar (or candy bars) that are infused into the cake and then sprinkling them on top to create a distinct pattern can add a bit of flair without taking away from the overall look.
Verdict: 4.5 Stars
9. Moon Cake
Out of all the Halloween cakes on this list, this one is perfect for chocolate lovers.
A moon cake is a round or sheet cake decorated with a moon on top. You can use icing to draw out a moon partially covered by clouds, or you can decorate the entire night sky. Either way, it will definitely give off a Halloween vibe.
You can also take this a step further by adding in some extra night-related scares to your cake.
For instance, a witch silhouette over the moon is perfect for any sheet moon cake, while bats around the sides of a round moon cake looks great as well.
Of course, you can make a moon cake any flavor you want. However, as you almost always want to go with dark icing, chocolate frosting on top of chocolate cake is a great combination for this one.
Not only does that flavor work perfectly with Halloween’s spooky undertones, but it tastes amazing as well.
Verdict: 4.5 Stars
10. Pumpkin Cake
We finish this list of Halloween cakes with perhaps the most iconic cake of them all: pumpkin.
Pumpkin cakes are, of course, cakes decorated to look like pumpkins. You take a round cake, ice the entire thing with orange frosting, and then use green icing to put a stem on top.
From there, you can leave it as a plain pumpkin, or you can use black icing to put on eyes and a mouth. Though that Jack-o-Lantern look is a bit more reminiscent of Halloween than a pumpkin, both of them work to give you the feeling and presentation you want.
This cake is another simple one, but it is such a classic that anyone can make it with great results.
Just note that you don’t need to make this one pumpkin flavored. That is more than a fine way to go, but simply making the outside a pumpkin is more than enough.
A pumpkin cake tasting like pumpkin creates a strong amount of cohesion, but nobody will complain if your cake is chocolate or white on the inside. In fact, adding a layer of filling helps add some complexity that contrasts the simple outside appearance.
Verdict: 4.5 Stars
A Different Kind of Halloween Treat
Everyone loves eating sweets during the holiday season, and Halloween cakes are a fun twist on that idea.
There are countless options out there and many ways to spice up your baking. However, if the sheer number of choices leaves you feeling overwhelmed the above ten cakes are all guaranteed to be a hit.
This list provides some of the most interesting takes on Halloween cakes, mixing old favorites with brand new creative spins.
That allows you to customize your dessert for any occasion. And, if you cannot decide on a single one to make, there is nothing wrong with baking a few.
