• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Collaborate with us
  • Contact

Serena Lissy logo

  • Recipe Index
  • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Christmas
  • Recipes
  • Photography
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Christmas
    • Recipes
    • Photography
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Serena Lissy » Recipes » Recipes

    Published: Oct 23, 2017 · Modified: Jan 24, 2022 by serena · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Elegant Halloween Cakes

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Halloween is for kids and adults alike. It's a day of fun and indulgence, the best time to indulge in cake! Whether you're throwing a Halloween party or just want something new this year, gather your favorite Halloween cake decoration and make an elegant Halloween cake that will surely spook up your night.

    Halloween is for kids and adults alike. It's a day of fun and indulgence, the best time to indulge in cake! Whether you're throwing a Halloween party or just want something new this year, gather your favorite Halloween cake decoration and make an elegant Halloween cake that will surely spook up your night.

    Beautiful Halloween Cake with Layers

    If you have a Halloween party coming up, this beautiful Halloween cake with three layers would be an easy addition to the menu.

    I know layer cakes seem sometimes overwhelming, but just take it step by step. You could even spread the baking tasks out over a day or two. I baked the layers on day one. On day two, I made the buttercream and the ganache then assembled and decorated the cake.

    Elegant Halloween Cake Ingredients

    Halloween Cake Ingredients

    I love how simple this cake is. There are no fancy ingredients, just things you can easily find in your pantry.

    • Sugar
    • Cake flour
    • Baking powder
    • Salt
    • Milk
    • Eggs
    • Egg yolk
    • Vanilla
    • Butter
    • Egg Whites

    How To Assemble This Halloween Cake

    Collage of Process shots for making Elegant Halloween Cake

    This recipe makes three 8" yellow cakes. I threw in a chocolate layer for good measure, because well, why not.

    Assembling is fairly straightforward, but don't forget to cut the cake top off of the layers to make sure you get a flat surface to work with. I use a knife for this but you could use this Wilton cake leveler gadget. You can get this from Amazon, and also most craft stores will carry this in their cake making section.

    1. Layer Italian buttercream between each of the three layers of cake.
    2. Top the final layer with buttercream.
    3. Pour slightly cooled ganache (recipe below) onto the top of the cake adding just enough that a bit drizzles down the side.
    4. Top the cake with a collection of your favorite Halloween candies.

    The ganache recipe was a very simple one. It's easy to whip up, and just pour it right on top once you have iced the cake.

    Chocolate Ganache

    ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
    2 oz bittersweet chocolate
    1 tablespoon corn syrup
    ½ teaspoon vanilla

    In a microwavable measuring cup combine, whipping cream, chocolate, corn syrup. Put in microwave for 15 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Stir and add in the vanilla. Let this cool a tiny bit before pouring onto the cake top. To stop the drips from running completely down the cake, I put the cake in the refrigerator once I poured it to quickly thicken the ganache. I wanted just a few short drips, not ganache running down every part of the cake. Then it's as easy as sprinkling on your favorite Halloween candies.

    Halloween Cake Decorations

    I'm a fan of the naked cake look. I think it's just an elegant presentation and I get a bit less buttercream with each bite. Somehow that makes me think it's a wee bit healthier. I know...denial

    You could easily decorate the cake with the buttercream instead of going with the naked look. It's entirely up to you.

    This is filled with Italian buttercream and a little chocolate ganache at the top. Decorate with your favorite halloween candy pieces, and there you go. A show stopper fun dessert that will win over any guests you have this Halloween. You could also crumble up Oreo cookies and go with a grave yard dirt look with gummy worms and Peeps tombstones to give you another idea for the decorations.

    More Halloween and Seasonal Desserts You Will Love:

    • Frosted Halloween Cookies with Royal Icing
    • Recipe Roundup: Halloween Treats
    • Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread
    • Chocolate Pumpkin Stout Cupcakes
    • Halloween Bark

    And there you have it, cute, fun and not too spooky. No tricks, just treats.

    Looking For More Recipes?

    Subscribe to my free newsletter to get new baking tips in your inbox monthly. Find me sharing new recipes and tips on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook.

    Frosted Chocolate layer cake

    Elegant Halloween Cakes

    Whether you're throwing a Halloween party or just want something new this year, here is an elegant Halloween cake that will surely spook up your night.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 1676kcal
    Author: Serena

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb 5 oz sugar
    • 1 lb 4 oz cake flour
    • ¾ oz baking powder
    • ½ oz salt
    • 9 fl oz milk
    • 6 ¾ oz eggs
    • 5 oz egg yolk
    • ¾ oz vanilla
    • 12 oz butter softened

    Italian Buttercream

    • 1 lb sugar
    • ½ lb egg whites
    • 4 oz water
    • 1 ½ lb butter cut into 1" cubes
    • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F
    • Coat three 8" round pans with cooking spray and line with parchment circles
    • Sift together the dry ingredients into a stand mixer bowl
    • In a medium bowl combine milk, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla
    • Pour ½ of the milk mixture into the stand mixer bowl, add butter and mix on medium speed with paddle attachment for 4 minutes
    • Add the remaining milk mixture in three additions, mixing 2 minutes after each addition
    • Pour 24 ounces of batter into each pan
    • Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center, about 35 minutes
    • Once done, cool cake in the pan for a few minutes then unmold onto rack to cool completely

    Italian Buttercream

    • Combine 4 oz of sugar with the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer
    • Combine the water with the remaining sugar in a saucepan. Cook the mixture until it reaches 240°F
    • When the sugar syrup reaches 230°F, turn on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment to medium
    • Stream the hot sugar into the whipping whites. Continue whipping until cooled to room temperature
    • Once meringue is cooled, switch whisk attachment to the paddle attachment and start slowly adding the butter on medium speed. (This will look broken once all the butter is in, but keep whipping it will smooth out)
    • Cream until smooth and light

    Notes

    Recipe Source: SerenaLissy.com
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database via Spoonacular API, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators. While this information can be helpful in estimating the nutritional information of a recipe, it is by no means accurate or official and is not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
     
    All images and content are copyright protected. Do not use our images without prior permission.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 1676kcal | Carbohydrates: 157g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 111g | Saturated Fat: 68g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 556mg | Sodium: 1973mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 114g | Vitamin A: 3576IU | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @SerenaLissy or tag #serenalissy!

    As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. What that means is if you click on one of our affiliate links, they may toss a few pennies our way for a commission.

    More Recipes

    • Scoop of chocolate mint ice cream in bowl with ice cream cone
      No Churn Chocolate Mint Ice Cream
    • Bowl of key lime pie ice cream with a spoon
      No Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream
    • Lemon Cupcakes
      Lemon Cupcakes
    • Slices of Mango Bread on Plate
      Easy Mango Bread

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elsa says

      October 23, 2018 at 9:51 am

      It looks like a chocolate cake, yet the cake ingredients do not have any chocolate? I’d love to make this, but definitely want chocolate 😍

      Reply
      • serena says

        October 30, 2018 at 7:36 am

        Plenty of chocolate cake recipes on the site you could use to substitute. Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    2. Kristin @ FoodFash says

      October 25, 2017 at 5:36 am

      I'm so envious of your cake baking skills! Mine would come out much more crooked/haunted and not in a good way!

      Reply
      • serena says

        October 29, 2017 at 10:54 am

        Ha! That's how mine started. A little practice and you will be good to go 🙂

        Reply
    3. Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake says

      October 23, 2017 at 11:33 am

      I love this super spooky Halloween cake!

      Reply
      • serena says

        October 23, 2017 at 11:34 am

        Thanks so much! I had so much fun making it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Ben Myhre says

      October 23, 2017 at 9:14 am

      Ahhh... that frosting looks excellent. I want a bowl!

      Reply
      • serena says

        October 23, 2017 at 9:39 am

        A bowl of that frosting is so dangerous! Trust me, I know all too well 😉

        Reply
    5. Tina says

      October 23, 2017 at 9:01 am

      Seriously, you had me at chocolate ganache:) This looks wonderful and how fun!

      Reply
      • serena says

        October 23, 2017 at 9:39 am

        Super fun for any Halloween event. Could even be a nice Thanksgiving dessert with a simple change of decorations

        Reply
    6. Dannii says

      October 23, 2017 at 8:52 am

      This is a stunning cake. I am terrible at cake decorating, but this looks great and perfect for a Halloween party.

      Reply
      • serena says

        October 23, 2017 at 9:38 am

        I think that's why I like the naked icing approach. It's kinda forgiving 🙂

        Reply
    7. Jeni @ Biscuits & Booze says

      October 23, 2017 at 8:46 am

      That cake looks delicious AND fun. I'm always afraid of Halloween cakes because - well, so many of them don't look like they'd actually TASTE good. I am pinning this one though - it looks YUMMY!

      Reply
      • serena says

        October 23, 2017 at 9:37 am

        It's definitely yummy! And so easy to make with unlimited decorating ideas out there

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Serena!

    Join us and you will learn all sorts of creative techniques from baking to food photography that is easy enough for a novice to recreate at home, but look and taste like they were made by a seasoned pro.

    Get Inspired, Cook Confidently, Eat Well

    More about me →

    Ice Cream Recipes

    • Apple Ice Cream in a waffle cup
      Apple Ice Cream
    • Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream In A Bowl
      Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
    • Frozen Greek Yogurt from your Instant Pot
      Instant Pot Frozen Greek Yogurt
    • Avocado Ice Cram In a serving Bowl
      Easy Avocado Ice Cream Recipe
    • Mocha Ice Cream Sandwich
      Mocha Ice Cream Sandwich
    • Lemon Curd Ice Cream with Ice Cream Cones
      Lemon Curd Ice Cream

    Popular Recipes

    • Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
      Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
    • Peanut Butter Fudge Cups
      Peanut Butter Fudge Cups
    • Samoas on a plate
      Make at Home Samoas - Homemade Samoas: Girl Scout Cookies
    • Italian Chocoalte Walnut Cake
      Italian Chocolate Walnut Cake (Torta di Noci)

    Photography Challenge

    Master The Art of Food Photography

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Serena Lissy