22 Scary-Good Halloween Cake Recipes (2024)

Home Holidays Halloween

Updated: Oct. 06, 2021

Scare up some fun with our spooky Halloween cake recipes! Find easy decorating ideas to create a perfect centerpiece for your Halloween table.

1/22

Halloween Witch Cake

If you’re looking for an extra-special dessert to serve for Halloween, this witch cake will delight all the ghouls and goblins at your party. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

2/22

Jack-o'-Lantern Cake

I pieced two fluted tube pan cakes together to make this gap-toothed grinner that will make the best-ever centerpiece at your Halloween party. —Julianne Johnson, Grove City, Minnesota

3/22

4/22

Graveyard Cake

Underneath tasty tombstones, ghosts, pumpkins, worms and soil that make this dessert a conversation piece, you'll find a delectable chocolate cake made from scratch in a few simple steps. It's a recipe I use year-round with different frostings. —Vicki Schlechter, Davis, California

5/22

Purple-Ribbon Pumpkin Cake

I belong to a Christmas village collectors' club and we all bring a potluck dish to our monthy meetings. The cake is always a hit. It's one of my family's favorite Thanksgiving desserts, too, and disappears before the pumpkin pie does. —Debby Powers, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

6/22

So-Easy-It's-Spooky Bat Cake

This gorgeous dessert starts with a boxed cake mix. Then it’s an easy and magical trick to make the bat silhouette with cocoa. —Crystal Schlueter, Babbitt, Minnesota

7/22

Brainy Cake

My Godson and I made this cake after fun day at the science museum. We've made it several times now, and we get a kick out of experimenting with the frosting colors. —Faith Cromwell, San Francisco, California

8/22

Apple-Pumpkin Upside-Down Cake

We love the combination of classic fall fruits in this cake. I bake the apples on the bottom to keep them plump and moist, then flip the cake so they're on top. This is best served warm with vanilla ice cream, but we enjoy digging in any time of day. —Christina Yahraes, San Francisco, California

9/22

Witch-in-the-Moonlight Cheesecake

Make this ominous cheesecake the highlight of your Halloween buffet. Guests will love what is hidden inside: a fudgy filling. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

10/22

Halloween Layer Cake

There's nothing "scary" about this cake. I make it every Halloween for my husband, Mike, and our three children. —Karen Wirth, Tavistock, Ontario

11/22

12/22

"Boo" Berry Ghosts

Ghoulish treats cause quite a fright, but these strawberry cakes are so yummy they won't haunt you for long! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

13/22

Miniature Pumpkin Cake Towers

I make these pumpkin treats every autumn and they are gone in minutes. The spice combination is perfect for fall, and it is all wrapped up in a pretty little cake.—Deb Lyon, Bangor, Pennsylvania

14/22

Devil's Food Snack Cake

My husband and his friends request this devil's food snack cake for camping trips because it’s easy to transport. That makes it great for taking to potlucks and other events, too, as there's no frosting involved. —Julie Danler, Bel Aire, Kansas

15/22

Autumn Tree Cake

You can decorate this special cake any way you like for Halloween or the colorful autumn months. —Marie Parker, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

16/22

17/22

Harvest Corn Cakes

Sweet corn takes on a whole new meaning with this recipe. The corncobs look delightfully like the real thing—except they're made of cake, frosting and peanut butter candies! These treats really brighten up the Thanksgiving table, and they're so easy to make. Children can help with this project, too. They'll have fun putting the "kernels" on—and eating a few as well! —Mary Detweiler, Middlefield, Ohio

18/22

Ghosts in the Graveyard Cake

This spooky cake is easy to make and fun to decorate. To save time, bake and freeze the brownies weeks in advance, then thaw at room temperature overnight before decorating.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen

19/22

Hot Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Hot chocolate is my go-to winter indulgence. To go with it, I like this moist pumpkin cake dusted with cocoa for an extra chocolate boost. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia

20/22

Owl Tree

I have been “cooking” since I was 3 years old. Now I cook for my two teenage sons and bake decorated cakes for family and friends. I came up with this for an online contest. It was a hoot! —Tammy Baker, Bowling Green, Kentucky

21/22

22/22

Apple-Walnut Cake with Orange Glaze

I tinkered with a plain apple cake recipe to create this moist, delicious winner. The result: old-fashioned goodness with a heavenly aroma! This cake is the perfect fall treat or holiday dessert, but it’s also great as a special breakfast or brunch item. —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida

Originally Published: September 03, 2019