If the winter holidays are about pie, Halloween is about cake. Strange as it might sound, Halloween gets me in the mood to bake. I think that it’s something about the freedom I allow myself to go all out with candy, sugar, and more candy and sugar. Or maybe it’s just that Halloween cakes are ridiculously fun, even the serious ones made by serious bakers.
Though I can’t call myself a serious baker, I can’t help but share this year’s Halloween cake inspiration. These gorgeous specimens are a bit advanced and surely take time to make, but just look at them. If there was ever a reason to get ambitious in the kitchen, these outstanding Halloween cakes are it. Plus, if I can pull one of these cake recipes off for my annual Halloween party, maybe nobody will notice my annual janky costume.
Related: 7 of the cutest (and creepiest) Halloween cookies haunting the Internet.
I have no words for this Salted Caramel Apple Snickers Cake at Half Baked Harvest. None. I’m too busy stuffing my face, and oh my god it’s good. Like, who-cares-if-yours-doesn’t-come-out-this-beautiful good. If you make it from this recipe and it’s edible, you will be happy.
I love the balance that this Marshmallow Cobweb Cake at The Cake Blog strikes between creepy but not scary. In fact, this is downright classy for Halloween! The DIY is very easy to follow and, actually, easy to do, too—especially if you cheat by picking up two simply frosted cakes at a local bakery.
If you’re big on Halloween’s most iconic candy, you’ll love this Candy Corn Tuxedo Cake at Sprinkle Bakes. This is a classic layer cake with buttercream frosting and a chocolate glaze—all pretty straightforward elements, but several of them nonetheless. Don’t worry about not having super advanced technique, but do set aside a good amount of time if you want to try making this.
Related: 5 candy corn recipes for Halloween—because you can never get enough of a good thing.
I love that this cake could be a cheerful chocolate cherry cake in one context, but becomes a Scary Cherry Cake on Halloween. That makes it versatile and well worth having in your baking repertoire. And why not when the laid back recipe on Confessions of a Cookbook Queen calls for white cake mix! We like the idea of using an all natural cake mix like the ones from Immaculate Baking.
These individual Red-Velvet Molten Lava Cakes at Say Yes are an eerie, dark dessert perfect for ending a Halloween dinner party. Brittany serves hers with chocolate ganache and spun sugar, but I bet these would have the same effect even without them—or, at least, without the sugar, which seems like a hard extra step. Instead, serve the blood red cakes with drippy chocolate on a cobweb lined platter.
Related: Amazingly easy Halloween party recipes that make you look like a super chef.
Okay, I said that most of these cakes were advanced but doable. This one, I’m not so sure, but it’s way too gorgeous not to share! If you like assembling ginger bread houses and feel ready to take on a master cake project, this Haunted House Cake at Martha Stewart is for you. Me? I’ll just ogle it, unless of course you want to invite me over after you make one. Then I’ll eat it, too.
Those look like so much fun to serve and eat! Even though I wouldn’t have the time commitment for most of them, the red velvet molten lava cakes look doable – and in flavors my kids would eat! Yum!
We agree—these are way intense, but wouldn’t it be cool if someone made them for us? Ha!
Love these, how fun!
Aren’t they?! Now… who to make them?