Cakes are a must for any Halloween party! They make great centerpieces, and they are also super fun to decorate. While candies are easy to grab and go, nothing beats the wow factor of a homemade cake. My go-to picks are always the ones with dramatic details and a surprise inside. Check out these Halloween cake recipes and pick your favorite one to recreate this year!
1. This Creepy Spider Cake Is Ready to Strike
This cobweb cake looks like it came straight from a haunted bakery. It’s made with vibrant red velvet layers and covered in deep black frosting for that bold Halloween contrast. To create the spooky web effect, melt marshmallows or white chocolate and stretch them across the cake using gloved hands for those creepy strands. A fondant smoother helps get the frosting base nice and clean before you start webbing. Top it all off with a giant red fondant spider for a finishing touch that’s both eye-catching and eerie!
2. Serve Up Brains for Dessert With This Scarily Realistic Cake
Nothing says Halloween like serving a brain on a platter. This creepy cake is made with layers of moist red velvet and covered in pink buttercream, piped to look like squishy folds. The oozing “blood” is actually raspberry jam, which adds a tangy-sweet punch that balances out the richness of the cake. Use a ball cake mold to shape the base, then pipe the folds with a large round tip for that realistic brain look. It’s hands down one of the creepiest Halloween cake recipes I’ve seen!
3. This Heart-Shaped Cake Has a Bloody Secret Inside
Sometimes the best Halloween cakes are the ones that catch you off guard, and this one’s a perfect example. Baked in a heart-shaped cake pan, it looks pristine with white piping and pearl-like accents, but hides a bloody surprise. The top is crowned with jagged shards of sugar glass, giving it a cracked, dangerous vibe. And when you slice into it, a red jam filling oozes out like blood. I love how the contrast between the elegant exterior and the gory center makes it both beautiful and unsettling!
4. Stir Up Trouble With This Witchy Halloween Cake Recipe
You don’t need an actual cauldron to make this spellbinding treat! Simply stack four layers of chocolate cake, then carve out a shallow well in the top layer to mimic the mouth of a cauldron. Cover the entire cake in black frosting to create a cast iron look, then pipe orange and yellow buttercream flames around the base. Fill the carved center with jelly slime (made from gelatin and green food coloring) and top it off with candy eyeballs and Halloween sprinkles. It’s one of those Halloween cake recipes that’s fun to make and even more fun to share!
5. The Ultimate Halloween Cake for S’mores Lovers
This ghost s’mores cake is a fun twist on the classic campfire treat. Start with layers of rich chocolate cake and marshmallow fluff filling, then frost the outside with smooth milk chocolate buttercream. To give it that signature s’mores vibe, top the cake with flat ghost-shaped marshmallows and gently toast them using a kitchen torch. Add mini chocolate chips for the eyes and mouths. It’s warm, gooey, and guaranteed to be a Halloween crowd-pleaser!
Related: 25+ Halloween Finger Food Ideas to WOW Your Guests
6. Vampires Don’t Age And Neither Will This Cake’s Style
This vampire cake brings all the gothic vibes, just in time for Halloween. It features jet-black frosting, dramatic piped borders, and bright red lettering that cheekily reads “vampires don’t age.” Use a round cake pan for the base and black cocoa buttercream for that smooth matte finish. To get those bold, scalloped edges, try using a large open star tip and steady piping pressure. The final result is hauntingly beautiful and truly one of a kind!
7. A Beetlejuice Cake That Screams 80s Halloween
Beetlejuice fans will love this spooky showstopper! Inspired by his iconic black-and-white striped suit, this cake is easier to pull off than it looks. Start by covering a tall cake in striped fondant, then add neon green buttercream swirls on top. For an extra pop of color, pipe a purple ganache drip around the edges. Finish it off with fondant tentacles shaped using floral wire to hold their curls. Don’t forget the tombstone topper, it’s what ties the whole look together!
8. A Moody, Spiced Halloween Cake You’ll Want All Season
This cake might be simple at first glance, but it’s loaded with spooky flavor. First, it’s spiced with ground ginger and cinnamon, then frosted with rich chocolate buttercream. To make it Halloween-worthy, top it with mini chocolate skulls using a silicone mold. You can also dust them with edible shimmer for a “just-dug-up” effect! This is one of the easiest Halloween cake recipes that still feels unique and decadent.
9. This Monster Cake Is Bloody Brilliant
Here’s a monster cake that’s gruesome and unforgettable! You can use devil’s food cake for a rich, dark base, then cover the entire thing in smooth vanilla buttercream. To create the gaping mouth, carve out a section and fill it with black frosting, then add piped fangs and a sculpted fondant tongue for extra shock factor. Drizzle red gel icing around the edges to mimic dripping blood. It really brings the horror to life!
10. This Creepy Crawly Cake Is Not for the Squeamish
If you’re going for gross, this cake totally delivers. It starts with a rich dark chocolate pecan base, topped with a thick layer of chocolate cookie crumble for that dirt-like texture. The real star, though, is the tangle of gummy worms, coiled and squiggled right on top. For a more realistic look, try brushing them with a little cocoa powder or edible glaze. I like how the rough topping makes it feel like it was just dug up!
11. A Kid-Friendly Halloween Cake That’s Boo-tifully Sweet
Ghosts are taking over, and they’ve never looked cuter. This two-tiered cake is frosted in soft pastel pink and decorated with a mix of tiny fondant ghosts, pumpkins, bats, and candy shapes. The piped spiderwebs and dangling spiders add just the right amount of spooky charm without being too scary. For the toppers, use fondant or modeling chocolate and shape them with food-safe sculpting tools for a clean finish. The soft colors and playful details make it perfect for a kid-friendly Halloween party!
Related: 21+ Vintage Halloween Decor Ideas to Bring Back Old-School Spooky
12. This Zombie Cake Reaches Straight From the Grave
Surprise your guests with a zombie hand popping out of the grave! It looks like it’s bursting from crumbled “dirt,” made from chocolate cake and crushed cookies. For the base, go with something sturdy like pound cake or sponge. The 3D hand is also achievable with fondant wrapped over wire or shaped with rice cereal treats and painted with gel coloring. To add realistic wrinkles and texture, use a silicone sculpting tool set. It’s challenging, but totally worth it!
13. All Eyes on This Creepy Halloween Cake
Want a cake that gives everyone the creeps? This Halloween stunner is covered in edible eyeballs of all sizes, piled high on top and scattered down the sides. Start with a smooth white buttercream base, then use red gel or ganache to create those gooey drip effects. The eyeballs themselves can be made from fondant or white chocolate spheres, hand-painted with food coloring for that bloodshot look. I recommend using a ball silicone mold to get those perfectly round shapes!
14. The Most Iconic Halloween Cake Ever
You can’t go wrong with a classic pumpkin cake! This one’s made by baking two bundt cakes and flipping one over to create that signature pumpkin shape. Once stacked, cover the whole thing in orange-tinted buttercream, then carve out the face using an offset spatula. Fill in the crevices with black frosting, add green buttercream vines, and top it off with a fondant “stem.” It’s one of those Halloween cake recipes that’s fun for the whole family to decorate!
15. This Coffin Cake Is Giving Haunted Garden Vibes
A coffin-shaped cake might sound grim, but this version is surprisingly charming. It’s one of my favorite Halloween cake recipes, and it works when you want something spooky but still pretty. The cake is baked in a coffin mold, but you can also carve the shape from a sheet cake. For the vines and roses, pipe them on using a small star tip and vibrant buttercream shades. Decorate with pearl candy letters for the “RIP” and mossy green sprinkles for a haunted garden vibe. They look too good to slice!
Related: 15+ Halloween Lunchbox Ideas to Surprise Your Kids
16. This Graveyard Cake Is to Die For
This creepy graveyard cake is ready to rise from the dessert table. It features an eerie scene complete with a fondant tombstone, a mini coffin, and a slice carved out to look like a freshly dug grave. While it may look over-the-top, it’s all about clever layering and crushed cookies for soil. Just remember to carve out the “grave” before decorating the top so everything stays neat. Bonus points if you serve it with a tiny shovel!
17. Bento Cakes Are the Halloween Trend You’ll Want to Copy
Bento cakes are tiny, trendy, and endlessly customizable. They’re perfect as party favors or take-home treats, especially if you’re throwing a Halloween bash or hosting a small gathering. Just use a small round mold to bake the mini cakes, then decorate them with any spooky theme you like, such as pumpkins, skeletons, or spiderwebs. You can even let each guest decorate their own. It’s a fun way to keep things festive without committing to a full sheet cake.
Final Thoughts
Halloween cakes are seriously one of the best parts of spooky season. They’re a fun way to get creative, whether you’re going for something cute, creepy, or a little of both. I love how flexible these Halloween cake recipes are, whether you’re feeding a crowd or just making something fun for yourself. There are so many styles to try, and they’re all way more exciting than a basic candy bowl!
