This Halloween Cake is perfect for a birthday or any monster mash. Rich chocolate cake layers and creamy orange buttercream are topped with spooky black ganache for a hauntingly boo-tiful result.

A Halloween Cake topped with orange candles in front of a dark backdrop.

This Halloween Cake is Frightfully Delicious

Are you or a loved one lucky to enough to have a Halloween birthday? What a fun holiday to share a birthday with, in my opinion!

This Halloween Cake would be perfect for a spooky themed party, whether it’s for a birthday or just any type of haunted gathering. Pair it with some savory nibbles from my very popular Halloween snacks post, and you’re ready to do the monster mash!

We’re using a little help from the store in the form of box cake mix to make things just a *little* easier on ourselves (more time to get our costumes together)! But this dessert doesn’t compromise on being festive enough to be the centerpiece of your celebration.

Why You’ll Love This Halloween Birthday Cake

  • This cake embraces the spirit of the holiday with bold, bright Halloween colors.
  • While the theme may be spooky, the flavors are universally appealing, making this cake a hit with both kids and adults.
  • The combination of rich chocolate cake, orange zest-flecked buttercream and rich chocolate ganache is so decadent and so good.
Decorations on a dark surface, including baking mix, chocolate, and eggs, orange and butter.

Birthday Halloween Cake Ingredients

  • cake mix – yep, let’s make it easy on ourselves! A box of dark chocolate fudge cake mix is the rich, chocolatey base for this cake.
  • eggs and egg yolks – contributes to a moist, tender crumb. The extra yolks increase the richness.
  • milk – adds moisture to the cake batter.
  • unsalted butter – used for the cake batter and the buttercream frosting.
  • powdered sugar – sweetens the frosting.
  • heavy cream – adjusts the consistency of the frosting to be perfectly spreadable, and gives the ganache a pourable texture.
  • orange zest – an optional addition to the frosting to add a fresh, citrusy flavor. I like the flavor pairing of chocolate and orange, but if you don’t, feel free to leave the orange zest out.
  • vanilla extract – enhances the flavor of the frosting.
  • orange food coloring – gives the frosting a vibrant orange hue.
  • semi-sweet chocolate – for making the ganache. I like to buy a bar of baking chocolate and chop it up, but semisweet chocolate chips will also work.
  • corn syrup – an optional addition to the ganache to make it nice and shiny.
  • black food coloring – an optional addition to the ganache to make it a deep, spooky black color for this Halloween themed cake.

How to Make the Perfect Halloween Theme Cake

Before and after photos showing a chocolate baking mix being whisk together in a glass bowl.

1. CAKE BATTER. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, egg yolks, milk and butter and beat until fluffy.

Before and after photos showing chocolate cake layers before and after baking.

2. BAKE. Divide the cake batter between two 9-inch round cake pans prepped with cooking spray. Transfer to oven and bake until toothpick inserted in center of cakes come out clean, rotating pans halfway through baking. Transfer pans to cooling rack and let cool 5 minutes before turning cakes out of pans onto rack to cool completely before assembling.

Before and after photos showing orange frosting being mixed in a glass bowl.

3. FROSTING. In a large bowl, beat the powdered sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the cream a little at a time until you achieve a spreadable consistency. Use orange food coloring to tint the frosting to your desired shade of orange.

A serrated knife cutting a chocolate cake into two layers.

4. CUT. Trim crowns off of each cake layer so layers are level. Cut each cake in half horizontally so that you have 4 cake layers.

A flat icing knife spreading orange frosting over a cake.

5. FROST BETWEEN LAYERS. Place one cake layer on serving plate and spread with 1/2-inch layer of buttercream. Top with the next cake layer and repeat, until all 4 cake layers have frosting between them. Chill 30 minutes.

Before and after photos showing a chocolate cake being coated in orange frosting.

6. CRUMB COAT AND FINISH FROSTING. Spread a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake to crumb coat it, then refrigerate 30 minutes. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream, then refrigerate until ready to coat with ganache.

Three process photos showing chocolate ganache being made in a glass bowl.

7. MAKE GANACHE. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan, then pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until all chocolate is melted. Add a small amount of black coloring to deepen the color of the ganache, if desired.

A spatula spreading chocolate ganache over an orange cake on a dark plate.

8. POUR. Pour the ganache over cake and allow ganache to drip down sides of cake. Let ganache firm up a bit before slicing.

A Halloween birthday cake on a platter with plastic spiders.

Home Chef Tips

  • If you happen to have four cake pans, you can divide the batter among 4 pans and reduce baking time to 10 to 15 minutes. This way, you won’t have to cut layers in half!
  • You can make a 2 instead of 4 layer cake (so, you won’t be cutting the cake layers in half), but you won’t need as much frosting. Reduce the frosting ingredient amounts to: 6 cups powdered sugar, 2 cups unsalted butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  • I do not provide exact measurements for the food colorings because there are so many different varieties of food coloring available these days (classic liquid food coloring, squeeze gel, gel in little tubs, oil-based dyes, etc.). Use enough dye to make the frosting nice and bright orange, and the ganache jet black, if you desire.
A slice of birthday Halloween cake on a spiderweb plate.

WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

Enter your email below and we'll send it to your inbox.

Halloween Cake Decorations

This section contains affiliate links.

I love just the subtly creepy effect of the jet black ganache dripping over the orange-frosted cake, but feel free to add more decorations to your cake for a Halloween party (and of course, orange candles for a birthday)! Some ideas are:

A Halloween theme cake decorated with plastic spiders.

Storing Leftover Halloween Birthday Cake

If you have leftovers of this Halloween theme cake, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow slices to come back to room temperature before serving for best flavor.

A slice of orange and black layered Halloween themed birthday cake on a spiderweb plate.

More Foxes Love Lemons Favorites

A Halloween Cake decorated with plastic spiders in front of a dark backdrop.

Halloween Themed Cake

Author: Lori Yates
Yield: 16 servings
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 50 minutes
This Halloween Cake is perfect for a birthday or any monster mash. Rich chocolate cake layers and creamy orange buttercream are topped with spooky black ganache for a hauntingly boo-tiful result.
4.4 from 5 ratings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

For the Cake Layers:

  • Nonstick baking spray
  • 1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix (15.25 ounces)
  • 3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted

For the Buttercream Frosting:

  • 9 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 cups unsalted butter at room temperature (6 sticks)
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Orange food coloring
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream as needed

For the Chocolate Ganache:

  • 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional)
  • Black food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  • Make the Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, or large bowl with a hand mixer and beater attachments, combine the cake mix, eggs and yolks, milk and butter and beat 2 to 3 minutes or until well combined and fluffy.
  • Divide cake batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
  • Transfer pans to center rack of oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, rotating pans halfway through baking. Transfer pans to cooling rack; let cool 5 minutes before turning cakes out of pans onto rack. Let cakes cool completely before assembling cake.
  • Make the Buttercream Frosting: In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, or large bowl with a hand mixer and beater attachments, beat powdered sugar and butter on low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat 3 minutes. Add orange zest, if using, and vanilla; beat 1 minute or until smooth. Use orange food coloring to tint frosting to the desired shade of orange. Add cream a tablespoon at a time, beating between additions, until you have a spreadable frosting.
  • Assemble the Cake: Cut crowns off of each cake layer with a cake level or large serrated knife to make them level. Cut each cake in half horizontally so that you have 4 cake layers.
  • Place one cake layer on serving plate or cake stand. Use offset spatula to spread 1/2-inch layer of buttercream to edges of cake. Top with next cake layer and repeat, until all 4 cake layers have frosting between them. Chill 30 minutes. Spread thin layer of frosting around the entire cake to crumb coat it; refrigerate 30 minutes. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream; refrigerate until ready to coat with ganache.
  • Make the Chocolate Ganache: Place chocolate in medium bowl. In small saucepan, heat cream and corn syrup, if using, over medium-low heat until mixture reaches a bare simmer. Pour cream mixture over chocolate and stir until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. If desired, add a small amount of black food coloring to deepen the color of the ganache.
  • Finish the Cake: Pour ganache over cake and allow ganache to drip down sides of cake. Let ganache firm up at room temperature a bit before slicing.

Notes

  • Corn syrup is optional in the ganache, but using it lends a bit more shine and flexibility to the mixture. Feel free to omit it if desired. Add an additional 1 tablespoon warmed cream if needed. You’ll still have a pourable and delicious ganache.
Calories: 841kcal, Carbohydrates: 93g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 52g, Saturated Fat: 31g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 162mg, Sodium: 255mg, Potassium: 192mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 81g, Vitamin A: 1481IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Leave a Review below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram @foxeslovelemons with the hashtag #foxeslovelemons.
© Foxes Love Lemons LLC. Images registered with U.S. Copyright Office.