Ready to create the most adorable, festive, and unbelievably delicious centerpiece for your Halloween party? A cake so fun and surprisingly easy to make, you won’t believe you made it yourself? This incredible, Easy Jack-o’-Lantern Cake is the ultimate spooky season bake! We’ll show you the simple, brilliant secret to turning two basic round cakes into a perfect pumpkin shape, and how to whip up a rich, fluffy marshmallow frosting that everyone will love.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to your new show-stopping, festive tradition. We’ll show you how to use a few smart shortcuts, like a doctored cake mix, to create a stunning, from-scratch-tasting cake that is perfect for bakers of all skill levels. This is the kind of fun, satisfying, and deeply delicious dessert that will make your Halloween celebration unforgettable.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Fun & Easy Halloween Cake
What makes this Jack-o’-Lantern Cake so spectacularly fun is its brilliant and simple construction and its classic, crowd-pleasing flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of festive creativity. The cake itself is a super-moist, tender, and foolproof pumpkin spice cake, made extra easy by “doctoring” a simple yellow cake mix. The frosting is a light, fluffy, and incredibly easy marshmallow buttercream. The true magic, however, is in the assembly. Two simple, 8-inch round cakes are cleverly cut and arranged to create a perfect, plump pumpkin shape. The final, fun touches are a spooky, chocolate jack-o’-lantern face and a cute, curly candy vine.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 2 hours (includes cooling) |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 12-16 |
The Pumpkin Patch: The Essential Ingredients & Tools
This iconic party cake uses a handful of smart shortcuts and pantry staples to create its signature spooky look and delicious flavor.
- The “Doctored” Pumpkin Spice Cake:
- Yellow Cake Mix & Pumpkin Spice Pudding: This is the ultimate hack for a perfect cake every time! By adding a box of pumpkin spice instant pudding mix to a standard yellow cake mix, you are guaranteeing a cake that is unbelievably moist, tender, and packed with the perfect, cozy flavor of fall.
- The Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting:
- Marshmallow Cream: This is the secret to the easiest, fluffiest, and most delicious frosting! A jar of marshmallow cream (like Marshmallow Fluff®) is beaten with butter and confectioners’ sugar to create a light, sweet, and perfectly smooth frosting with a wonderful vanilla-marshmallow flavor.
- The Easy Decorations:
- Chocolate Face: A handful of melted chocolate chips is all you need to pipe a classic, spooky jack-o’-lantern face. The brilliant trick is to pipe it onto parchment paper first and let it harden, so you can just place it on the finished cake without any stress!
- Green Sour Belt Candy: A single, long, green sour belt candy is the perfect, instant “vine” for your pumpkin.
Step-by-Step to the Best Jack-o’-Lantern Cake
This fun and festive project is incredibly simple to prepare.
Part 1: Bake the Pumpkin Spice Cakes
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 box of yellow cake mix, the 1 box of pumpkin spice instant pudding mix, the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, the 4 large eggs, and the 1 1/2 cups of water until the batter is completely smooth.
Step 3: Divide the batter evenly between your two prepared cake pans.
Step 4: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
Step 5: Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before you invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Part 2: Make the Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting
While the cakes are cooling, prepare your frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 10 tablespoons of room temperature butter and the 2 cups of marshmallow cream together until they are light and fluffy.
Add the 3 cups of confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Beat until the frosting is very smooth.
Add the 2 teaspoons of red food coloring and the 2 teaspoons of yellow food coloring and stir until combined. Scrape down the sides and beat again until the frosting is a beautiful, bright orange.
Part 3: Create the Chocolate Face & Stem
Step 1: Line a small tray or a large plate with parchment paper. In a double boiler (or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave), gently melt your 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips until smooth. Let the chocolate cool slightly. Step 2: Transfer the melted chocolate to a small piping bag or a zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Step 3: Pipe 2 classic, triangle-shaped “eyes” and 1 spooky, jagged “mouth” with teeth onto the parchment paper. Refrigerate the chocolate pieces until they have completely hardened, which will take about 10 minutes.
Part 4: The Art of the Pumpkin Shape (Assembling the Cake)
Step 1: Transfer one of your completely cooled cakes to the center of a large cutting board or your serving platter. Step 2: Use a 4 1/2-inch bowl as a guide to cut a round out of the center of your second cake. Cut this small, cut-out round in half to make two half-moon shapes. Step 3: Now, cut the remaining, large cake ring in half to create two beautiful crescent shapes. Step 4: Place one of the cake crescents, with the cut side facing in, on either side of your whole cake on the serving platter to create the classic, round pumpkin shape. Step 5: Cut the pointy bottom off of one of your half-moon shapes to make a rectangular “stem.” Step 6: Pipe your remaining melted chocolate onto the top and sides of the cake “stem” and smooth it out with an offset spatula. Chill the stem in the refrigerator until the chocolate has hardened.
Part 5: Frost and Decorate Your Jack-o’-Lantern
Step 1: Use your orange frosting to “glue” the cake pieces together and to cover the entire cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting over the top and the sides, creating vertical, textural stripes to mimic the ridges of a pumpkin. Step 2: Carefully place your chilled chocolate eyes and mouth onto the cake. Add the chocolate-covered stem to the top of the cake and swirl the green sour belt candy next to the stem to create a “vine.”
Jack-o’-Lantern Cake (Perfect Halloween Cake!)
An easy and creative recipe for a Jack O’ Lantern cake, perfect for a Halloween party. This festive dessert starts with a convenient yellow cake mix, which is enhanced with pumpkin spice instant pudding for a seasonal flavor. Two round cakes are baked, then one is cleverly cut and rearranged to form a pumpkin shape. The cake is covered in a bright orange marshmallow buttercream frosting. The final touches are a jack-o’-lantern face and stem made from melted chocolate, and a green sour belt candy for the vine.
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- Nonstick cooking spray
- One 15.25-ounce box yellow cake mix
- One 3.4-ounce box pumpkin spice instant pudding mix
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups water
- For the Frosting:
- 2 cups marshmallow cream
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons red food coloring
- 2 teaspoons yellow food coloring
- For the Decoration:
- 1/2 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 long green sour belt candy
Instructions
- Make the Cake Layers: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, and 1 1/2 cups of water until smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the Frosting: In a stand mixer, beat the marshmallow cream and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time until smooth. Add the red and yellow food coloring and beat until the frosting is a bright orange.
- Prepare the Decorations: Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or the microwave. Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag. On a parchment-lined tray, pipe two triangle eyes and a mouth. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes until hardened.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one of the cooled cakes on a large cutting board. Cut a 4 1/2-inch round out of the center of the second cake. Cut this small round in half to make two half-moons. Cut the remaining cake ring in half to make two crescent shapes.
- Place a cake crescent on either side of the whole cake to create a pumpkin shape. Cut the bottom off one of the half-moon shapes to create a stem.
- Coat the stem piece with the remaining melted chocolate and chill for 10 minutes to harden.
- Frost the entire pumpkin-shaped cake with the orange frosting, smoothing the seams. Create vertical stripes to mimic a pumpkin’s texture.
- Place the chilled chocolate eyes and mouth onto the cake. Add the chocolate-covered stem to the top and place the sour belt candy next to it as a vine.
Notes
- This recipe uses several convenient shortcuts, including a boxed cake mix and instant pudding, to focus on the fun decorating aspect.
- The unique method of cutting and rearranging a round cake layer is a clever way to create a pumpkin shape without a special pan.
- The jack-o’-lantern’s facial features are made separately from chocolate and chilled, making them easy to place on the finished cake.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead party cake! The cake layers can be baked, cooled completely, and then wrapped well and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. The frosting can also be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The chocolate face pieces can also be made several days in advance.
- Storage: Store the finished, decorated cake, loosely covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Creative Recipe Variations (“Make it Your Own Potion!”)
- Make it a Classic Chocolate Cake: For a different but equally delicious flavor, you can use your favorite chocolate cake mix instead of the yellow cake mix. A dark chocolate pumpkin is extra spooky!
- Use a Different Frosting: If you’re not a fan of marshmallow frosting, this cake is also absolutely fantastic with a classic, tangy cream cheese frosting.
- Make it into Jack-o’-Lantern Cupcakes: For a fun and easy, individual treat, you can bake your pumpkin spice cake batter in a muffin tin to make cupcakes. Frost each cupcake with the orange frosting and then use a tube of black icing to pipe on a smaller, cute jack-o’-lantern face.
Enjoy Your Ultimate Spooky & Fun Halloween Cake!
You’ve just created a truly special treat that is a perfect harmony of fun, classic ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This “Jack-o’-Lantern Cake” is a testament to the power of a simple, creative idea to become an instant party favorite and a treasured holiday tradition. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to make your Halloween party a memorable one.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a super moist cake from a box mix?
The secret is to “doctor” it! This recipe uses the brilliant and classic trick of adding a box of instant pudding mix to the cake batter. The pudding mix adds a wonderful flavor, and, most importantly, it makes the final cake unbelievably moist and tender.
Q2: What is the easiest and most foolproof way to shape a cake like a pumpkin?
The “two round cakes” method described in this recipe is a brilliant and surprisingly easy trick! By simply using one round cake as the center and then using two crescent-shaped pieces cut from a second round cake for the sides, you can create a perfect, plump pumpkin shape with no special pans required.
Q3: Can I make this Halloween cake ahead of time for a party?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead cake! You can bake the cake layers, prepare the frosting, and make your chocolate face pieces up to 2 days in advance. It is best to assemble and decorate the cake on the day of your party for the freshest and most impressive result.
Q4: What is marshmallow cream?
Marshmallow cream, which is most famously sold under the brand name Marshmallow Fluff®, is a sweet, spreadable, marshmallow-like confection. It has a wonderfully sticky, gooey texture and a sweet vanilla-marshmallow flavor, and it is the secret to this incredibly easy and fluffy frosting.
Q5: Can I make this recipe without a stand mixer?
Of course! You can easily make both the cake batter and the frosting in a large bowl with a good electric hand mixer.