Becky Luigart-Stayner

It's Not Too Late to Bake our Favorite Halloween Cake of All Time

Name: It's Not Too Late to Bake our Favorite Halloween Cake of All Time
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 12 - 14 serving(s)
Ingredients: Unsalted butter, for cake pans; 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for cake pans; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp. ground ginger; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar; 3 large eggs; 1/2 c. canola oil; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1 c. buttermilk; 1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 3 tbsp. heavy cream or whole milk; 4 c. confectioners’ sugar; 1 c. white vanilla melting wafers; 1/2 tsp. coconut oil

Eerie and hauntingly elegant, these fall candle cakes are the perfect centerpiece for your Halloween Party.

By Beth BranchPublished: Oct 31, 2025

Be the first to review!

Jump to recipe

Yields:

12 - 14 serving(s)

Prep Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Are they candles? Are they cake? Either way, they're eerily pretty enough to be the centerpiece of any haunted and spiderweb-covered table. Sorry, tiny Trader Joe's pumpkins. Whether you're having friends over for a party or you're just looking for a creative Halloween baking project to try your hand at this week, these candle cakes are sure to be enchanting. And thankfully, because they are indeed cake, they're also delicious.

These spooky yet elegant cakes start with a classic spice cake batter, which is perfect for chilly autumn nights. Especially after you've spent the evening trick-or-treating or gearing up for your Halloween festivities. We've included options for two different cake pan sizes, or you can do a mix of sizes to add some visual interest to your spectral candle display.

How do these cakes get the hauntingly melty look? We use melted white chocolate and birthday candles pressed down into the cake. The key is to create a layer of white chocolate drips and let the white chocolate set a little. Then add more layers until your candles look like they've been burning all through the night. The more "dripping wax" the better. There's just something a little eerie about melted down candles, making these the perfect cakes for Halloween.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Ingredients

For the cakes:

Unsalted butter, for cake pans
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for cake pans
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 Tbsp. heavy cream or whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup white vanilla melting wafers
1/2 tsp. coconut oil

Directions

1. Step 1Make the cakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 6-inch round cake pans or six 4-inch round cake pans. Whisk together baking powder, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in a bowl.
2. Step 2Beat brown sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, in two additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until blended after each addition. Transfer batter to prepared pans, dividing evenly.
3. Step 3Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes for 6-inch pans, and 18 to 20 minutes for 4-inch pans. Transfer to a wire rack and cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto rack to cool completely.
4. Step 4Make the frosting and decorate: Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream and vanilla and beat to combine, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Step 5Trim domed tops from cake layers with a serrated knife. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate and top with frosting. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost top and sides of cakes.
6. Step 6Microwave vanilla melting wafers according to package directions. Stir in coconut oil. Transfer mixture to a squeeze bottle or a zip-top bag and cut a small hole in one corner. Pipe drips around the top edges of the cakes. Place cakes in the refrigerator or freezer until the drips have set and dried, about 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat, adding drips and chilling cakes, two more times. (If the vanilla drip mixture becomes too thick between each addition, microwave for 10 seconds.) After adding a third round of drips, spread a thin layer of melted vanilla wafer mixture over the top of the cakes and press a white birthday candle into the center of each one, leaving about one-fourth of the candle and wick exposed. Chill 15 to 20 minutes. Let cakes come to room temperature before serving.