Halloween Pumpkin Cake

This spooky yet delicious Halloween Pumpkin Cake combines moist pumpkin spice cake with vibrant orange frosting and playful mini muffin accents. Perfect for your autumn gatherings!

65 min Serves 20 Medium American

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This Halloween Pumpkin Cake recipe features a moist pumpkin spice cake baked in Bundt pans with mini muffin accents. The cake is frosted with orange icing and decorated with green vines, leaves, and a black face using food coloring. The recipe includes precise measurements for the cake mix, pumpkin puree, spices, and frosting ingredients, along with detailed instructions for baking, frosting, and decorating the cake. The final product is a festive and visually striking dessert perfect for Halloween celebrations.

Directions

Start by heating your oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two half-size Bundt pans and a mini muffin tray with nonstick spray, then set them aside.

Combine the yellow cake mix, pumpkin puree, egg, vegetable oil, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer set to low, blend everything until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 1/2 minutes. Scoop roughly 2 tablespoons of batter into each of four mini muffin cups. Divide the remaining batter evenly between the two prepared Bundt pans. Bake the mini muffins for 20 minutes. Continue baking the cakes for an additional 15 to 25 minutes, aiming for a total bake time of 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Allow both the cakes and muffins to cool completely.

While the cakes cool, focus on making the frosting.

In a large bowl, beat the vegetable shortening with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for two minutes. Add the softened unsalted butter and mix until fully incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly pour in half of the powdered sugar. Add the milk and vanilla extract, beating on low for a few seconds. Continue adding the rest of the powdered sugar while the mixer runs on low. Once all the sugar is added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another two minutes. If the frosting feels too stiff, stir in additional milk to reach your desired consistency.

Divide the frosting: set aside 1/4 cup in one bowl for green coloring and another 1/4 cup in a separate bowl for black coloring, leaving the rest white. Position the first cake on your serving board with the rounded bottom facing down. Place one mini muffin in the center, then frost the top surface. Stack the second cake on top, ensuring the rounded side faces upward. Add another mini muffin to the center and apply a layer of white frosting only to the middle section. Tint the remaining white frosting orange and cover the entire cake with it, using a small offset spatula for smooth application. Frost one of the mini muffins with the green frosting and place it on top of the cake (the fourth muffin is a bonus). Use a #5 tip to pipe green vines and a #352 tip to create leaves. Finally, use the black frosting with a #5 tip to draw a spooky face.

Keep the finished cake refrigerated until you are ready to serve it.