If you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert that’s both adorable and delicious, you’re going to fall head over heels for this Ghost Cake Recipe. It’s got that cozy pumpkin spice vibe, a smooth vanilla buttercream, and with a few creative decorating touches, it transforms into the cutest little ghost that’ll impress every guest at your next gathering. Stick around, because I’ll walk you through every step to make this fun and festive cake a total breeze!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Layers: The pumpkin and warm spices blend so beautifully you’ll swear it’s fall all year round.
Fluffy, Creamy Buttercream: The vanilla frosting is so silky and smooth, it’s just the right balance to the spiced cake.
Fun, Festive Decorating: Customizing this cake into a ghost is easier than you think and adds a whimsical flair that’ll wow everyone.

A slice of four-layer cake with light brown sponge cake layers separated by creamy white frosting sits on a white ridged plate, showing a smooth and thick outer layer of white frosting covering the whole slice; in the background, another similar slice rests on a white plate, while part of the remaining cake on a light gray cake stand with blurred edges is visible; the scene is set on a white marbled surface with a golden fork and a colorful cake server nearby, crumbs scattered lightly around the plates photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients You’ll Need

These ingredients come together to give you a moist, flavorful pumpkin cake with a silky buttercream that’s easy to pipe and decorate. I love that you probably already have most of these staples in your pantry, making it a no-stress bake.

All-purpose flour: This is the canvas of your cake, giving it structure without weighing it down.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens perfectly and helps the cake brown beautifully.
Baking powder: Essential for that nice rise and lift.
Fine salt: Balances and enhances the flavors.
Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg: The trio of spices that give the pumpkin that signature warm, cozy flavor.
Unsalted butter: I always use room temperature for creamier batter and even mixing.
Egg whites: They lighten the texture, and using just whites makes this cake tender.
Pumpkin puree: Not pumpkin pie filling—make sure it’s plain puree for the best taste and texture.
Full-fat sour cream: Adds moisture and a slight tang that makes the cake irresistible.
Vanilla extract or paste: Adds that sweet aromatic background note.
Powdered sugar: For the buttercream’s smooth sweetness.
Heavy whipping cream: Keeps the frosting light and silky.
Gel food coloring: To get those vibrant decorative tones for the ghost’s face and pumpkin accents.

Note: You’ll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Variations

I like to play around with this Ghost Cake Recipe depending on the occasion and what I have on hand. Don’t hesitate to tweak and make it your own—it’s part of the fun!

Size variations: I’ve made this recipe with both 6-inch and 8-inch cake pans; just note the ghost’s height and shape will vary slightly.
Sheet cake option: For bigger crowds, this recipe doubles as a fantastic sheet cake, baking it in two 9×13 pans works great.
Flavor twists: Try swapping sour cream for Greek yogurt for a tangier bite, or add a touch of espresso powder to your buttercream for a mocha ghost!
Dietary adjustments: I’ve experimented with egg substitutes and vegan buttercream – results are good but expect subtle texture changes.

How to Make Ghost Cake Recipe

Step 1: Prepare Your Pumpkin Cake Layers

First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prep your cake pans. I use four 6-inch round pans lined with parchment rounds and a quick spritz of non-stick spray—trust me, this little trick helps the cake slip out perfectly every time. If you don’t have four pans, no worries—bake what you can, then refrigerate the rest of the batter briefly. The pumpkin puree keeps it fresh for a few hours at room temp, so no rush.

Next, whisk together your dry ingredients. The spices mixed with flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder are going to give you a beautifully fragrant batter that smells amazing—my kitchen instantly feels like autumn!

When you add your room temperature butter, it should look like coarse, moist sand. This gives the crumb the perfect texture—don’t rush this step. Then, gently fold in your egg whites and pumpkin puree before adding sour cream and vanilla.

One little trick I learned is to add gel food coloring here if you want vibrant layers. For my ghost, a subtle orange tint works beautifully, so I add just a small squirt of orange gel color and stir gently.

After mixing everything on medium speed for about a minute to get it light and fluffy, divide the batter evenly into your pans and bake for roughly 34-38 minutes—or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let them cool for 10 minutes then loosen the edges with an offset spatula before flipping onto wire racks or, better yet, pop them in the freezer for 45 minutes to cool completely without drying out.

Step 2: Whip Up That Vanilla Buttercream

While your cakes are cooling, it’s the perfect time to get your frosting ready. Beat softened, unsalted butter on medium-high speed until it’s light and creamy—this is what makes your buttercream fluffy, so don’t skip this step! Mixing in vanilla and salt gives it that perfect balance of sweetness.

Add the powdered sugar little by little on low speed, and halfway through, pour in the heavy cream. This combo makes the frosting smooth and silky without being too dense—exactly what you want for piping and spreading.

If your frosting feels too thick, add a tablespoon of cream at a time. Too thin? A little more powdered sugar fixes that quickly. I always finish with a manual stir using a spatula to push out any air bubbles—trust me, it’s these little things that give you that professional finish.

Step 3: Stack and Shape Your Ghost

Here’s where the fun really begins. Place your first level cake layer on an 8-inch cake board—sticking it with a little frosting so it doesn’t slide around—and spread a generous even layer of buttercream on top. Repeat stacking your leveled layers, then place the final rounded dome layer on top.

The tapered shape of your layers creates that ghost silhouette. Trim carefully if you need to shape the cake a bit—the ghost’s arms and rounded head really come to life with these gentle adjustments.

Next, do a thin “crumb coat” of frosting around the cake. You want just enough to catch all those loose crumbs but keep the texture smooth. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for 10 to firm up before your final frosting coat.

Step 4: Decorate the Ghost

Here’s my favorite part: coloring your frosting and bringing the ghost to life. Divide small amounts of buttercream into piping bags and tint with gel colors—orange for pumpkin, pink for cheeks, green for leaves, brown for pumpkin stem, and black for the spooky face details. The rest stays pure white for the ghost’s body.

Use a large piping bag for a smooth outer layer of white buttercream. I use an acetate sheet and a large offset spatula to get that perfectly smooth ghostly surface you see in the photos. Then pipe squiggly lines at the base to mimic a ruffled ghost bottom—it’s such a cool texture and easy to do!

Using a toothpick, lightly mark where you want to place the ghost’s eyes, mouth, and pumpkin details. Pipe on the black facial features with a fine round tip or use black fondant if piping feels tricky.

Finish off by piping pink cheeks, a cute little orange pumpkin under the face with brown and green accents, and white ghostly arms reaching out. Seeing your ghost slowly come together is sooo rewarding!

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Pro Tips for Making Ghost Cake Recipe

Room Temperature Ingredients: I used to skip this and noticed my batter was lumpy—having everything at room temp mixes so much smoother!
Chill Your Layers: Freezing the cake layers for about 45 minutes before assembling makes trimming and frosting way easier.
Smoothing with Acetate: Using an acetate sheet to smooth your frosting helped me avoid messy spatula marks and gave that professional glow.
Avoid Overmixing: I once overbeat the batter and it got too dense—sticking to medium speed mixing keeps it light and airy.

How to Serve Ghost Cake Recipe

A slice of four-layer orange cake with smooth white cream between each layer sits on a white ridged plate on a white marbled surface. The cake layers have a moist, soft texture, and the white cream is thick and smooth, covering the entire slice including the sides and top. A golden fork is gently pressed into the front right side of the cake slice, held by a woman’s hand. In the background, another slice of the same cake is visible on another white plate, slightly out of focus. The lighting highlights the rich color of the cake and the creamy white frosting. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Garnishes

When I serve this ghost cake, I like to keep the garnishes playful yet simple—tiny edible pearls or silver dragées for the eyes add a little sparkle, and a few extra piped leaves around the pumpkin make for a charming fall touch. Fresh cinnamon sticks on the side add aroma and look beautiful on the serving table too.

Side Dishes

Since this Ghost Cake Recipe is rich and flavorful, I usually pair it with lighter sides like fresh apple slices, a bowl of spiced whipped cream, or a hot cup of chai or coffee. It balances the sweetness perfectly!

Creative Ways to Present

For Halloween parties, I’ve placed the ghost cake on a cake stand surrounded by mini pumpkins and autumn leaves for a spooky atmosphere. I’ve also tried making individual ghost cupcakes using this same recipe for smaller gatherings—just as fun, and everyone loved the single-serve version!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

After serving, I wrap leftover cake snugly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Covering any exposed cake edges with leftover frosting helps keep the cake moist. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to a week, though truth be told, this cake rarely lasts that long in my house!

Freezing

I’ve frozen both unfrosted cake layers and fully decorated cakes. For layers, wrap tightly in plastic and foil, and thaw overnight in the fridge before assembling. For decorated cakes, wrap gently in plastic wrap and a cake box, then freeze. When ready, move the cake to the fridge a day ahead to minimize condensation on the frosting.

Reheating

If you want to warm up a slice, I usually microwave it for 10-15 seconds. This brings the buttercream to that creamy texture without melting it completely, and the pumpkin cake tastes extra fresh. Just watch it closely—nobody wants a melted ghost!

FAQs

Can I use canned pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

It’s best to use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, because the pie filling already contains added spices and sugars that can throw off the cake’s flavor and texture.
What if I don’t have enough cake pans for all layers?

No worries! Bake as many layers as you can, cool them completely, then repeat with remaining batter. You can store the cooled layers in the freezer until ready to assemble.
Can I make this Ghost Cake Recipe dairy-free?

You can swap butter for plant-based margarine and use non-dairy sour cream alternatives. Keep in mind the flavor and texture might differ slightly, but it still works well!
How long does the decorated cake last?

A frosted cake like this keeps well in the fridge for up to one week. Make sure it’s covered properly to avoid drying out or absorbing other fridge smells.
Any tips for piping the ghost face if I’m new to decorating?

If piping feels intimidating, you can use a toothpick to lightly sketch the face on the cake surface first, or use black fondant cut-outs for the eyes and mouth. Practice on parchment paper before piping directly on the cake.

Final Thoughts

This Ghost Cake Recipe is hands down one of my favorite seasonal treats to make for family and friends. It hits that perfect note of cozy pumpkin spice with a buttery, dreamy frosting, and decorating it feels like a little art project in the kitchen. I honestly love how it brightens up any celebration, whether it’s Halloween or just a fun fall weekend. So grab your apron, get baking, and have a blast turning this ghost into the star of your dessert table—I promise you’ll get lots of compliments and happy smiles!