Description
This Ghost Cake recipe combines moist pumpkin cake layers with rich vanilla buttercream frosting to create a festive and adorable ghost-shaped cake perfect for Halloween celebrations. The pumpkin-spiced cake, topped with smooth and creamy buttercream, is decorated with colored piping to form a playful ghost, pumpkin, and facial features, making it both delicious and visually charming.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Cake Layers
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 3 cups granulated sugar (600g)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (10g)
- 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (6g)
- 1 tsp ground ginger (3g)
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (2g)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
- 1/2 cup carton egg whites or 4 large egg whites, room temperature (120g)
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree (165g)
- 1 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream, room temperature (360g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (452g)
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12g)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
- 7 cups powdered sugar (875g)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (60g)
Ghost Cake Decorations
- 4, 6- inch Cake Pans
- Spinning Cake Stand
- 8- inch Cake Board
- Offset Spatula
- Acetate Sheet
- 5 Small Piping Bags
- 1 Large Piping Bag
- 4 Small Round Piping Tips like a Wilton 10
- 1 Small Leaf Piping Tips like a Wilton 352
- Black, Pink, Orange, Green, and Brown Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Pans and Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line four 6-inch round pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick spray. If using fewer pans, bake in batches, allowing batter to rest at room temperature if needed.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixer with paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until thoroughly mixed.
- Add Butter: Slowly add room temperature unsalted butter on low speed until mixture resembles moist sand with no large butter chunks.
- Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Pour in egg whites and pumpkin puree and mix on low until just combined. Add sour cream and vanilla extract; mix on low speed. Optionally add orange gel food coloring here for colored layers.
- Blend Batter: Scrape bowl sides and beat on medium speed for about one minute to lighten texture and ensure even mixing.
- Bake Layers: Divide batter evenly into prepared pans and bake 34–38 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool pans for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around edges.
- Freeze to Cool: Place pans in freezer for 45 minutes to accelerate cooling. Once cooled, invert pans to remove cakes.
- Level and Shape Layers: Level three layers with serrated knife; leave one layer rounded on top. Trim sides of rounded layer and others to create a tapered domed ghost shape. Wrap and freeze if making ahead.
- Make Vanilla Buttercream: Beat butter on medium-high until smooth and lighter in color. Mix in vanilla extract and salt on low speed. Slowly add powdered sugar while mixing low, add heavy cream halfway through. Adjust consistency by adding cream or powdered sugar as needed. Stir by hand to smooth and remove air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap.
- Assemble Cake: Place a leveled cake layer on 8-inch cake board with a dab of frosting. Spread an even layer of frosting on each leveled layer and stack. Top with the domed layer for ghost shape.
- Crumb Coat and Chill: Apply a thin coat of frosting to entire cake, smooth with offset spatula and acetate sheet. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes until firm.
- Prepare Colored Frostings: Divide about 1/4 cup frosting to color orange, 2 tbsp each for pink and green, 2 tbsp for brown, and 3 tbsp for black, placing each in small piping bags fitted with appropriate tips. Leave remaining white buttercream in a large piping bag.
- Final Frost and Decorate: Apply a second smooth layer of white buttercream using offset spatula and acetate sheet. Pipe squiggly lines around base to create a ruffled ghost effect.
- Pipe Face and Decorations: Trace ghost face and pumpkin shapes lightly with toothpick. Use black frosting to pipe ghost’s eyes and mouth, pink for cheeks, orange for pumpkin and bow, white for ghost arms, and brown and green for pumpkin stump and leaf details.
- Enjoy: Once decorated, the Ghost Cake is ready to serve and delight your guests with its festive look and delicious flavor.
Notes
- Flour should be measured properly: spoon into measuring cup then level with a knife or use a kitchen scale.
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for better mixing and texture.
- Chill cake layers in freezer before assembling to make stacking and frosting easier.
- Crumb coat and chill before applying final frosting layer for a smooth finish.
- Adjust buttercream consistency with cream or powdered sugar for easier frosting application.
- Make cake layers and frosting ahead and freeze for easier assembly later.
- Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in fridge up to 1 month or freeze up to 3 months; stir well after thawing.
- Refrigerate frosted cake up to one week or freeze up to one month; thaw in fridge to minimize condensation.
- Use extra frosting to cover cut sections of leftover cake to keep moist.
- This recipe is adaptable to 6-inch, 7-inch, or 8-inch layers or can be made as a sheet cake using same batter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/24 of cake)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
