If you’re looking to wow your guests this Halloween with a cake that’s as festive as it is delicious, you’ve got to try this Jack-O’Lantern Halloween Cake Recipe. I absolutely love how this cake doesn’t just taste amazing—it’s also a total showstopper with its cute pumpkin face and rich chocolate flavor. When I first tried making it, I was hooked instantly and now it’s my go-to for Halloween parties. Stick around, and I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to nail this spooky treat.

❤️

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Visually Impressive: The Jack-O’Lantern design brings Halloween spirit right to your dessert table.
Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake: The bundt cake is decadently chocolatey and stays moist for days.
Fun Decorating Process: Carving the frosting and piping vines is surprisingly easy and satisfying.
Feeds a Crowd: This cake serves around 30, perfect for parties or family gatherings.

A round cake shaped like a pumpkin, covered in smooth orange frosting with carved black frosting eyes, nose, and a smiling mouth to resemble a jack-o'-lantern. The top of the pumpkin cake is lifted, showing one slice held above the cake, revealing dark brown chocolate cake inside with two layers. Green frosting vines and a small pumpkin stem sit on top of the cake for decoration. The cake sits on a white round base, placed on a white marbled surface with a white brick tile background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients You’ll Need

This recipe comes together with classic pantry staples paired with colorful frosting gels for that perfect Halloween flair. Each ingredient plays a role—from making the cake moist and flavorful to bringing the pumpkin to life with vivid colors. When shopping, look for good quality cocoa powder and fresh eggs for the best results.

Unsalted butter: Softer butter blends beautifully into the batter and frosting, while melted butter helps the cake tin coating stick perfectly.
All-purpose flour: The foundation of the cake; sift it for a light, tender crumb.
Caster sugar: Its fine texture dissolves quickly, ensuring smooth cake and frosting consistency.
Bicarbonate of soda: Leavens the cake, giving it a nice rise and structure.
Fine salt: Enhances all the flavors, don’t skip it!
Cocoa powder: Go for a good-quality, sifted cocoa to deepen the chocolate flavor.
Large eggs: Make sure they’re at room temperature to help with mixing and give the cake lift.
Milk (room temperature): Adds moisture and tenderness; room temp helps the batter come together smoothly.
Orange, green, and black food gels: The fun colors that make the Jack-O’Lantern come alive—gel colors work better than liquid for frosting textures.
Dark chocolate: Melted and mixed into frosting to create the pumpkin stem—rich and indulgent.
American Buttercream Frosting (3 batches): The base for decorating and crumb coating; silky and easy to work with.
Cocoa powder for frosting: Adds a chocolatey depth to the frosting used for pumpkin vines and stem.

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 love experimenting with this Jack-O’Lantern Halloween Cake Recipe, especially when it comes to colors and flavors in the frosting. Feel free to make it your own—I’ve found small tweaks can keep it fresh and exciting for different occasions or dietary needs.

Flavor Twist: I once swapped half the cocoa powder in the cake for pumpkin spice mix—added a subtle warmth that screamed fall.
Dairy-Free Version: Replace butter with coconut oil and use a dairy-free milk alternative; it turns out wonderfully moist and dairy-free friends loved it!
Smaller Cakes: If you want mini Jack-O’Lanterns, use a small Bundt pan or muffin tins—just adjust baking time accordingly.
Alternative Frosting: Cream cheese frosting works nicely too, just color it as you would the buttercream and enjoy a tangier finish.

How to Make Jack-O’Lantern Halloween Cake Recipe

Step 1: Prep Your Bundt Pan Like a Pro

First things first, grab your favorite Bundt cake tin. I use the classic Williams Sonoma 10-inch pan because it bakes into a beautiful pumpkin shape. Brush the inside thoroughly with melted butter — this helps the cake release easily later. Then dust generously with cocoa powder; this not only prevents sticking but gives a slight chocolatey hint to the crust. Don’t forget to tap out the excess cocoa to avoid clumps. Set your pan aside while you prepare the batter.

Step 2: Mix Your Chocolate Bundt Cake Batter

This cake is actually two bundt cakes stacked for that tall pumpkin look, so double the recipe or bake in batches. I like to make one cake at a time—it keeps the batter fresh and lets me focus. Start by preheating your oven: 140°C fan-forced (or 160°C if not fan). In a big bowl, whisk together flour, caster sugar, bicarb soda, salt, and sifted cocoa powder—this ensures even mixing and no lumps.

Next, with your mixer on low, add softened butter a tablespoon at a time to the dry ingredients. Then add the eggs one by one, mixing well each time so they incorporate smoothly. Slowly pour in the milk while mixing, which helps the batter come together silky smooth. After a few minutes of mixing, scrape the bowl down with a spatula to catch any flour at the bottom, then mix for another minute or two. Your batter should be thick but pourable.

Step 3: Bake Your Cake to Perfection

Pour the batter evenly into your prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula. Pop it in the oven for 45–50 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle—it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack. Here’s a little trick I learned: run a butter knife gently around the edges if it’s stubborn. Wash and dry your pan, then repeat for the second cake. Once both cakes are cooled to room temp, use a serrated knife to level the bottom so they stack nicely.

Step 4: Craft the Frosting and Get Creative

To get that vivid pumpkin color, add orange food gel to your buttercream—mix until it’s a bright and even orange. Reserve some frosting for crumb coating; this thin layer catches stray crumbs and keeps your outside smooth. For the chocolate stem and vines, combine cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate with another batch of frosting. Color a little portion green for leaves and vines, and make sure you’ve got a black batch for outlining the spooky jack-o’-lantern face. This multi-colored frosting approach is a game changer for a neat, vibrant look.

Step 5: Assemble and Decorate Your Jack-O’Lantern

Start by securing the first cake on your cake board with a dab of orange frosting, curved side down. Spread frosting on the flat side, then stack your second cake flat side down on top. Slather on a thin crumb coat of orange frosting all over and chill for 2 hours—this step is key for clean decorating.

Next, spread the remaining orange frosting smoothly over the whole cake. Use your spatula to create vertical edges around the cake, mimicking a pumpkin’s ribbed texture—this is so fun to do and really brings the cake to life!

Use a skewer to sketch out the pumpkin face shapes, then carefully carve the frosting away with a small spatula or knife—think of it as pumpkin carving but less messy! Fill in the carved areas with black frosting, smoothing it flat for that classic Jack-O’Lantern look. Pipe the chocolate frosting on top to form the pumpkin stalk, smoothing edges with your spatula.

Finally, fill piping bags with green frosting—one with a leaf tip and the other with a round tip. Pipe delicate vines twisting around the stem and add little leaves to finish. Honestly, it’s magical watching this all come together and impress everyone at the party.

👨‍🍳

Pro Tips for Making Jack-O’Lantern Halloween Cake Recipe

Patience with Chilling: Don’t rush the crumb coat setting; it makes carving the pumpkin face way easier.
Room Temperature Ingredients: This is a game changer—helps the batter mix smoothly and the cake rise perfectly.
Use Gel Food Coloring: Gels provide vibrant colors without watering down your frosting.
Level Your Cakes: Use a serrated knife for a flat stackable surface to avoid a wonky pumpkin shape.

How to Serve Jack-O’Lantern Halloween Cake Recipe

A slice of dark chocolate cake with two thick layers is shown on a white plate resting on a white marbled surface. The cake is covered in bright orange frosting on top and along the side. Small green frosting decorations are on the top edge of the cake and scattered on the plate. A cake server is placed underneath the slice, lifting it slightly. A small piece of cake with orange frosting sits next to the slice on the plate. The background is softly blurred with light tiles, emphasizing the cake slice. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Garnishes

Beyond the jack-o’-lantern face, I like to add a dusting of edible gold glitter for a little sparkle that catches the light—and gives it an extra special touch. You can also scatter some Halloween-themed sprinkles or tiny candy pumpkins around the base for added charm.

Side Dishes

This cake pairs wonderfully with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of freshly whipped cream lightly spiced with cinnamon. For drinks, a warm cup of spiced cider or dark roasted coffee balances the rich chocolate flavors beautifully.

Creative Ways to Present

I once arranged this Jack-O’Lantern Halloween Cake on a rustic wooden board surrounded by miniature gourds and autumn leaves for a festive centerpiece. If you’re serving at a kids’ party, placing small battery lights under the cake stand makes the pumpkin “glow” subtly, creating that authentic Halloween vibe.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I usually keep leftover cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It stays moist and delicious for up to 5 days, which is perfect if you have leftovers after the party—unlikely but it happens!

Freezing

I’ve frozen this cake before with great success. Slice it into portions, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and foil, then place into a ziplock bag. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge. The frosting might soften a tad but still tastes fantastic.

Reheating

If you want to warm up a slice, pop it in the microwave for about 15 seconds—just enough to take the chill off without melting the frosting. It’s like fresh-baked all over again!

FAQs

Can I use a smaller cake pan for the Jack-O’Lantern Halloween Cake Recipe?

Absolutely! If your Bundt pan is smaller, I recommend halving the cake ingredient amounts to avoid overflow and adjust the baking time—start checking around 30-35 minutes. The decorating steps remain the same, just scale your frosting quantities accordingly.
What kind of frosting works best for decorating this cake?

American buttercream is ideal because it’s sturdy yet creamy—perfect for carving and piping details. Using gel food coloring keeps your frosting vibrant and prevents it from becoming runny. You can experiment with cream cheese frosting, but it’s softer and trickier to carve.
How far in advance can I make this cake?

This recipe is great for making a day ahead. Bake and cool the cakes, then crumb coat and chill overnight. Add the final frosting layers and decorations the next day for a fresh, impressive cake that saves time on the party day.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

You can try substituting with a gluten-free flour blend, but results may vary. Make sure your blend includes xanthan gum for structure, and consider reducing baking time slightly. The texture might be a bit different but still tasty!

Final Thoughts

This Jack-O’Lantern Halloween Cake Recipe has quickly become one of my favorite holiday traditions. There’s something so satisfying about transforming a rich chocolate cake into a festive pumpkin that makes everyone smile. Whether you’re baking for a crowd or just want to impress your family, this cake delivers on flavor, fun, and fall spirit. Give it a try—I promise, you’ll enjoy every bite and get tons of compliments too!