27 Halloween Birthday Cakes

Updated May 15, 2017
Credit: Oxmoor House

Whether you were born on the spookiest day of the year or you're just obsessed with Halloween, we've got 27 spooky Halloween birthday cakes that are perfect for the occasion. Featuring favorite fall flavors like pumpkin, warm spices, candy, chocolate, and a little bit of Halloween fright, these cakes make for a scrumptious celebratory centerpieces. Whether you want to go overtly goul-ishly good or have a slightly more subtle and sophisticated autumnal feel for your celebratory sweet, we have you covered. So dig in, your ideal Halloween birthday cake awaits you. 

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Bat Cake

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Bat Cake Recipe

For the Halloween crafter inside all of this, this simple Halloween sheet cake is a fun, easy dessert to make. Devil’s food cake is very dark chocolaty color, but a red velvet cake would look just as fitting and festive for the bat, too. Piping bags and tips are found in craft stores or specialty baking shops. Be sure to cut the cake rounds in the prescribed order so that the bat’s head with ears comes out as 1 of the cuts.

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Witch's Hat Cake

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Witch's Hat Cake Recipe

For a spooky spin on your Halloween-inspired sheet cake, look no further than this festive witch's hat cake. We opted for boxed cake mix for simplicity, but if there's a homemade recipe you prefer, that works too. As long as you're ready to get a little crafty and extra witchy, this easy, Halloween dessert will come together in a flash.

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Deserted Graveyard Cake

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Ed Gallagher

Deserted Graveyard Cake Recipe

Prepare this decadent, chocolate-frosted cake for a festive Halloween dessert. 

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Halloween Bundt Cake

Credit: Sara Tane

Halloween Bundt Cake Recipe

This epic bundt-on-bundt cake earns its title by mimicking a children's jack-'o-lantern candy pail at the end of a highly successful night of trick-or-treating. It's guaranteed to be an instant hit at any Halloween party--especially once you cut in and let the haul of candy spill of for your guests. In order to create the full pumpkin pail cake pictured, you will need to double the Pumpkin-Walnut Bundt Cake recipe below to make 2 bundt cakes. For best results, we recommend preparing the 2 batches of cake batter separately, rather than doubling the ingredients listed and dividing the double batch of batter between 2 bundt pans. If you only have 1 bundt cake pan at home, you can prepare your first cake all the way through baking, then clean the pan and prepare the second cake while the first cools on a wire rack. All of that said, this toasty and perfectly spiced fall cake is a delicious, crowd-pleasing treat even without all of the bells and whistles, so preparing just on bundt to enjoy for dessert is a fine way to go. But if you take this route, you will only need half the amount of Cream Cheese Frosting (and you don't necessarily need to color it pumpkin orange). 

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Mummified Candy-Corn Cake

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Ed Gallagher

Mummified Candy-Corn Cake Recipe

This festive candy corn-colored cake is sure to impress your Halloween guests. 

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Boo-tiful Pumpkin Cake

Credit: Oxmoor House

Boo-tiful Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Make two recipes of this pumpkin cake and create your own tasty pumpkin!

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Spiderweb Spice Cake

Credit: Mark Thomas

Spiderweb Spice Cake Recipe

Colored candies are all you need to transform a chocolate cake into a creepy, crawling Halloween-themed cake. Don't worry, even with the spiders you won't be able to resist this delicious confection.

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Pumpkin Toffee Crunch Cheesecake

Credit: Charles Schiller

Pumpkin Toffee Crunch Cheesecake Recipe

Bring Halloween cheer to the dessert table with this too-cuke cheesecake. Keep it simple by preparing just about everything for this cake ahead of time.

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Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze Recipe

We take the classic flavors of pumpkin pie (pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg) and transform them into a tall, moist, tender Bundt cake. Whole-wheat flour enhances the fall flavors without sacrificing the tender crumb. To finish it off: a smooth, shiny bittersweet chocolate glaze that drips into all the nooks and crannies. Look for baking spray (cooking spray with fine flour added), or simply coat the pan with cooking spray, add a tablespoon of flour, and shake gently to coat. If you don't have a Bundt pan, you can bake in two standard loaf pans. Cut the loaves into slices, and drizzle the glaze over each serving.

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Salted Caramel Gingerbread Poke Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

Credit: Daniel Agee

Salted Caramel Gingerbread Poke Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

The flavors of gingerbread, salted caramel filling, and pumpkin cream cheese frosting marry to become the ultimate fall and holiday poke cake. This cake is a great snack cake or dessert and it's pretty enough to serve to guests. One taste and you're sure to bring this cake to potlucks all season long.

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Pumpkin-Rum Cake with Brown Sugar Icing

Credit: Oxmoor House

Pumpkin-Rum Cake with Brown Sugar Icing Recipe

Pumpkin, a classic holiday flavor, gets blended with a yummy pecan streusel and doused with a fudgelike icing in this cake, an Editors' Favorite.

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Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake Recipe

There's nothing more festive than ending your holiday meals with a beautifully garnished cake like our Marbled Pumpkin Praline Cake. This wintry white cake showcases sugared pecans, kumquats, and bay leaves.

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Graveyard Cake

Credit: Mark Thomas

Graveyard Cake Recipe

Halloween desserts definitely call for having a little extra fun in the kitchen. This kinda-cute, kinda-creepy Graveyard Cake is easy to make, fun to decorate (so recruit the kids’ help), and is sure to be a perfectly spooky centerpiece for any Halloween dessert table. Black icing transforms store-bought cookies into perfectly-sized miniature headstones for the chocolate-frosted graveyard cake. And once you’ve placed your headstones, crumble chocolate wafer cookies around each to create “dirt.” Just be sure to make each "gravesite" the serving size you want to ensure easy slicing. Disperse a few candle “lanterns” throughout the chocolaty graveyard and you have the perfect cake for a Halloween birthday party. The classic chocolate cake recipe here is decadent and moist standby, but if you’re in a pinch for time, feel free to use your favorite boxed cake mix instead. Obviously, it’s all about the decorating on for this Halloween-inspired treat.

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Spider Web Cake

Spider Web Cake Recipe

This incredibly fudgy flourless chocolate cake is a much better way to satisfy your own spooky sweet cravings than dipping into your kids’ Halloween candy. Dark and delightful, this rich and chocolatey cake only requires five ingredients and about an hour to pull together. That said, this decadent Halloween dessert does need to chill for at least 6 hours before you slice, so plan accordingly. After the cake has chilled and you’ve covered it in a sleek layer of chocolate glaze, simply draw on your spider web using a white icing pen. Keep in mind, your web doesn’t have to be perfect! Finish it with a couple of candy spiders or draw your own with the icing. Trust us, a chocolate-on-chocolate spider web cake is a welcome addition to any Halloween party.

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Halloween Kitty Cake

Credit: Oxmoor House

Halloween Kitty Cake Recipe

What a sweet kitty this is! The cake is baked, cut into shapes and then put together to make a purr-fect cake for any Halloween party.

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Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Cake

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

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Almond Spider Cakes

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Linda Hirst

Almond Spider Cakes Recipe

A web of sugary goodness awaits you in these Halloween cupcakes. Almond paste in the batter and a colorful almond glaze give these cakes a distinctive nutty taste that kids will love. Top with plastic or gummy spiders for a spooky touch.

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Pumpkin-Chocolate-Swirl Cheesecake

Credit: Theresa Raffetto; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Pumpkin-Chocolate-Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

Family and guests alike will give thanks over this decadent, seasonal Pumpkin-Chocolate-Swirl Cheesecake.

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Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze Recipe

If you’re looking for the perfect fall dessert, let the hunt stop here. This incredibly moist pumpkin pound cake is one of our favorite cakes of all time. Perfect for any fall festivities—Halloween, Thanksgiving, and beyond—this easy pumpkin cake delivers just the right amount of spice, balanced by the rich tang of buttermilk (in the mouthwatering glaze and the cake itself). A few smart swaps keep this tasty seasonal treat a bit lighter than a traditional pound cake, but you’re not likely to notice enjoying its perfectly sweet flavor and rich texture. Note: Draining the canned pumpkin before mixing it into your batter keeps you from adding too much liquid to the cake, so don't skip on this step.

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Pumpkin Cake with Little Ghosts

Credit: Oxmoor House

Pumpkin Cake with Little Ghosts Recipe

Don't let this creepy cake fool you, it's infused with hauntingly-good spices, rich pumpkin flavor, and a decadent chocolate drizzle. Even the little ghosts are edible!

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Pumpkin Pie Cake

Pumpkin Pie Cake Recipe

If you like pumpkin pie, you'll love this cake's subtle spice flavors and velvety cream cheese frosting. The slightly sweet and mild pecans add a pleasant crunch to the smooth frosting.

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Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake

Credit: James Carrier

Chocolate-Pumpkin Marble Cake Recipe

Create a marbled bundt cake centerpiece for your fall party by layering two batters (one flavored with pumpkin, the other cocoa) into a bundt pan. Simply draw a knife through the batters to create your own design.

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Praline Pumpkin Torte

Credit: Monica Buck

Praline Pumpkin Torte Recipe

Notes: You can bake the cakes (through step 3) up to 1 day ahead; cover and store at room temperature. Up to 6 hours ahead, assemble layers; cover with a large inverted bowl or pan and chill. Prep and Cook Time: about 1 hour, plus 1 1/2 hours to cool cakes.

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Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cake

Credit: Miki Duisterhof; Styling: Stephana Bottom

Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

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Candy Corn Cake Wedges

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Lynn Miller

Candy Corn Cake Wedges Recipe

Candy corn has never looked so good.

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Frosted Pumpkin Cake

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Sabrina Bone

Frosted Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Pumpkin cake is moist and fluffy and a great change-up from classic pumpkin pie.

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Scissor Fingers Cake

Credit: Oxmoor House

Scissor Fingers Cake Recipe

Just a few little almond slices make these ladyfingers have quite the fingernails!

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