Description
Create a festive Jack-o’-Lantern Cake perfect for Halloween celebrations. This easy-to-make pumpkin-shaped cake uses simple spice cake mixes and vanilla frosting tinted orange. Decorated with black fondant and Oreo cookie eyes, it’s a fun and spooky centerpiece that serves 32 guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 2 packages spice cake mix (regular size)
Frosting
- 3 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting
- 2 to 3 teaspoons orange paste food coloring
Decoration
- 1 ice cream cake cone (about 3 inches tall)
- 2 Oreo cookies
- 1 package (24 ounces) ready-to-use rolled black fondant
Instructions
- Prepare and bake the cakes: Follow the package instructions to prepare and bake the two spice cakes in 10-inch fluted tube pans. Once baked, invert the cakes onto wire racks and allow them to cool completely.
- Tint the frosting: While the cakes cool, mix 2 to 3 teaspoons of orange paste food coloring into the vanilla frosting until a vibrant orange color is achieved.
- Shape the pumpkin: Trim a thin slice off the bottom of each cake to create flat surfaces. Spread orange frosting on the bottom of one cake, then press the flat sides of both cakes together to form a pumpkin shape.
- Insert support and frost: Place a foil ball in the center of the cake to support the stem. Cover the entire cake with the remaining orange frosting smoothly.
- Add the stem: Position the 3-inch ice cream cake cone on top of the cake center, serving as the pumpkin stem.
- Create the face: Roll out a small piece of black fondant to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out shapes for the pumpkin’s mouth and nose, then set them aside. Remove the tops from the two Oreo cookies and carve half-circle shapes out of the cream filling to form eyes.
- Decorate the cake: Gently press the Oreo cookie eyes and the black fondant mouth and nose pieces into the frosted cake to create the jack-o’-lantern’s face.
Notes
- Use foil to create a sturdy base for the ice cream cone stem to prevent it from sinking.
- Keep leftover black fondant wrapped tightly in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out for future use.
- For a deeper orange frosting color, add paste food coloring gradually until the desired shade is reached.
- The cakes can be baked a day ahead and wrapped to keep them fresh before assembling.
- This cake serves about 32, making it perfect for large parties or classroom events.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 32 servings)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
