Description
Celebrate Halloween with this festive Stenciled Halloween Sprinkle Cake, featuring a moist vanilla base loaded with orange and black sprinkles, layered with creamy colorful frosting, and topped with spooky Halloween-themed stencil designs dusted in powdered sugar or cocoa powder for a fun and delicious party centerpiece.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- Orange and black sprinkles (about ⅓ cup)
- Halloween-themed stencil (bat, spiderweb, pumpkin, etc.)
- Powdered sugar or cocoa powder for dusting
Frosting Ingredients (Optional)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring (orange, purple, or black)
Instructions
- Prepare the pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper to ensure easy removal.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which usually takes about 3-5 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three additions, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in sprinkles: Gently fold in about one-third cup of orange and black sprinkles to distribute them evenly through the batter.
- Bake the cake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then, transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting (optional): Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk, beating until smooth and fluffy. Add gel food coloring and mix until well blended to achieve your desired Halloween colors.
- Assemble and frost: Frost the cooled cake layers, stacking them with frosting between each layer. Smooth the sides and top using an offset spatula for a clean finish.
- Stencil the cake: Once the frosting has slightly chilled and set, place your chosen Halloween stencil on top of the cake. Lightly sift powdered sugar over dark frosting or cocoa powder over light frosting. Carefully lift the stencil to reveal the festive design.
- Decorate finishing touches: Add extra sprinkles around the base or edges of the cake for additional Halloween sparkle if desired. Chill the cake until serving for best results.
Notes
- Chill the frosted cake before stenciling to get the cleanest and sharpest stencil images.
- Use black sanding sugar or edible glitter as alternative decorative toppings for a sparkling Halloween effect.
- Be gentle when folding sprinkles into the batter to prevent color bleeding.
- Make sure cake layers are completely cooled before frosting to avoid melting the frosting.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 190mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
