Description
This Stenciled Halloween Sprinkle Cake is a festive and colorful layered cake perfect for celebrating Halloween. Featuring soft, fluffy vanilla cake layers tinted with vibrant yellow and orange buttercream, it is decorated with an ombre sanding sugar pattern using a stencil and topped off with bright round candies for a playful and spooky look. It yields 12 servings and combines classic flavors with stunning seasonal decoration.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Layers
- 8 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar (21 oz)
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (20.25 oz)
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder (7 tsp)
- 2 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Buttercream Frosting
- 8 fl oz pasteurized liquid egg whites (1 cup)
- 8 cups powdered sugar (32 oz)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups unsalted butter (32 oz), at room temperature
- 2 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- Assorted gel food coloring (yellow, orange, and electric orange)
Decoration
- Sanding sugar in white, gold, yellow, and orange
- Parchment paper (for stenciling)
- Orange and yellow round candies, like Sixlets
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare four 9-inch cake pans by lining them with parchment paper rounds and spraying them with nonstick cooking spray to ensure effortless cake removal.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream 8 oz of unsalted butter and 3 cups of granulated sugar together using a mixer on medium speed for 5-6 minutes, or until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, indicating air has been incorporated for a tender crumb.
- Add Eggs: Add the 6 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate them and create a smooth batter.
- Combine Dry Ingredients & Liquids: On low speed, gradually add the 4 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons salt, 7 teaspoons baking powder, followed by 2 1/2 cups of milk and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Mix until the batter is smooth and all ingredients are well combined.
- Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks before decorating.
- Make the Buttercream Frosting – Combine Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup pasteurized liquid egg whites, 8 cups powdered sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mix on low speed until ingredients are incorporated.
- Add Butter: Gradually beat in 4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature on medium speed until the buttercream becomes light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Flavor the Frosting: Add 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract and mix for an additional minute to incorporate flavor evenly throughout the frosting.
- Cut Cake Rounds: Once cooled, carefully slice each cake round horizontally in half to create 8 thin layers total.
- Layer and Tint Buttercream: Tint portions of buttercream using gel food coloring in shades of yellow, orange, and electric orange to create a beautiful ombre effect inside the layers. Spread a layer of colored frosting between each cake layer as you stack the cake.
- Apply Crumb Coat: Cover the stacked cake with a thin layer of white buttercream to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour to set the crumb coat firmly.
- Stencil Decoration: After chilling, place a parchment paper stencil on the cake surface. Apply sanding sugar in an ombre pattern from white to gold, yellow, and orange hues. Cover the top of the cake with orange sanding sugar to create a Halloween-inspired colorful finish.
- Finish Decoration: Carefully remove the stencil from the cake. Decorate the base of the cake with orange and yellow round candies such as Sixlets to add a festive, playful touch to your Halloween cake.
Notes
- Ensure all ingredients, especially eggs and milk, are at room temperature for better batter consistency.
- For best results and safety, use pasteurized liquid egg whites in the frosting.
- You can substitute granulated sugar for sanding sugars if unavailable, but the decorative sparkle may be less pronounced.
- Adjust the intensity of gel food coloring to achieve your desired ombre shade depth.
- Refrigerate the cake after crumb coating to make decorating easier and reduce crumb mixing in the final frosting layer.
- Use a light hand when applying sanding sugar over the stencil to avoid shifting the design.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
