This Purple and Orange Sheet Cake is perfect for Halloween! With a made from scratch cake mix and colorful frosting on top, this sweet dessert is sure to be delightful treat for all the boys and ghouls!
Sheet cakes are an incredible invention because they’re just so simple (which is one reason why I love them so much). Made in a large pan you can feed a lot of people with one cake, so parties and get-togethers are a perfect occasion to whip out this Halloween cake recipe.
Halloween Themed Cake Ingredients
Flour: 3 cups of all-purpose flour is the structural base of this batter.
Sugar: You need 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar for a sweet treat.
Milk: Use ¾ cup milk to moisten the cake batter to a good consistency.
Oil: ⅓ cup oil adds the fats needed to keep the cake moist as it bakes.
Butter: For a rich taste, add 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter.
Eggs: 4 eggs will bind the ingredients well.
Lemon juice: Use 1 TBSP of lemon juice for a fresh, light taste.
Extract: Enhance the flavors with 1 TBSP vanilla extract.
Baking powder: Help the cake fluff up while baking by adding 2 tsp baking powder.
Salt: 2 tsp salt enhances the flavors in the cake.
Homemade Frosting
Powdered sugar: You need 5 cups of powdered sugar, this is about what you find in a 2 pound bag.
Butter: Use 3 cups of softened unsalted butter.
Extract: Flavor the frosting with 3 TBSP vanilla extract.
Salt: Add 2 tsp salt to balance the sweetness in this recipe.
Food coloring: Use 1 ¼ tsp of each orange and purple gel food coloring. You will also need ½ tsp of white gel food coloring.
Tips For Perfect Halloween Sheet Cakes
- Choosing Food Colors for Vibrant Designs: Use gel or paste food coloring instead of liquid to avoid thinning your frosting. Gels provide richer hues with less color added, keeping your frosting’s consistency thick. For orange, combine red and yellow gels if you don’t have a pre-mixed orange. Mix colors thoroughly to ensure even shades.
- Tips for Moist Cake: Use room temperature ingredients to ensure even mixing and rise. Be sure to not overmix your batter; blend ingredients just until combined to avoid dense cake.
- Troubleshooting Common Issues: Uneven cake layers can result from unlevel pans or uneven batter distribution; tap pans on the counter before baking to remove air bubbles. To avoid cracking, don’t overbake and always cool the cake completely. If your cake sinks in the middle, check your leavening agents and avoid opening the oven door during baking.
How do you properly pipe frosting on a cake for decorative effect?
Choose the right piping tip for your desired shape; for rosettes, use tip #849, and for dollops, use tip #869. Fill a piping bag evenly with the colored frosting for consistent pressure. We uses a combination of tips, but you can use what you have on hand and your cake is sure to come out beautiful!
To make rosettes, start piping from the outside and move toward the center in a circular motion. For dollops, hold the bag vertically, squeeze to form a mound, then release pressure slowly as you lift away.
How do you store Halloween sheet cake?
Store Halloween sheet cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days to keep it fresh. If it’s frosted with cream cheese or buttercream, refrigerate it and let it come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
You can freeze frosted sheet cake for longer storage. Place the cake (or individual slices) in the freezer uncovered for about an hour to firm up the frosting, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil or place it in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2–3 months, and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving—let it come to room temperature for the best texture.
Pretty Halloween Sheet Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Milk
- ⅓ cup Oil
- 1 cup Butter room temp
- 4 Eggs
- 1 TBSP Lemon juice
- 1 TBSP Vanilla extract
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 2 tsp Salt
Festive Frosting
- 5 cups Powdered sugar
- 3 cups Unsalted butter room temp
- 3 TBSP Vanilla extract
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp + ¼ tsp orange gel food coloring
- 1 tsp + ¼ tsp Purple gel food coloring
- ½ tsp White gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray the 9×13 cake pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla extract, eggs, oil, lemon juice, and milk to the bowl. Use a hand mixer and beat on medium speed until fully combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.
- Combine the butter and flour mixture, beat on medium speed until no lumps remain and all ingredients are fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, spread evenly, and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let fully cool (this can take about an hour).
- While the cake is cooling, place half the butter for the frosting in a large mixing bowl and use the hand mixture to beat it until smooth.
- Add the rest of the butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix again until smooth and combined.
- Add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture, one cup at a time, and beat until fully incorporated. Once finished, place the frosting in the fridge while your cake cools.
- Once the cake is cool and ready to be frosted, place 5 equal portions of the frosting in 5 different bowls. Place 1 tsp of the orange dye in one bowl and ¼ tsp of the orange dye in a second bowl. Do the same exact thing with the purple dye. Place the white dye in the last bowl. Mix until no streaks of white or color appear.
- Place all of the dark orange frosting in a frosting bag with tip #849 and make around 6-7 medium rosettes randomly across the surface of the cake. I do this by starting from the outside and working my way in with a circular motion.
- Place half of the dark purple in a frosting bag with tip #869, however, don’t do rosettes like the purple, do dollops. Do this in around 6-7 spots randomly across the cake. Make the dollops by holding the tip straight up and down, squeezing the frosting into a small pile, lightly pressing down, and then squeezing out more frosting into a small pile on top of the first, ending with a light press down and release of the pressure on the frosting.
- Place the light orange frosting in a frosting bag with tip #862 and place small dollops randomly across the cake. A lot of them. Have fun with it. Do this by releasing a bit of frosting and ending with a light press down and release of pressure (stop squeezing the frosting out).
- Repeat the same exact process as the light orange, with the white frosting, except use its own frosting bag and tip #860. Do even more of the white than the light orange.
- Revisit the dark orange and start doing dollops with the same tip instead of rosettes. Do this all over, where you see fit. This will make stars.
- Add the light purple frosting to a frosting bag and use tip #863 and fill in small holes with small dollops all over.
- Add the rest of the dark purple frosting to a frosting bag and use tip #861 and fill in smaller holes with tiny dollops. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
📫 Save this recipe! Send it to your email! 📩
I consent to receiving emails from this site.
How do I ensure my cake doesn’t stick to the pan?
Spray your 9×13 baking dish thoroughly with cooking spray before adding the batter. You can also lightly grease the pan with butter and dust it with flour to create a barrier between the cake and pan.
Using parchment paper to line the pan, with an overhang on the sides, helps you easily lift the cake out after baking.
How do you know when the Halloween sheet cake is fully baked?
To check doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is fully baked. If batter sticks to the toothpick, continue baking and test again every 3-5 minutes.
What if my frosting gets too warm?
If it’s too warm in your home there’s a simple solution. Just take the cake and the frosting and place them in the fridge. Let them chill for a while before continuing with the frosting. This will help to keep your frosting from melting.
It’s super humid where I live, so I paused about halfway through decorating and placed the cake in the fridge to let the frosting firm back up before continuing. If need be, this is a great way to keep the cake looking perfect at serving time instead of partially melted.
Enjoy more Spooky & Delicious Halloween Recipes here:
- Halloween Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza is a fun and festive treat featuring a soft peanut butter cookie crust topped with gooey marshmallows, Reese’s Pieces, and drizzles of chocolate, caramel, and orange icing. A sweet and colorful dessert that’s perfect for any Halloween celebration!
- These Homemade Halloween Lindt Dark Chocolate Truffles are rich, smooth, and decadent treats made with just 5 simple ingredients.
- Halloween Pretzels are fun, festive treats transformed into Pumpkins, Mummies, and Aliens using just pretzels, chocolate, and candy. Perfect for a spooky and creative Halloween snack!
- Our recipe for Halloween Rice Krispie Treats are festive, marshmallow-packed cereal bars loaded with chocolate and sprinkles. Crunchy, sweet, and fun, they’re the perfect spooky treat for fall!
- Halloween Sprinkle Cookies are soft, festive treats coated in orange and black sprinkles. Easy to make and perfectly sweet, they’re a fun way to celebrate Halloween!
- Quick & Easy Candy Corn Granola Bars are a festive Halloween snack made in minutes. Simple ingredients come together to create tasty, homemade bars everyone will love!
You’re going to love this easy and fancy-looking purple and orange sheet cake recipe. It’s perfect for Halloween and so much fun to make and share with friends. This cake is sure to be the hit of your next Halloween party.
Leave a Reply