Trick or Treat Sheet Cake
Ingredients:
Cake:
1 box white, vanilla, or Halloween Funfetti cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup Halloween sprinkles (omit if using Funfetti mix)
Frosting & Decorations:
2 sticks salted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4–6 tablespoons heavy cream
Orange and purple gel food coloring
1/2 tablespoon black cocoa powder (plus more if needed)
Halloween sprinkles
Candy corn
Edible bat candies or sprinkles
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch pan or use a disposable pan.
In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, water, oil, eggs, and pudding mix until smooth.
Fold in sprinkles if you’re using a non-Funfetti mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake according to the box instructions.
Let the cake cool completely.
To make the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add the remaining sugar, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons of cream. Mix until smooth and fluffy, adding more cream if needed.
Divide the frosting: Tint half orange. Tint 1/4 purple. Mix the final 1/4 with black cocoa powder to create a dark chocolate frosting. Add a little more cocoa if needed to deepen the color.
Spread the orange frosting evenly over the cooled cake and decorate with Halloween sprinkles.
Pipe the black cocoa frosting along the left and right edges using a shell tip, then top the border with candy corn.
Use a 1M tip to pipe the purple frosting along the top and bottom borders, and finish with bat sprinkles or candy.
Slice and serve!
Notes:
Ingredient Notes:
White or Vanilla Cake Mix – You can use a Halloween Funfetti mix or add your own sprinkles to a plain vanilla or white cake mix. Both work great.
Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix – Adds moisture and a soft, bakery-style texture to the cake. Make sure it’s instant, not cook-and-serve.
Halloween Sprinkles – If you’re not using Funfetti cake mix, toss these into the batter for extra color. You’ll also use more on top.
Black Cocoa Powder – Gives the frosting a deep, rich color without food coloring. Great for adding a dramatic Halloween look.
Candy Corn & Bat Sprinkles – These make decorating super easy and instantly festive. You can swap in any Halloween candy you like.
Gel Food Coloring – Use gel instead of liquid for bold orange and purple hues without thinning the frosting.
Before You Bake:
Do I need to chill the frosting before piping?
Not usually! As long as your butter is soft and your kitchen isn’t too warm, the frosting should be pipeable right after mixing.
Can I use a different cake mix flavor?
Yes! White, yellow, or vanilla all work. Just avoid chocolate if you want the frosting colors and sprinkles to pop.
What kind of food coloring works best?
Gel food coloring gives the brightest color without making the frosting runny. Liquid drops won’t be as vibrant.
Recipe courtesy of Life and Sprinkles.com