Adorable Ghost Cake with Sprinkles (No Fondant Needed!)

Why be scary when you can be spooky-cute? This adorable ghost cake with sprinkles is proof that Halloween treats can be more sweet than spooky. With layers of moist chocolate cake, rich ganache, and a draped candy “sheet,” this friendly little ghost is ready to charm your party guests.

Happy October, friends! As usual, time flies and I can’t believe we’ve already arrived at spooky season. This year I’ve decided to keep things on the spooky-sweet side. That’s the vibe I wanted to capture with this ghost cake, inspired by an adorable little shelf-sitter I spotted on Pinterest. It was so cute, I knew I had to put my spin on it in cake form.

Now, a ghost cake like this might call for fondant since it drapes so easily into a sheet shape. But I didn’t have any on hand. What I did have was plenty of candy melting wafers, which reminded me of my favorite candy clay recipe (you might remember it from my ). Candy clay is surprisingly simple to make, and it’s pretty forgiving to work with. For this ghost, I gave it a double covering – the first layer as a pink “petticoat” and the second as a white sheet with candy sprinkles all over it, just like its polymer clay cousin.

Make the Chocolate Cake

Underneath the double layer of candy sheets is a tall stack of mini chocolate cakes. It’s made with the easiest cake batter to throw together, and it may seem a little crazy/wacky () because it contains no dairy or eggs. I chose it because it makes quicker work of this baking project. And the end result is deeply chocolaty, rich, and surprisingly moist!

Mini Baking Pans

You’ll need some special cake pans for this. Prep five and one with flour-based baking spray. Pour in the batter to 3/4 full and bake until well risen. A toothpick tester inserted near the center should come out clean when they’re done.

Keep in mind that, even though these are mini cakes, they will still need a while to bake because of their depth. The 4″ cakes will take about 45 minutes, and the 5″ cake will take 55 minutes.

After they cool, level the tops of the 4″ cakes so that they look like this (above). They should be about 1 1/4″ tall each. Save the scraps for a snack or for cake pops.

Do not trim the top off of the 5″ cake. That’s going to be the ghosty’s head and we need to keep the dome shape.

Make the Ganache Frosting

This is a simple ganache that anyone can make, and takes about 5 minutes to whip up. Combine heavy cream and chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips, which keeps things quick and easy), microwave at 100% power for 1 minute and let stand for 1 minute. Then whisk until a smooth shiny ganache forms. Let it stand at room temperature to thicken, or you can place it in the refrigerator, checking and stirring every 15 minutes. It should be thick but still spreadable, like soft peanut butter.

Build the Ghost Cake

Begin by stacking and frosting the 4″ cakes. Stack the layers into an even tower and cover completely with the ganache; smooth evenly. This doesn’t have to be perfect because it will be completely covered by the candy sheets later. The end result should be about 7″ tall with the ganache filling between the layers. This is the ghost’s body.

Next, trim the edges of the 5″ cake to 4″, keeping the dome shape and height. Cover completely with ganache and smooth as evenly as possible. Refrigerate all of the layers while you make the candy sheets.

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Make the Candy Clay Sheets

Most important – if possible, use . I have tested this recipe with other melting wafers, and most have an excess of fat/oil in them which makes for a very loose clay that won’t set up well. It is possible to knead out the excess oil, but it takes a while and it is very messy. So – beginners especially – go with Wilton here. Also, you’ll spend a lot less if you purchase them from your local grocery or craft store.

For the pale pink petticoat, place 24 oz. of pink candy melting wafers and 6 oz. of white melting wafers in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments at 100% power, stirring well between intervals, until melted and smooth. Next, add in corn syrup. Fold together until the mixture thickens and forms an unsticky dough. Knead well until smooth and pliable. Immediately turn out the candy onto a work surface covered with parchment paper. Top with another piece of parchment and roll out slightly larger than an 18″ circle. Cut an 18″ circle from the dough. I used my largest pizza pan as a guide which helped a lot! Allow the candy to set up until firm but still malleable enough to drape.

Cover the Cake with the Candy Sheet

Pick up the pink candy sheet and drape it over the stacked 4″ cakes. Gently coax the sheet into folds using your fingers to create and arrange the pleats. Place the domed cake piece on top and push a dowel through the top and all the way through the cakes so that they are anchored together.

For the white outer sheet, repeat the candy sheet-making process with 30 oz. of bright white candy melts (2 1/2 bags). Drape the candy sheet over the dome, smoothing it down around the ‘head’ and pinching and arranging the hanging pleats with your fingers.

Cut Out The Ghostly Eyes

Use a 2″ teardrop shaped fondant cutter to stamp out the eyes. This cutter is normally used to make flower petals, but it really works well here! If you don’t have one, you could make round eyes using the round end of a large decorator piping tip (or if you’re confident – freehand it!). Stamp all the way through to the ganache and peel away the cut-outs.

Add the Candy Sprinkles!

My favorite part! Large, bold sprinkles will make your adorable ghost cake even more adorable! I used of sprinkles with the large rod-shaped pieces that look like oversized ice cream sprinkles. It comes with a sprinkle grabber, which I never knew I needed. But I do need it and now I’m glad it’s in my toolbox. Use a little melted candy to dip one side of the sprinkles in, then attach to the white sheet portion. Use the four larger sprinkle sizes in the tacklebox for the right scale and effect. I couldn’t find the exact same heart candies I used, but there are some similar ones for purchase .

This adorable ghost cake with sprinkles will be the belle of the Halloween Ball! I’m even thinking about a variation – one with a double petticoat using purple and orange candy and spider sprinkles for a slightly spookier (but still cute!) version.

Make sure you place sprinkles all the way around – that way it’ll look good from all sides. The perfect Halloween party centerpiece.

While this adorable ghost cake with sprinkles looks too cute to spook, don’t let its sweet disguise fool you. Because underneath all that candy coating is a rich, fudgy chocolate cake that’s every bit as delicious as it is adorable. Spooky-cute on the outside, chocolaty and irresistible on the inside… no tricks, all treats!

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