Ghost cake is a spooky Halloween cake made with dark chocolate cake layers, mascarpone cream filling, black buttercream, and cute meringue ghosts.
This ghost cake is made with rich black cocoa cake layers, a light mascarpone filling, and a smooth black buttercream for a fun Halloween dessert.
I decorated this Halloween cake with homemade meringue ghosts for a spooky but cute finish that works well for parties, birthdays, and fall celebrations.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fun Halloween design - A spooky black cake topped with cute meringue ghosts.
- Rich chocolate flavor - Made with black cocoa powder for dark cake layers and deep cocoa flavor.
- Light and creamy filling - Filled with mascarpone whipped cream to balance the black buttercream.
Ingredients you need
- Cake flour
- Black cocoa powder: Choose alkalized black cocoa powder (low-fat, like King Arthur or Cocoa Barry).
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Eggs: room temperature
- Vegetable oil: Use neutral oils like canola or grapeseed oil.
- Buttermilk
- Coffee
- Vanilla & Salt: Choose pure vanilla extract and fine salt for balanced flavor.
- Mascarpone cheese: cold.
- Heavy cream: full fat and cold.
- Sugar: granulated sugar and powdered sugar.
- Butter: unsalted butter
- Food coloring: For a bold black, try AmeriColor Super Black, Chefmaster, or Wilton gel colors—super intense and won’t mess up the texture!
- Chocolate: Melted chocolate works perfectly for drawing little ghost eyes and mouths!
Tips for this recipe
- Use room-temperature ingredients: They blend more easily into the cake batter and buttercream.
- Sift the black cocoa: It helps avoid lumps in the cake batter.
- Chill the cake between steps: A cold cake is easier to fill, frost, and smooth.
- Use a cake ring if needed: It helps keep the layers straight while assembling.
- Add the ghosts at the end: This keeps the meringues crisp and clean.
How To Make A Ghost Cake
These cake layers are from my Black Cocoa Cake recipe.
Sift the cake flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
Whisk the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients, buttermilk, and coffee, alternating between them, and mix until combined.
Divide the batter between two prepared cake pans.
Bake in a preheated oven at 330°F (165°C) for about 55 minutes, then cool completely.
Slice each cake in half to create four cake layers.
The cake is covered with my Black Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Heat the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until the sugar has dissolved.
Whip the mixture until the meringue is firm and cooled.
Add the butter and vanilla, then mix until the buttercream is smooth.
Color part of the buttercream with black cocoa powder and black gel food coloring.
For the filling, I use my light Mascarpone Frosting.
Place the cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl.
Whip until the mascarpone cream is smooth and firm.
Place the first cake layer in a cake ring or on a cake board.
Pipe a border of buttercream and fill the center with mascarpone cream.
Repeat with the remaining cake layers, then chill the cake for 20 minutes.
Cover the cake with a thin layer of white buttercream and chill again.
Frost the cake with black buttercream and smooth the sides with a cake scraper.
Decorate with meringue ghosts and Halloween sprinkles.
The ghost meringues are made with my homemade French Meringue recipe.
Serving suggestions
- Halloween party: Serve it as the main dessert on a spooky dessert table.
- Birthday cake: Use it as a black birthday cake for a Halloween-themed party.
- With ghost cupcakes: Pair it with ghost cupcakes for a matching dessert table.
- With hot chocolate: Serve slices with hot chocolate or coffee.
Storage
Store the ghost cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and bring it to room temperature before serving.
Variations
- Ghost Cupcakes: Make my ghost cupcakes for an easier individual version.
- Black Cocoa Cake: Skip the ghosts and keep it as a simple black cocoa layer cake.
- Chocolate Ganache Filling: Use whipped chocolate ganache instead of mascarpone cream.
- Orange Chocolate Cake: Add orange zest to the cake batter for a Halloween flavor twist.
- Red Velvet Ghost Cake: Use red velvet cake layers for a different spooky look.
For an easier Halloween version, try my Ghost Cupcakes.
Recipe Questions
Can I make this ghost cake ahead of time?
Yes, you can bake the cake layers ahead and assemble the cake the next day.
Can I freeze the cake layers?
Yes, wrap the cooled cake layers well and freeze them for up to 2 months.
Can I use regular cocoa powder?
Yes, but the cake will be lighter in color and less intense in flavor.
How do I get black buttercream?
Use black cocoa powder first, then add a small amount of black gel food coloring.
When should I add the meringue ghosts?
Add them shortly before serving so they stay crisp.
More Chocolate Cakes
I hope you’ll love this recipe. If you try it, feel free to leave a comment. Happy baking!
Halloween Ghost Cake
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 10 slices
Description
Halloween Ghost Cake with Black Cocoa and Mascarpone Whipped Cream, Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and cute ghost-shaped meringues (for a 15 cm layer cake - serves 10-12).
Ingredients
Black Sponge Cake
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) cake flour
- 94 g (1 cup) black cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 eggs - room temperature
- 440 g (2 ¼ cups) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 210 g (1 cup) neutral vegetable oil
- 250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
- 200 g (¾ cup) cooled black coffee or water
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- 200 g (¾ cup) mascarpone cheese, cold
- 250 ml(1 cup) heavy cream - full fat and cold
- 3-4 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 egg whites
- 150 g (¾ cup) fine granulated sugar
- 330 g(1 ½ cups) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 40-50 g (½ cup) black cocoa powder
- Black gel food coloring
Meringue Ghosts
- Follow the recipe for French meringue.
Instructions
Black Cocoa Sponge Cake
- Preheat the oven to 165°C / 325°F and line two 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk-coffee mixture, gently stirring until the batter is smooth and slightly liquid.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes until fully baked.
- Let the cakes cool slightly, then remove from the pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice each cake into two layers for a total of four cake layers.
Ghost Meringues
- Follow the French meringue recipe and transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Preheat the oven to 100°C /212°F and pipe large meringue blobs onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the meringues for about 1 hour, then let them cool in the turned-off oven with the door slightly open for another hour.
- Melt some dark chocolate using a double boiler or microwave, and use a toothpick or fine brush to draw eyes and a mouth on the meringue ghosts.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- In a heatproof bowl, mix the egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl over a double boiler and heat, whisking constantly, until it reaches 55°C/131°F (about 4 minutes).
- Transfer the mixture to your stand mixer and whip at high speed for about 10 minutes until you have a firm, cooled meringue.
- Gradually add the butter pieces and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth and creamy.
- Divide the buttercream in half.
- Leave one half white, and in the other, sift in black cocoa powder and add a few drops of black food coloring. Mix until evenly colored.
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients: cold mascarpone, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- Whip with an electric mixer on low speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and firm. Transfer the mascarpone whipped cream to a large piping bag.
Layer Cake Assembly
(Assemble the layer cake in a deep cake pan or use an adjustable cake ring for a straight build.)
- Place the first layer of sponge cake in the ring or pan, lined with plastic wrap for easy removal. Pipe a border of white buttercream around the edge of the sponge, fill the center with mascarpone whipped cream, then add the second sponge layer. Repeat for all layers.
- Chill the assembled cake in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the mold and place it on a turntable with a cake board.
- Cover the entire cake with a layer of white Swiss meringue buttercream to trap crumbs. Apply a slightly thicker layer to create a white visual effect when sliced. Smooth the buttercream with an offset spatula and cake scraper, then refrigerate for 20 minutes to set the buttercream.
- Apply a new layer of black buttercream over the entire cake and smooth it using a cake scraper. Let the finished layer cake chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Decorate with meringue ghosts on top and around the sides, adding eyes and other Halloween decorations.
- Be sure to take the cake out 20-30 minutes before serving to soften the frosting and filling.
Equipment
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Storage:
Store in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips:
- Use room temperature ingredients for better mixing.
- Chill the cake between steps for a neater finish.
- Smooth buttercream with a cake scraper for sharp edges.
- Decorate just before serving for the best look.
Note: For best results, use a digital kitchen scale to accurately measure ingredients.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minuts
- Category: layer cake, cake
- Cuisine: American
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