Skull Cakes

5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Skull Cakes with a rich and decadent dark chocolate cake, a hint of cinnamon, and a kick of spice are topped with a simple glaze for a spooky and festive Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) or Halloween dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, cupcakes, Dia de los Muertos, Halloween, skull

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

resting time 40

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 211kcal

Author Debi

Equipment

skull cake pans

Ingredients

For the cake:

Non stick Spray oil for the pans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup special dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 & ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chipotle powder or ground cayenne pepper
2 cups cold water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the glaze:

4 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray the skull cake pans with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Non stick Spray oil for the pans
In large mixing bowl combine dry cake ingredients, and mix well.
3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup special dark unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 & ½ teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
Add wet cake ingredients to the dry ingredients.
2 cups cold water, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat with electric mixer on medium to high speed or a sturdy fork until well combined.
Ladle cake batter into the prepared skull pans, filling them about ¾ full. If you have leftover batter, you can make cupcakes, small loaf cakes, or additional skulls after the first batch has baked.
Bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean or until they spring back when pressed gently with a finger.
Carefully remove the pans from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool the skull cakes in the pans for about 10 minutes.
Mix the powdered sugar, water, and cream together in a medium bowl, one deep enough to accommodate the skull face.
4 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup water, 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Once the cakes are completely cool, set up the glazing station. Place large piece of parchment paper or paper towels on the counter. Place a wire rack on top of the parchment paper. This is to catch any glaze that drips off the skulls.
Dip the skull, face first, into the icing, rolling the face around to get it all coated.
Hold the dipped skull over the bowl for a few seconds to let the excess icing drip off.
Set the iced skull cake face up on the glazing station rack. Repeat with the remaining skull cakes and cupcakes. Allow the icing to set up before decorating.

Notes

To remove the baked skulls from the pan, gently pull the cake away from the sides of the pan using your fingers. Then, turn the skull pan upside down on top of a cooling rack. The skulls should pop out after a few seconds. Leave them on the cooling rack to cool completely before glazing and decorating.

Thicker icing will coat more, and require fewer dips. Thinner icing will be easier to work with, as it won’t grab ahold of the skull when you dip it. But you may want to dip the skull two of three times to get a more solid coat. If you want to thin the icing a bit, add a little more water or cream, only about a teaspoon at a time, mixing in completely before adding more so you can see the texture.

Storage: Refrigerate any leftover cakes in airtight containers for up to 5 days. The icing will shrivel a bit the longer they are in the fridge.

These can be made ahead, making them perfect for Halloween, Halloween, Day of the Dead, and pirate parties.

Nutrition