Celebrate fall or Halloween with a festive candy corn themed cake! The flavor and texture of this cake are delicious and people will swoon when you cut into it.
I have always been intimidated by making layer cakes because of the work required to make them look really good. But guess what lesson I’ve learned recently? It’s something I tell my boys all the time: NEVER SAY NEVER. Because every time I say I’ll never do something, I end up wanting it…needing it in my life.
One month ago and every day of my life leading up to that point, I said I would NEVER bake or decorate cakes. There you go. Words of doom. Now they’re are all I can think about. I have so much to learn, but this totally irresistible candy corn cake was my first attempt at making a pretty cake. Make this festive cake for your next Halloween or fall party and you’ll hear all kinds of oooo-ing and ahhhh-ing.
HOW TO MAKE CANDY CORN CAKE
MAKE THE CAKE
Preheat oven to 350°F and generously spray three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans (or you can do this with one cake pan, baking one at a time) with cooking spray. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, sugar, egg whites and almond extract and beat on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Add the milk gradually and mix until creamy.
Divide the cake batter between three same-size bowls. Leave one as-is. Add yellow food coloring to one and neon orange to the last to match candy corn colors. Pour batter individually into the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the rounded tops off each cooled cake.
MAKE THE FROSTING
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, powdered sugar and almond extract. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE LAYERS
Place the yellow cake in the center of a cake stand or serving plate. Spread the frosting evenly and generously over the top in an even layer. Top with the orange cake and repeat frosting. Top with the white cake.
Using an offset or icing spatula, apply white frosting to the sides of the cake and create a smooth surface. Repeat on the top of the cake. Decorate with candy corn and cover cake until ready to serve!
RECIPE TIPS: MAKE THE MOST FESTIVE CANDY CORN CAKE AROUND!
Consider adding orange or yellow food coloring to the frosting for an orange frosting or yellow frosting option!
To save time, prepare a box cake mix according to package directions. Use a white cake mix for this.
If you have time, add a crumb coat to the cake before spreading the remainder of the frosting on.
Go crazy with the candy corn as the decor. The more, the merrier. So fun!
Personally I like having the darkest color on the bottom of the cake, but switch it around if you want! Go white layer, yellow layer, orange layer from bottom to top, if desired.
WHY DO SOME RECIPES CALL FOR EGGS TO BE USED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
Allowing your eggs to come to room temperature is important for a couple of reasons. One, they will mix better with your batter, and then let the cake mix raise better as it bakes. Also, the cake will take a little longer to bake if room temperature eggs are used but creates a perfect cake that has a great texture. If a cake has a high fat content, adding cold eggs could affect re-hardening the fat. Finally, eggs that are needed to be created into a foam for a recipe will have better volume if warmed to room temperature.
SALTED BUTTER VS UNSALTED BUTTER
Ahh, the great baking debate. Many bakers use unsalted butter in their baked goods in order to avoid over-salting. I, however, believe that there is no such thing as “over-salting.” I always use salted butter in my baked goods (and for everything else under the sun) because it gives everything I make an extra touch of salty deliciousness. If you go the unsalted route, keep in mind that you may need to add a bit extra salt to the recipe!
OTHER DELICIOUS HALLOWEEN TREATS
Best Pumpkin Bars -These bars make the perfect fall dessert. They are moist, irresistible and full of yummy pumpkin flavor. Great for your next fall gathering.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – Don’t let those delicious little pumpkin seeds go to waste when carving pumpkins! Learn how to prepare those raw pumpkins seeds. Season and roast them, they’re easy to make! They turn into a delicious little fall snack that will get gobbled up by all.
Halloween Snack Mix – This sweet and salty Halloween Snack Mix is a great Fall snack to have on hand. It is perfect for a handful on the run or a great snack for kiddos after school! It’s also great for Fall- or Halloween-themed parties! Mix and match the snacks you have on hand to build your snack mix.
Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake -The only thing better than salted caramel apples is Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake! This is the perfect fall treat and a great way to use up any type of apples.
Candy Corn Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 egg whites
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk room temperature
- yellow and neon orange food coloring
- candy corn for decorating
Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 6 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 3 tbsp milk up to 6 tbsp, as needed
Instructions
Make The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously spray three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans (or you can do this with one cake pan, baking one at a time) with cooking spray. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, sugar, egg whites and almond extract and beat on medium speed until creamy and free of lumps.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. Add the milk gradually and mix until creamy.
- Divide the cake batter between three same-size bowls. Leave one as-is. Add yellow food coloring to one and neon orange to the last to match candy corn colors. Pour batter individually into the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the rounded tops off each cooled cake.
Make The Frosting
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar and almond extract. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Assemble The Cake
- Place the yellow cake in the center of a cake or serving plate. Spread the frosting evenly and generously over the top in an even layer. Top with the orange cake and repeat frosting. Top with the white cake.
- Using an offset or icing spatula, apply frosting to the sides of the cake and create a smooth surface. Repeat on the top of the cake. Decorate with candy corn and cover cake until ready to serve!
Does using salted butter give the cake or frosting too salty of a taste? I typically have used unsalted for vanilla cake and buttercream. Making this next weekend for my mom who loves candy corn! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Caitlin, Good question! If a recipe calls for salted butter, it’s because it’s using the salt from the butter and not adding any additional sources of salt. So if you only have salted butter and you saw salt being added, you could have the amount of salt you are adding. However, in this recipe, I was intentional about using salted butter. The salted butter can help cut the sugar taste with some desserts. If you prefer to switch it up, it’ll still be a delicious recipe.
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I’m going to follow your recipe exactly. Looks amazing!
Yay! Let me know how it turns out – it’s such a fun, festive cake, everyone loves it even if they aren’t huge candy corn lovers. 🙂
I absolutely love how this cake looks! It’s guaranteed to be a hit at any get together. What a great recipe, Megan 🙂
Thank you!
Such a fun and festive cake!
Beautiful cake! Lovely for Fall.
I don’t know if I could love this cake any more!!! It’s so happy and looks/sounds delicious. 🙂