No fright-night get-together is complete without a spooktacular Halloween cake. Shopping for skull, ghost, or jack-o’ lantern-shaped cakes? How about a tasty 3D haunted mansion or frosting-oozing brains for your party centerpiece this year? These top-selling Halloween cake pans make it easy to whip up spooky snacks like these—and more.
Several top-rated bakeware brands make fun and frightening novelty Halloween cake pans. Wilton and Nordic Ware have terrific designs, including non-stick pans that preserve all the gory details and make cleanup a breeze. You can also find detailed skull, spider, and brain-shaped silicone cake pans, plus 3D Halloween cake pans perfect for making creepy centerpieces.
Here are our top Halloween cake pan picks and where to find them online and in stores.
Nordic Ware Halloween Cake Pans & Bundt Pans
Nordic Ware takes the top spot for the best Halloween cake pans. Their selection includes everything from zombie, skull, skeleton, casket, and graveyard cake and cakelet pans to an intricate haunted mansion Halloween bundt pan. Nordic Ware’s complete Halloween cake pan collection is available on Amazon at competitive prices. You can also find Nordic Ware cake pans at Target, Walmart, and many home goods stores.
All pans feature Nordic Ware’s signature non-stick coating on heavyweight cast aluminum. Like all Nordic Ware products, these Halloween cake pans last for years.
Wilton Halloween Cake Pans
Wilton is always a top choice for novelty designs, and their Halloween cake pans don’t disappoint. Wilton has everything from jack-o’ lantern, ghost, and haunted house cake and cupcake pans to spooky bundt pans.
Wilton offers its entire bakeware collection, including Halloween cake pans, on Amazon. You can also find Wilton cake pans and baking accents in grocery stores, home goods stores, and Target and Walmart.
Plus, if you need Halloween baking accents, Wilton’s got you covered. In Wilton’s online Halloween shop, you’ll find eyeball sprinkles, spider web doilies, zombie hands cake toppers, and much more. If cookies are more your speed, Wilton also has Halloween cookie cutters to pair with their spooky sprinkles and Halloweeny toppers.
Silicone Halloween Cake Pans
Silicone Halloween cake pans come in all shapes and sizes, and many feature intricate details. You’ll find designs for skulls, spooky heads, brains, spiders, spider webs, caskets, hearts, eyeballs, and more in silicone cake, cupcake, and mini cakelet pans.
Amazon has the most extensive collection of silicone Halloween cake pans online. You can also find silicone cake pans at Walmart, Target, and home goods stores. However, seasonal designs tend to sell out quickly in stores, so online is your best bet for silicone pans.
Silicone cake pans are typically marketed as non-stick. However, to preserve every detail, most bakers grease, and flour intricate silicone designs. Another tip, place silicone cake pans on a cookie sheet for easy maneuvering while baking. Silicone pans are also easy to clean—just pop them in the dishwasher when you’re done.
3D Halloween Cake Pans
Sculptural cakes are all the rage, and you can easily create a centerpiece-worthy Halloween cake using 3D cake pans. Amazon has a wide array of 3D Halloween cake pans online. You might find a few 3D Halloween pans in-store at Walmart, Target, and home goods stores. However, online is typically the best place to shop for unique 3D cake pans.
How 3D Halloween Cake Pans Work
Most 3D cake pans have two halves, typically front and back sides. To make a 3D cake, first bake each half flat, just like a standard layer cake. Once cool and released, use frosting and a few wooden dowels or bamboo skewers to connect the halves and support the structure. After assembly, simply frost and decorate your spooktacular masterpiece.
Transport Your Spooky Halloween Creation Safely
Heading to a Halloween get-together or a school or office party? Transporting cakes and frosted goodies can be downright frightening. This year, forget your grandma’s scary plastic wrap-and-toothpicks method. Here are three easy ways to transport your Halloween cakes and treats without damage.
1. Use a Cake Carrier
Cake carriers with locking lids and carrying handles are specifically designed to transport cakes safely. Most cake carriers hold a three-layer cake with room to spare. Most also have removable tiers that fit multiple single-layer cakes or one to two-dozen cupcakes. Some even have compartments for stowing candles, utensils, and napkins or have collapsible sides for easy storage.
2. Use an Ice Chest or Cooler
Don’t have—or don’t want to buy—a cake carrier? No problem! A large cooler or ice chest can do the trick just as well. Simply center your cake on a cardboard tray that fits the cooler’s base so it won’t slide and touch the sides. Remember to secure the bottom of the cake to its cake plate or disk with a dollop of frosting, then attach that to the cardboard base in the cooler with tape to prevent sliding.
3. Use a Cardboard Box
You can always use a cardboard box to transport your cake. Place the cake on a larger plate or platter, ideally one that touches the sides, then lower the cake into the box. If the plate or platter has room to move, secure it by stuffing napkins or paper towels between the rim and the side of the box.
That’s a Wrap!
You can easily create spooky yet delicious cakes that are perfect for any Halloween party with any of these cake pans. Whether you want to make a classic jack-o’ lantern cake for a school party or a creeptastically unique 3-D skull or zombie-head cake, there’s a pan for that. Plus, however you transport your cake, give yourself plenty of time to set it up in your carrier, ice chest, or box to avoid scary results.
Finally, here are some kid-safe Halloween decorating ideas to check out if you’re planning a party for the little ones!