Cute Ghost Cake (with Video)
A fun way to use our viral Ghost Meringue recipe for cake decorating, this simple Ghost Carrot Cake is an easy Halloween dessert to whip up for your family or a Halloween party!
Ghost Cake Recipe
Ella’s school has an annual Halloween party that is truly epic.
An entire floor of the school is transformed into a haunted house, the gym becomes a spooky dance hall, and there are tables of eats and treats.
This year, my contribution to the festivities will be this spooky Ghost Cake. I’m making extras of the ghost meringues to serve on the side.
This is definitely a Halloween dessert for grown-ups; most of the time, Halloween treats are all about the kids and can be rather boring and one-dimensional. This cake features the best fluffy carrot cake recipe, sandwiched together with a tart and sweet cream cheese frosting, and is topped with light, airy ghost meringues for an indulgent and spooky dessert!
Check out my quick video for how to make these ghost meringues, and then don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom to grab our free printable recipe.
Ingredients for Ghost Meringue Carrot Cake
For the carrot cake:
- Oil of choice
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- All-purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg, optional
- Carrots, shredded
For the ghost meringues:
- Egg Whites
- Cream of Tartar
- White Sugar
- Powdered Icing Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Black food coloring <– this set of food coloring has lasted me forever and I love that it creates highly saturated colors with just a drop
For the cream cheese frosting:
- Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature
- Butter, softened
- Powdered Icing Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Pineapple Juice, optional
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: You can either bake 3 small layer cakes, or one large cake and slice it in half or three ways for this simple naked layer cake.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- Cookie sheet
- 9″ Cake Pans <– we did three very thin layers, but you can do two if you’d like
- Offset spatula
- Piping bag
How to Make a Ghost Cake
Start by making your meringues.
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees
With a mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tarter.
Mix on medium speed until soft peaks form and then increase to faster speed.
Alternating between the sugar and powder sugar, add in 1 Tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form.
Add in the vanilla
Using a pastry bag with a circle tip, pipe on the meringues onto a baking sheet starting with a big dollop and then a smaller one.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Once cooled, use black gel for the eyes and mouth.
Increase the oven temperature to 350ºF
Grease and flour your cake pans. You can either bake 3 small layer cakes, or one large cake and slice it in half or three ways.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the oil and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, as well as the vanilla. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add slowly to the oil-sugar mixture, alternating with handfuls of the shredded carrots.
Pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared cake pan(s) and bake 30-45 minutes, starting to test at the 25 minute mark by inserting a cake tester or wooden toothpick into the center to check for uncooked batter.
Cool on a baking rack for two minutes before removing from the pan, to prevent breaking the cake.
Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by blending together all ingredients. Adjust the pineapple juice and icing sugar amounts to your personal preference.
If using one large cake, use a serrated knife to cut in even thirds.
Frost the tops of the cake layers and sandwich together. (You can optionally choose to frost the side of the cake as well.
Garnish with the cooled ghost meringues.
Pin this Cute Ghost Cake for Halloween:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our super simple ghost meringue carrot cake recipe:
Cute Ghost Cake
This spooky Ghost Meringue Carrot Cake is a fun Halloween dessert for grown-ups. It would be perfect for your Halloween party, or a Halloween family night dessert!
Ingredients
For the carrot cake:
- 1 2/3 cup oil
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
- 1 lb carrots, shredded (about 2-3)
For the ghost meringues:
- 4 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- black food gel
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice, optional
Instructions
- Start by making your meringues.
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees
- With a mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tarter.
- Mix on medium speed until soft peaks form and then increase to faster speed.
- Alternating between the sugar and powder sugar, add in 1 Tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form.
- Add in the vanilla.
- Using a pastry bag with a circle tip, pipe on the meringues onto a baking sheet starting with a big dollop and then a smaller one.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Once cooled, use black gel for the eyes and mouth.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350ºF
- Grease and flour your cake pans. You can either bake 3 small layer cakes, or one large cake and slice it in half or three ways.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the oil and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, as well as the vanilla. Set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add slowly to the oil-sugar mixture, alternating with handfuls of the shredded carrots.
- Pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared cake pan(s) and bake 30-45 minutes, starting to test at the 25 minute mark by inserting a cake tester or wooden toothpick into the center to check for uncooked batter.
- Cool on a baking rack for two minutes before removing from the pan, to prevent breaking the cake.
- Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by blending together all ingredients. Adjust the pineapple juice and icing sugar amounts to your personal preference.
- If using one large cake, use a serrated knife to cut in even thirds.
- Frost the tops of the cake layers and sandwich together. (You can optionally choose to frost the side of the cake as well.
- Garnish with the cooled ghost meringues.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Wilton Icing Colors, 12-Count Gel-Based Food Color
-
Hiware 9 Inch Non-stick Cheesecake Pan Springform Pan with Removable Bottom/Leakproof Cake Pan with 50 Pcs Parchment Paper - Black
-
Reynolds Kitchens Non-Stick Parchment Paper - Amazon Exclusive 12 inch - 60 Square Feet
-
Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese Brick (8 oz Box)
-
DOLE 100% Pineapple Juice 46 fl. Oz Can
-
Fresh Brand – Whole Carrots, 16 oz
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 984Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 453mgCarbohydrates: 131gFiber: 2gSugar: 103gProtein: 9g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
This spooky Ghost Meringue Carrot Cake is a fun Halloween dessert for grown-ups (or kids with sophisticated palettes). It would be perfect for your grown-up Halloween party, or a family night dessert!
For more fun Halloween dessert recipes, check out our DIY Poison Apples or our Spiderweb Cupcakes with Cream Filling.