My Black Chocolate Kahlua Cake is baked in a skull cake pan for the best Halloween dessert you'll make this year! A spooky two-layer chocolate cake flavored with espresso, black cocoa powder, and a hearty shot of Kahlua liqueur. It's finished with a luscious black mocha buttercream and covered in white candy melts and shimmering sugar for the ultimate Halloween celebration centerpiece!
Y'all this recipe has been years in the making! I wanted to bring a great show stopping dessert for all your Halloween party needs and I wanted it to be perfect.
Y'all. The way my family (none of whom like chocolate desserts) devoured this cake???? It was worth the effort of developing this recipe.
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Spooky Chocolate Kahlua Halloween Skull Cake!
Let me talk to you about this cake, friend. First of all, there is not a single dry crumb in the vicinity! There is nothing worse than a dry, crumbly cake, especially when it's meant for special occasions.
The skull halves are made with black cocoa, a little espresso and buttermilk for plenty of flavor and rich, chocolate goodness. Then we sandwich the two halves together with a black cocoa and espresso buttercream frosting.
The chocolate kahlua cake I made is more like what you'd expect when using a mold or bundt cake pan: a denser cake to form into all the nooks and crannies in the skull mold.
We can stop there...but you know I'm Team Extra so I didn't! I painted on some white candy melts and covered the warm candy in white shimmering sugar for a glittery glam skull.
She is easy to whip up, she is moist and delicious, and she is so spooky, y'all. Everyone will be in shock and awe when you bring this to the party!
What is Black Cocoa, really?
Black cocoa is an ultra-dark, Dutch-processed cocoa powder that’s been heavily alkalized to remove acidity. This gives it a smooth, mellow flavor with a rich, almost Oreo-like taste. Unlike regular cocoa powder, it doesn’t add a bitter punch to baked goods, making it perfect for dark, dramatic desserts like cakes and cookies. Plus, its deep black color creates stunning visual contrast, especially when paired with white or light frostings.
Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Black Cocoa Powder - black cocoa has a lot smoother flavor than our typical bright brown 'natural' cocoa powder. If that bitter cocoa flavor is something you need, sub in half Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder, which is a mix of Dutch-processed and natural cocoa.
- Granulated Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda - I say it every time, friend: have you bought baking soda in the last 6 months? It starts losing its potency after 6 months, so get some fresh from the store!
- Kosher Salt
- Kahlua - this is a very commonly found coffee liqueur. If you don't drink alcohol, sub in more espresso.
- Instant Espresso Powder - espresso amplifies chocolate in baked goods, but the amount added also gives us a delicious coffee flavor, especially with the Kahlua.
- Full-Fat Buttermilk - you'll need full fat buttermilk to keep this cake moist and to activate the baking soda.
- Melted Butter and Neutral Oil - I found that the butter flavor gives the cake more richness than without it, but the recipe does work with just oil!
- Vanilla Extract
For the Buttercream
- Black Cocoa Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- Instant Espresso Powder
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla Extract
- Kosher Salt
How to make a Chocolate Skull Cake:
Make the Black Chocolate Skull Cake
Step 1 | Preheat the oven and generously grease your skull pan in some magic cake goop (my baking must have!) or spray it down with nonstick baking spray.
Step 2 | Whisk the hot coffee, Kahlua, melted butter and oil, and cocoa powder together in a mixing bowl. Using the hot oil blooms the chocolate flavor and the flavor of the coffee boosts the chocolate as well!
Step 3 | Whisk to combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 4 | Whisk the hot chocolate-oil-coffee mixture into the dry ingredients then mix in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
Step 5 | Pour the cake batter into the prepared skull pan. It will be liquidy!! Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 50-55 minutes. Use a cake tester or a toothpick that comes out clean to check for doneness, or an instant read thermometer (pull at 205-210 degrees F).
Step 6 | Cool the cakes in the pan for 10 minutes before you carefully remove them from the pans, transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely face-side up!
Put them Together!
Step 1 | Once the cakes are at room temperature, spread your buttercream onto the back halves of the two cakes using an offset spatula.
Step 2 | Press the halves together and use a skewer to hold the two cakes together. You can stop here (I swap the skewer for a knife for serving) and sprinkle on a little powdered sugar for serving. But I did a little more decorating.
Let's Talk Cake Decorating
You can go a ton of different ways with decorating this halloween cake. I kept it (relatively) easy to decorate by spreading on white candy melt, which are like white chocolate wafers, then covering the skull in shimmering sugar before the candy hardens. Use the double boiler method to melt the candy melts, it is so much easier to control than using the microwave.
Decorating Ideas
- You can use red food coloring or red candy melts to make a bloody stab wound in the skull (would a skull make a bloody wound? It does now!) or have 'blood' coming from the eye sockets to make it really scary.
- Make an easy chocolate ganache glaze or powdered sugar glaze to just pour over top of the skull.
- Turn this into a Sugar Skull Cake by decorating the cake with brightly colored buttercream and candy melts.
Variations and Pro Tips
- Did the cakes dome up while baking? No problem! Carefully use a serrated knife to cut the domed parts off (and eat 'em!)
- Using dark cocoa powder, like Dutch process cocoa, will work in this recipe, the cake just won't be black in color.
- Tap the pan a few times (lifting it up into the air an inch or two and dropping it) to get rid of any air bubbles in the cake batter.
Storage Instructions
You don't need to refrigerate any leftover cake! Our skull friend does best in an airtight container (like a cake dome) at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Equipment I Used
- Skull Pan - The 3D skull mold is the Nordic Ware Haunted Skull Pan. It's a 9 cup pan with two halves.
- Baking Sheet - the cake pan itself isn't flat on the bottom, it will need something to be on in the oven or it'll tilt on the racks.
- Stand Mixer - I use this for the buttercream, but you can use an electric hand mixer as well.
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Wilton's Candy Melts - you can find these almost anywhere during a holiday season (September through December, and Easter). But you're going to find them year round at Walmart!
- Shimmering Sugar - this is a chunky, shiny kind of decorating sugar. You can find them in stores like Target, Walmart, craft stores like Michaels, or online.
More Halloween Recipes
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Black Chocolate Skull Cake for Halloween
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
- Magic Cake Goop (my recipe)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup black cocoa powder, or Dutch-processed cocoa
- ½ cup unsalted butter, hot
- ½ cup vegetable oil, hot
- ½ cup instant espresso, hot
- ½ cup coffee liqueur, I used Kahlua
- 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup full fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 12 ounces white candy melts, for decoration
- shimmering sugar, for decoration
Black Mocha Buttercream
- ⅔ lb powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- a hearty pinch of kosher salt
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease your skull pan with magic cake goop or spray it with nonstick baking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the espresso, Kahlua, melted butter, oil, and cocoa powder. The hot oil enhances the chocolate flavor, while the coffee adds depth. Let sit for 5 minutes to bloom the cocoa.⅓ cup black cocoa powder, ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup instant espresso, ½ cup coffee liqueur
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until well combined.2 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Gradually whisk the chocolate-oil-coffee mixture into the dry ingredients. Then mix in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.½ cup full fat buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the batter into the prepared skull pan (it will be liquidy!). Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake the cake for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For best results, use an instant-read thermometer; the cake should reach an internal temperature of 205-210°F.
- Remove the skull cake from the oven; allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the skull halves from the pans and transfer them to a wire rack, cooling completely face-side up.
Make the Buttercream
- Sift the sugar, cocoa, instant espresso powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.⅔ lb powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon black cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, a hearty pinch of kosher salt
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.⅔ cup unsalted butter
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and the sifted dry ingredients, ⅓ at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition.
- Add vanilla extract and drizzle in the cream while continuing to beat the mixture until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Cake Decorating and Serving
- Once the cakes are cooled, cut any domed pieces in the back of the cake halves so you have two flat surfaces to press together.
- Smooth the buttercream onto the flat sides of the skull halves using an offset spatula or spoon.
- Sandwich the two halves together with the buttercream between them. Grab a skewer or two and stab them through the top of the head to keep it secure. You can stop and serve here with a sprinkle of powdered sugar for easy serving.
- Optional Decoration: Melt the white candy melts per product instructions, then smooth the melted candy over the skull, section by section. After you finish a section of the skull, cover the wet candy in white shimmering sugar. Continue until the entire skull is covered.12 ounces white candy melts, shimmering sugar
- To serve, remove the skewers and replace them with a long, thin knife that you'll use for slicing the cake.
Recipe Notes
Decorating Ideas
- You can use red food coloring or red candy melts to make a bloody stab wound in the skull (would a skull make a bloody wound?) or have 'blood' coming from the eye sockets to make it really scary.
- Make an easy chocolate ganache glaze or powdered sugar glaze to just pour over top of the skull.
- Turn this into a Sugar Skull Cake by decorating the cake with brightly colored buttercream and candy melts.
Variations and Pro Tips
- Did the cakes dome up while baking? No problem! Carefully use a serrated knife to cut the domed parts off (and eat 'em!)
- Using dark cocoa powder, like Dutch process cocoa, will work in this recipe, the cake just won't be black in color.
- Tap the pan a few times (lifting it up into the air an inch or two and dropping it) to get rid of any air bubbles in the cake batter.
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