It's always a little bittersweet when a fun summer ends, but the excitement of fall — and especially Halloween — is just around the corner! And what better way to celebrate than with a party?
These mini coffin-shaped chocolate cakes are the perfect creepy treats for the season. They're super easy to make with boxed cake mix, and you can decorate them with any of your favorite Halloween sprinkles or cake toppers. Make thinner cakes for individual servings (more fun than cupcakes!) or thicker cakes for sharing.
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Servings:
4 thick cakes or 8 thinner cakes
Tools You'll Need
- Rectangular 9 x 13-in. cake pan
- Baking spray
- Knife
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cup
- Hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Piping bag
- Ruler
- Serrated knife
Ingredients You'll Need
- Chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup black cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- Halloween-themed sprinkles and toppers (bones, tombstone toppers)
1. Bake the chocolate cake
Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the package instructions and bake it in a 9 x 13-inch pan sprayed with baking spray. Let the cake cool completely.
Tip
For added flavor, substitute milk or buttermilk for the water called for in the mix.
2. Make the buttercream
While the cake cools, whip the unsalted butter on low speed. Gradually add the salt, powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, and milk. Once everything is combined, increase the speed to high and whip until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
3. Fill the piping bag
Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and set it aside.
4. Flip and trim the cake
Once it has cooled, turn the cake onto a cutting board and turn it back upright.
Trim the edges and the top to create an even surface. Save the cake scraps for later use.
5. Cut coffin shapes
Slice the rectangular cake in half both horizontally and vertically to form four smaller rectangles.
Tip
Use a ruler and a serrated knife for clean, even cuts.
6. Score the cake
On one of the small rectangles, lightly score the cake with your knife, marking half of the cake vertically.
Then, score a quarter of the cake horizontally. This will guide you in cutting the coffin shape.
7. Cut the coffin shape
Using the half-cake marking, cut triangle shapes from the bottom to create the base of the coffin, making sure to keep the vertical marking centered.
Then, use the top quarter mark to cut smaller triangles for the top of the coffin, again keeping the vertical marking centered and not cutting past the quarter marking.
Tip
You can cut out four thick coffin-shaped mini cakes or eight thinner coffin-shaped mini cakes by cutting it in half horizontally on the side of the cakes.
8. Frost the cakes
Pipe a layer of buttercream onto each mini coffin cake.
9. Add the cake scraps and toppings
Crumble the reserved cake scraps with your hands (or with a fork) and sprinkle them on top of the cakes. Decorate the cakes with Halloween-themed toppings of your choice. Enjoy!
Tip
If you have leftover cake crumbs and frosting, use them to create cake cups.
