This Halloween funfetti cake is a fantastic festive treat made simple, from a tricked-out box mix. So easy, you’ll swear it’s magic, but tastes homemade. What’s the secret to this Samhain treat? It’s a very simple spell. We’re making our box of Halloween funfetti cake mix with rich and flavorful melted butter, adding a colorful swirl, and filling it with spiced apple butter.

Can’t find the Halloween funfetti mix? Use a regular white cake mix, and your own Halloween colored sprinkles (black or brown, orange, and maybe purple) and you will get basically the same results!

If you don’t have a jar of homemade apple butter in the pantry, store-bought is fine. Can’t find any Halloween funfetti cake mix? Use your favorite vanilla cake mix, plus a half cup of fall-colored sprinkles (tossed with a tablespoon of all-purpose flour before adding to the batter). It’s a forgiving formula, but will level up your basic boxed cake with sweet apple cinnamon spice and a dense delicious crumb from the real butter in the batter instead of bland oil. If you really want to make it a next level dessert, make your own buttercream frosting, but sometimes, that regular tub of frosting hits the right nostalgic notes.

And, abracadabra… you made Spooky Spice Samhain Funfetti Witch Cake!

The cards are telling me that you should give this fun fall funfetti cake a spot in your dessert spread! Or, have a slice for breakfast. Which breakfast? Witch breakfast! (If you don’t know, just ask the crows.) Whether you’re pairing it with a pumpkin spice latte, a cup of plain black magic joe, or a pumpkin ale, it’s a sweet and spooky treat for your favorite Spooptober occasion.

title image for recipe, orange frosted cake with halloween sprinkles and vanilla-orange swirl batter. text reads, "box mix baking tricks, spooky spice samhain funfetti witch cake alewyfe.com"

Spooky Spice Samhain Funfetti Witch Cake

This Halloween funfetti cake is a fantastic festive treat made simple, from a tricked-out box mix. So easy, you'll swear it's magic, but tastes homemade.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1 box Halloween Funfetti cake mix
1 cup water 8 oz
3 large eggs
½ cup butter, melted 4 oz
red and yellow food coloring equal parts (3-5 drops each)
1 cup apple butter 8 oz (half-pint jar)
1 pint Halloween Funfetti frosting substitute any vanilla buttercream frosting (tinted orange with food coloring)... homemade is delicious if you have the time

Instructions

Assemble ingredients and preheat the oven to 350℉. Butter & flour two 9" round pans (or use your preferred baking spray).
Melt the butter and mix the cake batter, substituting melted butter for the vegetable oil in the instructions.
Divide about ⅔'s of the cake batter evenly between the two cake pans. To the batter that remains, add equal parts yellow and red food coloring (or orange food coloring) until you reach the desired shade of orange for your swirl.
Drop the dyed orange batter evenly into each pan in several dollops. Using a spatula, trace a swirl through the two batters to swirl the orange batter into the plain vanilla batter. Don't overmix- you want the cake layers to have a visible mottling of the batters. Smooth the top lightly if needed, though the batter will even out while it bakes.
Bake the cakes in the hot oven until a skewer comes out clean (29-33 minutes for 9" rounds). Remove and let cool for 10 minutes, then turn pans upside down to cool on a wire rack. The layers should release cleanly from the pan.
Once the cake layers have completely cooled, place the bottom layer on a cake plate, flat side up. Spread the apple butter filling on the bottom layer, and top with the second layer, rounded side up.
Spread a very thin layer of the frosting on the cake, sealing the apple butter filling and crumbs in. This is easiest with a thin metal cake spatula. Put the cake in the fridge or other cold place to set the crumb coat, wash the spatula, and then add the rest of the frosting. This step isn't entirely necessary, but will give a cleaner frosted cake with less crumbs. Top the cake with festive sprinkles or gel icing spiderwebs.