How To Make An Amazing Candy Corn Cake Slideshow

You can make this candy corn cake with basic baking tools.
To make this festive cake, you will need three nine-inch cake pans, plenty of parchment paper, yellow and orange food coloring, sprinkles, a large offset spatula, and a rotating cake stand.   You also need the ingredients for a vanilla cake and frosting.

This simple vanilla cake is made with a creamed butter method.

We used a standard vanilla creamed butter cake recipe for the three layers, like this yellow cake recipe from Flour Bakery. You will need to make one-and-a-half recipes for three, nine-inch layers. You can also make three thinner layers and remember to adjust the cooking time accordingly. To simplify the process you could also use a white cake mix, mixed according to the instructions on the box.

For the signature candy corn look, you will need three distinctly colored layers:  white, orange, and yellow. Divide your batter evenly into three separate bowls, and then add three to five drops of the yellow food coloring into one bowl, three to five drops of the orange coloring in the second bowl, and leave the third bowl of batter uncolored. Stir the batter to completely incorporate the coloring and rid it of any streaks.

Make sure you butter and flour the pans, knocking the pans on the counter to free any loose flour. Then, cut parchment to fit in the bottom of the pan. Next, bake the cakes according to the recipe, until it springs back slightly when touched. Once the cakes are baked, allow them to cool in their pans on the counter for about five minutes. Then, turn them out onto a parchment lined surface, and gently peel back the parchment stuck to the bottom of the cake. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature, or speed up the process by placing them in the fridge.

Once your cakes are cooled, you need to trim the layers if uneven using a serrated bread knife. Of course, because the colors on a piece of candy corn are uneven you could opt to keep them untrimmed.

You can use store-bought white frosting or make your own. We chose a simple vanilla buttercream, like this recipe for Italian meringue buttercream. You should double this recipe so you have plenty of frosting for all three layers.

To stack the cake, start with your bottom layer, then apply about one cup of buttercream to the top of the first layer and spread around until it is evenly distributed. Continue this process for the next two layers.

The crumb coat doesn't need to be thick or perfect. The purpose of the crumb coat is to seal in the crumbs so you have a clean application of frosting on the final coat. Coat the entire cake to seal in the crumbs and then place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Use a large offset spatula, and generously coat the cake with frosting. Start at the top of the cake and smooth out the frosting. It's okay if it runs off the edges slightly. If you are using a rotating cake stand, hold your offset still at a 30 degree angle and rotate the cake for a smooth finish. Repeat this on the sides of the cake, this time holding the offset vertically.

Now that the cake is coated in frosting, you can apply the tri-color sprinkles. Combine your orange, white, and yellow sprinkles in a bowl, and mix to combine. Start with the top of the cake and disperse the sprinkles until evenly coated. For the sides, scoop some of the sprinkles in your hands and gently press them into the cake, working your way up the cake. You can also use a sheet of clean parchment to evenly press the sprinkles into the frosting.

Now to add the finishing touches to your candy corn cake, apply the candy corn itself by gently pressing some into the frosting in a random pattern. At this point you can store the cake in the refrigerator until serving or serve immediately.