• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Biscuits & Cookies
    • Bread & Scones
      • Scones
      • Savoury bread
      • Sweet bread
    • Cake
      • Loaf Cakes
      • Swiss Roll
    • Cheesecake
    • Christmas
    • Cupcakes
      • Muffins
    • Desserts
      • Donuts
      • Fudge
      • Meringue
      • Pancakes
      • Truffles
    • Easter
    • Halloween
    • Sweet Tarts & Pies
    • Traybakes
      • Blondies
      • Brownies
      • Millionaire's Shortbread
      • Rocky Road
    • Valentine's Day
    • Vegan
  • Leftovers
    • Black Treacle
    • Christmas Leftovers
    • Egg Yolks
    • Jam
    • Marzipan
    • Ripe Bananas
    • Semolina
    • Stem Ginger
    • Wholemeal Flour
    • Zested Citrus Fruit
  • Conversions
  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
The Baking Explorer
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Conversions
  • Leftover Ingredients
  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Halloween Red Velvet Drip Cake

    19/10/2018 by thebakingexplorer 27 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    You can enjoy red velvet cakes anytime of year, but I do think they lend themselves particularly well to Halloween with their bright red centres. This Halloween Red Velvet Drip Cake is made with three gloriously scarlet sponges, filled with red fruit jam, covered in sweet vanilla buttercream and dripping in a blood red white chocolate ganache for that spooky factor! It would make a great centrepiece for a Halloween party, try displaying it with a plastic knife stabbed in the centre! Or if it's not the time of year to scare your guests then omit the ganache and serve a pretty red velvet cake instead!

    Halloween Red Velvet Drip Cake

    Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

    • Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the eggs, butter and buttermilk) are at room temperature before you start baking.
    • I prefer to use a baking spread like Stork for the cake, and unsalted butter for the buttercream as I find they provide the best results.
    • For the brightest red shade that stays vibrant and strong after baking, use a good quality professional food colouring. My favourite brands are Pro Gel and Sugarflair. Sugarflair do a shade called Red Extra, which is excellent for red velvet cakes.
    • For all the tips and tricks on how to make a drip cake, including a how to video, check out my Ultimate Drip Cake How To Guide!
    • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
    • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    How to make a Halloween Red Velvet Drip Cake

    To make the sponge, mix the butter and sugar together, then whisk in eggs and buttermilk. Then add self raising flour, cocoa powder, bicarboate of soda and red food colouring and whisk until combined. Divide the mixture equally between three cake tins and bake them for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Set them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

    Next make the buttercream by mixing the butter, icing sugar, milk and vanilla together until smooth. Layer up the cakes, first piping a ring of buttercream around the edge, and then filling the middle with jam. Once they are stacked up, give the whole cake a crumb coat and put it in the fridge to firm up. Then give the cake a final coat of buttercream, and put it back in the fridge.

    Make a white chocolate ganache and colour it red with food colouring. Cover the cake with the ganache and let it drip down the sides, add some extra buttercream around the top and some red sprinkles.

    For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

    Halloween Red Velvet Drip Cake

    How should the cake be stored and can it be frozen?

    The cake should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place and will last for 3-4 days. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.

    Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?

    Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 5 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

    Can this recipe be made gluten or dairy free?

    Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additonal baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 5 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add 1 tsp Xantham Gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free buttermilk for the cake, and dairy free spread and dairy free milk for the buttercream.

    Can this cake be made with two layers?

    Yes! Please check the notes after the recipe at the bottom of this post for details. Please note, the drip is much more effective with a taller cake.

    Can this cake be made in different size cake tins?

    Yes! If you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the cake recipe.


    How do you get the perfect drip?

    It's really important to have a good base for the drip, so the cake needs a 'crumb coat' then a top layer of buttercream. Try and get the top layer as smooth as you can so the drip has a nice even surface to drip down. Each layer of buttercream needs to firm up in the fridge and be chilled when you apply the drip. Be frugal with the drip amounts at first and see how far it drips, then you can reduce or increase the amount of drip you release from the piping bag or squeeze bottle as you move around the cake. For all the information, including a tutorial video and step by step instructions with photos, check out my Ultimate Drip Cake How To Guide!

    More tips for making the Halloween Red Velvet Cake:

    • I filled the middle of the cake with jam for an extra 'bloody' effect, but you could fill with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting instead if you prefer. For my cream cheese frosting recipe check out my Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe.
    • I used a Wilton 1M piping nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto the top of the cake.
    • For an extra gory effect, 'stab' the cake with a plastic knife and drizzle some of the blood red ganache over the blade!
    Halloween Red Velvet Drip Cake

    Troubleshooting

    If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

    Recommended equipment & ingredients*

    • 8" cake tins
    • Mixing bowls
    • Cooling rack
    • Kitchen scales
    • Electric hand mixer
    • Piping bags
    • Red food colouring
    • Decorating turntable
    • Angled palette knife
    • Buttercream scraper/smoother
    • Wilton 1M Piping nozzle

    *I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!

    More red velvet recipes...

    • No Bake Red Velvet Cheesecake
      Red Velvet Cheesecake (No Bake)
    • Red Velvet Cupcakes
    • Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
      Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
    • Red Velvet Traybake
      Red Velvet Traybake
    • Bleeding Brain Cupcakes
    • Red Velvet Cake
    • Cheesecake Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies
      Cheesecake Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies

    More drip cake recipes…

    • Crunchie Drip Cake
      Crunchie Drip Cake
    • Creme Egg Drip Cake
      Creme Egg Drip Cake
    • Cookies and Cream Oreo Drip Cake
      Cookies and Cream Oreo Drip Cake
    • M&M Drip Cake
      M&M Drip Cake
    • Biscoff & Banana Cake
      Biscoff & Banana Cake with Caramel Drip
    • Chocolate Orange Drip Cake
    • Baby Gender Reveal Cake
    • The Ultimate Drip Cake How To Guide
      The Ultimate Drip Cake How To Guide
    • Easter Speckled Egg Drip Cake
      Easter Speckled Egg Drip Cake
    • Biscoff Drip Cake
      Biscoff Drip Cake
    Halloween Red Velvet Drip Cake

    Halloween Red Velvet Drip Cake

    Red velvet cake with jam filling, vanilla buttercream and red coloured white chocolate ganache
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Cake
    Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 16
    Author: thebakingexplorer

    Ingredients

    For the sponge

    • 500 g Butter or baking spread
    • 500 g Caster sugar
    • 6 Eggs
    • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
    • 200 ml Buttermilk
    • 500 g Self raising flour
    • 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
    • 3 tbsp Cocoa powder
    • 1-2 tbsp Red food colouring I use Sugarflair Red Extra or Pro Gel

    For the buttercream

    • 400 g Butter softened, unsalted
    • 800 g Icing sugar
    • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
    • 2-3 tbsp Milk

    For the filling

    • 200 g Strawberry or raspberry jam

    For the ganache

    • 140 g White chocolate
    • 55 ml Double cream
    • Red food colouring

    For decoration

    • Red sprinkles optional
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4, and grease and line three 8" cake tins (that are at least 2" deep)
    • Make the sponge by mixing the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl, ideally using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes)
    • Add the eggs and buttermilk, and whisk until fully incorporated
    • Add the self raising flour and cocoa powder and whisk in gently and just until you can't see any flour anymore
    • Add the red food colouring and whisk gently until you get the desired shade
    • Divide the mixture between the tins, use scales for accuracy if you like
    • Bake them for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave them to fully cool either in the tins or remove from the tin and place on cooling racks
    • To make the buttercream mix the butter and icing sugar together. Once it starts to come together add the vanilla extract and milk, and mix until smooth. Use an electric mixer for best results. If the buttercream is too stiff, you can add more milk
    • If the cakes have domed on top, level them off with a cake leveller or a serrated knife
    • Put one of the sponges on a decorating turntable and put some of the buttercream in a piping bag to pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the sponge - this is to stop the jam seeping into the buttercream that you will spread around the sides of the cake
    • Fill in the centre of the sponge with half of the jam, then add the next sponge on top
    • Do the same again - pipe a buttercream border and fill the centre with the remaining jam, then add the final sponge
    • Use a thin layer of buttercream to fully crumb coat the cake, then put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up
    • Remove from the fridge and smooth on a final thicker layer of the buttercream, use a palette knife or buttercream smoother to make it smooth all over. Refrigerate again for 30 mins
    • To make the white chocolate ganache, put the ingredients into a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds, then stir. Continue microwaving in 10 second blasts, stirring between each blast, until melted and smooth
    • Then add the red food colouring and mix until you have the desired shade
    • Put the ganache into a piping bag and snip a small section off the end, or put it in a squeezy bottle
    • Pipe blobs around the edge of the cake, allowing the ganache to drip down the sides in varying amounts
    • Pipe more ganache on top of the cake and use a palette knife to smooth it out
    • Then put the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a nozzle of your choice and pipe rosettes in a circle on top of the cake
    • Add sprinkles if desired
    • Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in a cool place or in the fridge for 3-4 days
    Made this recipe?Share on Instagram with me @TheBakingExplorer or tag #thebakingexplorer!

    Video

    Notes

    To make the cake with two layers you will need:
    335g Butter, 335g, Caster sugar, 130ml Buttermilk, 6 eggs, 335g self raising flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 tbsp cocoa powder and red food colouring.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 958kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 91g | Vitamin A: 1600IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg

    If you like this, check out more of my Cake recipes!

    Or you might like my Halloween recipes!

    « Halloween Meringue Bone Cheesecake Pie
    Easy Pumpkin Traybake Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food

      October 19, 2018 at 7:02 pm

      5 stars
      I would totally serve this with a Mike Meyers-sized (plastic) butcher knife stuck into the middle! I love red velvet cake anyway, but this one looks so fun and GORY! LOVE IT! Thanks for bringing your Halloween red velvet cake to #CookBlogShare. 😉

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 28, 2018 at 9:44 am

        Yes that would be the perfect way to serve it!!

        Reply
    2. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      October 20, 2018 at 2:49 pm

      Such a lovely deep red colour. Love the use of the jam to make it even more gory looking. A great cake for any Halloween gathering!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 28, 2018 at 9:48 am

        Thanks Cat! It would be great at a Halloween party!

        Reply
    3. Amy

      October 20, 2018 at 4:26 pm

      Wow, this cake turned out beautiful!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 28, 2018 at 9:48 am

        Thank you Amy!

        Reply
    4. Corina Blum

      October 21, 2018 at 7:52 am

      5 stars
      IT sounds absolutely delicious and that red blood ganache is exactly the right colour! I could see it being a very popular cake if it was in our house. Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 28, 2018 at 9:54 am

        Thanks Corina! I'm so pleased with the bright red colour too!

        Reply
    5. Nickki

      October 21, 2018 at 7:53 am

      5 stars
      This cake is so perfect for Halloween!! I love the red “blood” dripping down the side - so effective! The inside looks really delicious too. I would love a slice!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 28, 2018 at 9:52 am

        Thanks so much Nickki! It really is dressed for Halloween 🙂

        Reply
    6. Mila

      October 21, 2018 at 1:59 pm

      Hello Kat!
      I have no words, the cake is absolutely gorgeous! I wish I could place an order for this cake!
      Thanks for sharing at the Fiesta Friday party!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 28, 2018 at 9:51 am

        Aww thank you so much Mila!

        Reply
    7. frugal hausfrau

      October 23, 2018 at 9:12 am

      That is one incredible cake! It doesn't even look real it's so perfect!! Thanks for sharing your creation with us at Fiesta Friday this week!

      Mollie

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 28, 2018 at 9:53 am

        Oh thank you so much! 😀

        Reply
    8. Mayuri Patel

      October 24, 2018 at 10:04 pm

      5 stars
      Just love how the colour of the cake has turned out.. deep red. Looks perfect and just too tempting. Wish I could dig into it.

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 28, 2018 at 9:53 am

        Thank you! Me too it's such a perfect red for Halloween!

        Reply
    9. Amanda W.

      October 25, 2018 at 4:44 pm

      Hi Kat, when the ganache cooled down hours later - do you need to pulse it in microwave so that it goes back to dripping consistency? thanks

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 26, 2018 at 9:42 am

        Hi, yes you can microwave it or warm it in a pan if needed 🙂

        Reply
    10. Sylvie

      December 15, 2018 at 11:34 pm

      5 stars
      What a gorgeous cake, Kat! That red drip is absolutely stunning 🙂

      Reply
    11. B

      August 23, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      Help! I want to make this for a birthday - Can I make the same cake but with cream cheese filling?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        August 23, 2020 at 9:51 pm

        Hi, yes of course, you can make the cake and fill with the filling of your preference 🙂

        Reply
    12. Abbey

      April 17, 2021 at 12:36 pm

      Hi, Do you think this red ganache would work over gray icing, or is it too translucent?

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        April 17, 2021 at 12:54 pm

        Hi Abbey, yes I think it would work well as it's quite thick. Let me know how you get on!

        Reply
    13. Leo

      July 11, 2021 at 1:37 pm

      Hi. I tried to make the white chocolate red but ended up almost finishing a whole bottle of red gel and it was still not as red as this. Please give me some tips on how to make it as deep red as this? I used chefmaster red food gel 🙁

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        July 11, 2021 at 3:45 pm

        Hi Leo, I've never heard of Chef Master sorry so I don't know what it's like. The brands I use are Pro Gel and Sugarflair - Sugarflair do an extra red shade which is even more potent!

        Reply
    14. Kelly Hancock

      October 30, 2021 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for our Halloween party and it was a really fun bake to do! Love the tips for the colour gel, I used progel and its the best red colour I've used!. The cake tastes amazing, I swapped out sprinkles for cake crumbs and used the domed pieces to make white chocolate covered cake truffle eyeballs
      Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • thebakingexplorer

        October 31, 2021 at 10:52 pm

        Hi Kelly, I'm so happy the tips helped you and I'm so pleased you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply

    Leave a review & recipe rating Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Find a recipe

    Hi, I'm Kat! Welcome to The Baking Explorer! Here you will find my easy and delicious collection of recipes and how to guides, to satisfy all of your sweet cravings and baking queries. Everything you see is vegetarian, and there are vegan options too! Read More…

    FIND ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Popular Recipes

    • Lotus Biscoff Cupcakes Lotus Biscoff Cupcakes
    • Maltesers Cheesecake (No Bake)
    • Victoria Sponge Cake Victoria Sponge Cake
    • Biscoff Cheesecake (No Bake)
    • Victoria Sponge Cupcakes
    • Biscoff Cake

    Recent Recipes

    • Mini Egg White Chocolate Fudge

      Mini Egg White Chocolate Fudge

      Mar 31, 2023
    • Chocolate Orange Easter Egg Cheesecake

      Chocolate Orange Easter Egg Cheesecake

      Mar 24, 2023
    • Mini Egg Cheesecake

      Mini Egg Cheesecake (No Bake)

      Mar 17, 2023
    • Creme Egg Chocolate Cookies

      Creme Egg Chocolate Cookies

      Mar 10, 2023
    • Mini Egg Cookie Cups

      Mini Egg Cookie Cups

      Mar 3, 2023
    • Fondant Iced Biscuits

      Fondant Iced Biscuits

      Feb 24, 2023

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    VuelioTop10Badge2022
    Baking Heaven

    Copyright © 2023 The Baking Explorer