These gluten free Halloween dot cakes are a fun and festive Halloween party treat that’s easy to make! A gluten free chocolate cake mix is layered with homemade vanilla buttercream and Halloween colored nonpareil sprinkles in glass jars for easy transport. This Halloween dessert can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and is beginner friendly.
Gluten Free Halloween Dot Cakes with Boxed Cake Mix for an Easy Halloween Party Treat!
As much as I LOVE Halloween, I haven’t really shared any festive Halloween recipes here over the years so I am so pumped for this one! These Halloween dot cakes are a fun and festive treat that’s surprisingly easy to make. They start with a gluten-free boxed chocolate cake mix for a simple shortcut, then get topped with homemade buttercream frosting dyed a vibrant shade of orange. Dipping the frosting in Halloween-colored nonpareil sprinkles gives them their characteristic crunch
This gluten free Halloween dessert is rich, chocolatey, and perfect for Halloween parties, fall gatherings, or whenever you’re craving a festive dessert that looks impressive without a lot of fuss. Assembling the dot cakes in wide-mouth half-pint canning jars shows off each distinct layer and makes transporting these Halloween party treats a breeze!
JUMP STRAIGHT TO:
- Key Ingredients
- Why I Prefer Making These Dot Cakes in Jars
- How to Make Gluten Free Dot Cakes with Homemade Buttercream
- More Halloween Party Treats
Key Ingredients to Keep These Easy and Fun
To keep prep easy, I prefer to use my favorite boxed gluten free chocolate cake mix from King Arthur (not sponsored). It’s seriously so moist and rich and I’ve served it to many people who can’t even tell it’s gluten free! You can use any gluten free or regular cake mix that you like. Make sure to check the box to see what ingredients you need to add. For the King Arthur mix, you’ll need just eggs, vegetable oil, and water.
For the vanilla buttercream, we’re keeping it simple with unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. To ensure these Halloween dot cakes are super festive, I recommend dying the buttercream orange. You can use gel coloring or a natural food coloring depending on your preference.
In order to achieve the look of the viral dot cake, and to ensure the sprinkles actually stick to the buttercream, you need to use nonpareil sprinkles (the tiny round beads). Most stores carry white nonpareils with the sprinkles which would still look great paired with the chocolate cake and orange frosting. I went the extra step and ordered a Halloween mix of colors!
Why I Prefer Making These Dot Cakes in Jars
After messing around with a bunch of different containers during recipe testing, I ended up preferring to make these dot cakes in standard wide-mouth half-pint canning jars (either from Ball or Kerr). Here’s why:
- You can distinctly see each layer! They’re so much more festive when you can see the layers of dark brown cake, orange frosting, and Halloween colored sprinkles.
- They can easily be covered with their lids for transporting, and the jars are reusable! If you’re traveling to a Halloween party, simply pop on the lids, and place the gluten free dot cakes back in the cardboard box the jars came in! They won’t move around and everything stays perfectly intact.
- I love the cake to frosting ratio that the space in the jars allows.
- You’ll have just enough cake and frosting to make 12 Halloween dot cakes, which is typically how many jars come in a package!
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Dot Cakes with Homemade Buttercream
Since we’re using a boxed cake mix, baking the cake is pretty straight forward. You’ll mix the batter according to the directions and bake it in a 9×13 pan lined with parchment. Parchment is key because we’ll need to easily lift the cake out once it’s cooled!
The cake needs to cool completely before you begin assembly. It can even be made the day before! Simple cool it then cover it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. Once the cake is cool, you’ll mix the buttercream. To make the homemade buttercream festive, I like to dye it orange! Gel colors will give you the most vibrant results without affecting the texture of the buttercream.
Now for assembly! Remove the cooled cake and place it on your work surface. Find a round cookie cutter (or use one of the jars) to cut 12 rounds out of the cake. I used a 2 5/8-inch cookie cutter and it was perfect! You should have just enough room for 12. Place the rounds of cake into each jar, making sure the flattest side sits on the bottom of the jar. The scraps = instant snack!
Pipe the buttercream into each jar to cover the cake, making sure to overfill past the top of the jars (very important!!). Then, go in with a palette knife to level off the frosting with the top of the jar, scraping off any excess.
As soon as you level off the top of the buttercream, invert the jar and dip the frosting into the nonpareils. They won’t stick if you leave the buttercream to sit for too long because it starts to dry out and form a slight crust. Press firmly so that the nonpareil sprinkles stick.
Since we’ve made these in jars, you can place the lid on each to transport or store them, easy-peasy! Keep in mind that after the first day, the nonpareils will lose their characteristic crunch and will soften. They will still taste just as delicious, though!
More Halloween Party Treats
Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party this year, or attending one, here are some of my favorite fall recipes that can double as Halloween party snacks, desserts, and drinks:
- If you want something for more developed palates and have a little extra time to play around in the kitchen, I love these dark chocolate bonbons with a creamy pumpkin filling and salted pepita brittle.
- I love the ease of this apple cider mocktail that can easily be batched for a crowd in a pitcher! Want something with a blood-red hue? Go with this cranberry and blood orange mocktail!
- For an easy appetizer that is simply dump and bake, I highly recommend this baked feta dip with pears, honey, and walnuts! It disappears fast so beware…
Halloween Dot Cakes (Gluten Free & Easy!)
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
These gluten free Halloween dot cakes are a fun and festive Halloween party treat that’s easy to make! A gluten free chocolate cake mix is layered with homemade vanilla buttercream and Halloween colored nonpareil sprinkles in glass jars for easy transport. This Halloween dessert can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and is beginner friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 box King Arthur gluten free chocolate cake mix, or your favorite boxed mix
- 4 large eggs, or the amount needed per the instructions on the box
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil, or the amount needed per the instructions on the box
- 1 1/3 cups water, or the amount needed per the instructions on the box
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Orange gel food coloring, optional but recommended
- 8 cups powdered sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
- 1 3.5–ounce bottle Halloween colored nonpareil sprinkles
- 12 wide-mouth half-pint canning jars
Instructions
Preheat the oven to the temperature indicated on the box of cake mix. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the sides to help remove the cake once it is baked.
Mix the chocolate cake batter according to the instructions indicated on the box, then pour the finished batter into the lined baking pan. Bake according to the box directions until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 30-35 minutes.
Place the baking pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool completely in the pan before proceeding, about 1-2 hours.
Once the cake is cool, make the buttercream. Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter on medium-low to medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and paddle then add the vanilla and your desired amount of gel food coloring. I went with a heaped teaspoon. With the mixer on low, slowly begin to incorporate the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle then add 3 tablespoons of milk. Beat on medium-low speed, gradually working up to medium high as the milk incorporates into the frosting. Beat for 1-2 minutes on medium high until the buttercream is thick and creamy. If it seems a bit too thick, add another tablespoon of milk.
Use the parchment paper to lift and remove the cake from the pan then carefully flip it over onto your work surface or a large cutting board. Using a round cookie cutter that is the size of the canning jars, cut out twelve rounds of cake. Use an offset spatula to help lift each round of cake, then place the flattest side down into each jar.
Fill a large piping bag or gallon ziptop bag with buttercream. If you’re using a ziptop bag, snip off one of the corners. Pipe the buttercream onto the top of the cake in each of the jars, making sure to overfill them past the top. Then, go in with an offset spatula and level out the surface of the buttercream so that it is even with the top of the jar.
Empty the sprinkles onto a small plate or wide, shallow bowl. Dip the surface of the buttercream into the sprinkles to coat, pressing firmly. Repeat with the remaining cakes.
Serve right away, or carefully put the lid onto each jar for storing or transporting. The cakes can be stored with their lids secured at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. After 4 days, I recommend moving leftovers to the fridge. Enjoy them within the next couple of days.
Notes
- The amount of eggs, vegetable oil, and water will vary depending on the brand of boxed chocolate cake mix used. Make sure to follow the instructions on your chosen box for baking temperature and baking time for a 9×13 pan!
- A 2 ⅝-inch round cookie cutter was the perfect size for using with standard wide-mouth half-pint canning jars.
- Both gel and traditional or natural food coloring will work here but keep in mind that if you use a traditional one, you may need to use slightly less milk.
- Make sure the cake is completely cool before assembly. A cool cake will be much easier to cut.
- You will have cake scraps left over from assembly. You can enjoy them as a snack or assemble a couple of additional jars if you have leftover buttercream.
- If you don’t have a round cookie cutter that is the size of the jars, use one of the jars to cut out the cakes, then clean it off before assembly. If you have trouble with the cake sticking to the jar during cutting, use a small palette knife or butter knife to gently remove it.
- Keep in mind that after the first day, the nonpareils will lose their characteristic crunch and will soften. They will still taste just as delicious, though!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1-2 hours
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
Leave a Reply