Candy corn cake is three layers of moist, fluffy, gluten free vanilla cake layered together to look like a candy corn. Top these layers with creamy healthy vanilla frosting for an unforgettable Halloween cake.
Are you a fan of candy corn? I’ve always felt like this is a controversial question when it comes to Halloween candies. It’s typically the polar opposite. Either you love candy corn or you hate it. There doesn’t seem to be an in between.
For me, I’ve always enjoyed candy corn with a handful of peanuts. That sweet and salty mix is the combo of my dreams. I always remember my mom buying a bag of candy corn and pumpkins around Halloween time.
I’m pretty sure they were never all eaten, but it’s kind of a must now that I buy at least one bag and have them as a grab snack during our Halloween party.
So to honor this timeless Halloween snack, I wanted to make a candy corn cake. The colors are so synonymous with Halloween, that once you slice into it, everyone is going to know it’s meant to look like a candy corn.
Healthy base for candy corn cake
With the Chocolate Graveyard Cake earlier this week not being one of the healthier options on this site, I thought it necessary to share a healthy cake for the end of this week.
Although, I will say that this cake does not taste like it’s healthy at all. It’s dense but light at the same time. Which is kind of a necessity when you’re about to eat technically three pieces stacked on top of each other.
The main ingredient in this gluten free candy corn cake is plain Greek yogurt. But it needs to be the whole milk version. This has the necessary fats that will take over for both the traditional butter and eggs, in an otherwise not so healthy cake.
Pure maple syrup gives the sweetness the candy corn cake needs without being too cloyingly sweet.
We then alternate flour, coconut oil and Silk cashew milk {my all-time favorite non-dairy milk} until a gorgeous batter comes together.
Yellow, orange, white candy corn cake layers
Now for the coloring part. I always use gel food coloring because it tends to mix in smoother and adds a better texture to the cake.
Obviously the yellow is pretty self explanatory. The orange is a bit of a different story. I had to double check that my color mixing skills were correct {and they were}. Red + Yellow = Orange. Mix the two together to get your bright orange.
Just note that the batter is going to look both neon yellow and neon orange. You want it that way!
The color is going to lessen as the cakes bake, so you have to make sure it’s pretty intense before they go in the oven.
Healthy frosting for candy corn cake
This is probably one of the simplest healthy frostings I’ve ever made {although this one comes in a close second…and very delish!}.
All that’s required is a bit of plain Greek yogurt, organic powdered sugar {I really love the Wholesome brand} and vanilla sugar free, fat free Jell-O pudding mix. The pudding mix really helps firm up the frosting.
Frost and store your cake in the fridge if you’re making ahead. I also highly suggest not to decorate with candy corns until just ready to serve. They start to bleed into the cake and aren’t very pretty at that point. So hold back on the decorating until the very end.
Now serve this highly delicious, highly terrific gluten free candy corn cake to your Halloween buds and watch them be spooked by the fact that it’s both healthy and gluten free!
Looking for more healthy Halloween Treats? Check these out!
Healthy Chocolate Eyeball Cupcakes
- 3 cups gluten free flour*
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup raw cane sugar
- 3 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup Silk unsweetened vanilla cashew milk
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- yellow and red gel food coloring
- candy corns for decoration
- 2 cups plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar
- 1 {1 oz} box sugar free, fat free Jell-O pudding mix
- 2 tsp. vanilla
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Preheat oven to 350°F and grease three 8" round cake pans with baking spray.
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In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Set aside
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In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, syrup, sugar and vanilla.
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Mix in 1/3 of the flour until combined. Stir in half of the coconut oil until combined. Stir in half of the milk until combined.
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Repeat until you end with flour and batter is smooth.
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Split the batter among three separate bowls {a little over 2 cups per bowl}.
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In one bowl, stir in plenty of yellow food coloring until smooth and combined.
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In a separate bowl, stir in a mix of yellow and red food coloring to create orange. Stir until smooth and combined. Leave the last bowl white.
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Spread each batter in an even layer in the prepared pan and bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
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Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together all of the frosting ingredients. Place in the fridge to chill while the cakes bake and cool.
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Once the cakes have cooled completely, place the yellow cake on the bottom and top with two large spoonfuls of frosting.
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Press the orange cake on top of the yellow and spread another two large spoonfuls to top.
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Finish with the white cake and spread the frosting all over the cake.
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Decorate with candy corns either around the bottom or top of the cakes.**
*If using GF flour, make sure it's the 1:1 baking mix, meaning that xanthan gum is included in the ingredients.
**If you're serving the cake later, make sure to decorate just before serving. The frosting will "melt" the candy corns otherwise.
