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three words: Skull Cake Pan

a skull made of cake staring straight at the camera

Ok, look. I know it’s maybe a bit early to be talking about Halloween but I myself think that celebrating Halloween for 1/6th of the year is perfectly reasonable. Also I want you to know about this so you can made as many skull shaped cakes as possible before Halloween because a mid-November skull cake is far less acceptable to take into the office than an early-October skull cake.

(Please excuse the crumbs on his nose, you have to trim the cake after it comes out of the pan and, this being my trial run, things got a little messy.)

This is a 3-D skull cake pan sold by Wilton. You can also find it on Amazon and at the usual suspects of craft stores, at least during the Halloween season.

I went through a serious crush on the 3-D pumpkin cake pan a few years back but never bought it, and I still look fondly at the giant cupcake pan when I see it but again I’ve never inspired to buy. But when I found this skull pan in I immediately grabbed it and carried it around the store with me while looking for all the stuff I came for, just in case all three pans on the shelf were gone by the time I came back around. Even though it was, at the time, August. At first I thought I might be overreacting but when I returned to the store a few days later all the pans were gone. It justified my crazy. A bit.

side of of the skull cake showing how the top and bottom pieces fit together

The back part of the skull is molded so that it sits at just the right angle to stare up at you menacingly from the plate.

butter softening next to my orange mixing bowl, with an orange pumpkin can label and orange logo of my favorite flour

The pan comes with a pumpkin spice cake recipe, and while making it I rediscovered how much I like the color orange.

two containers of cinnamon

Also, thanks to a wonderful girl who happens to be named Cinnamon, I had two types of cinnamon to choose from to use in the cake. The cake was good but too sweet for my preferences. I hope to change it a bit and then maybe add a cream cheese frosting brain surprise inside. Or, oh oh!, cream cheese frosting maggots. Ew.

a view looking inside the pan

The pan is nicely heavy and with a little Baker’s Joy I had no trouble getting the cake to slide out. (A tip from Alton Brown: spray it over the open door of your dishwasher, it won’t leave your floor or countertops slippery and it’s a surface that will be washed anyhow.)

another view of the a skull made of cake staring straight at the camera

I’m in love with this face.

What should I name him?

· comments [71] · 09-7-2010 · categories:food · halloween · things I think are neat ·

71 responses so far ↓

  • 1 megan // Oct 15, 2010 at 10:00 am

    Tammy – I just got off the phone with Wilton and they told me that while the item hasn’t been re-ordered for this year they will bring it back for halloween next year, so with two different responses cross your fingers they’ll carry it again.

    She suggested looking at Hobby Lobby and Party City to see if they can do a store to store transfer, or if you happen to live in Illinois the Wilton store might still have some.

    Baking Bites tracked down the pan here at Baker’s Nook.

  • 2 cmb3 // Oct 17, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    Found and purchased 30 minutes ago at JoAnn Fabric and Crafts
    West Oaks
    43570 W Oaks Dr # B-3
    Novi, Michigan 48377-3302
    248-348-6460

    40% off

  • 3 Pattie @ Olla-Podrida // Oct 21, 2010 at 10:16 am

    Three more words: I WANT ONE!

  • 4 NotMartha's Megan Reardon Spills her Secrets to Making Food Fun | The Family Kitchen // Oct 21, 2010 at 11:33 am

    […] mashed potatoes.  This year, she’s working through a penchant for her newest kitchen toy, a Skull Cake pan, which has already produced a pumpkin cake and Cinnamon Swirl Skull Cake of the Week. Not to […]

  • 5 Creative and homemade Halloween ideas from Megan at Not Martha.com | Haunted San Diego Blog // Oct 22, 2010 at 11:11 am

    […] and she’s got a skull cake pan. […]

  • 6 Kristi // Oct 25, 2010 at 10:12 am

    Came across a skull pan today at Michael’s in Indianapolis. It was the last one and was 30% off so I snatched it up. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could just rent these when you needed them? I’m thinking a red velvet cake in this with strips of white fondant would make for a super cool mummy cake.

  • 7 Lita A // Oct 25, 2010 at 1:26 pm

    This is awesome! This is definitely another pan for my collection! Using a white batter and sponging gray/black food coloring to shade with for depth could also be a possibility! Thanks!

  • 8 Loretta // Oct 28, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    I found one of these at my local Joann (still one left!) and I have cooked all sorts of cakes in it already. Though I may have crossed the line this evening. I threw a lump of BREAD DOUGH in it. It came out pretty well.

  • 9 megan // Oct 28, 2010 at 8:30 pm

    Loretta – That is genius! I’ll have to do that soon to see how it works out.

  • 10 kim // Oct 29, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    Loretta, does the skull pan hold a regular amount of cake batter? Like for a 9×13 or 8″ or 9″ rounds? I wanted to make a cake that wasn’t pumpkin in mine that is the recipe that comes with it. I have a 3 d pumpkin pan i can make that one pumpkin lol Thanks!

  • 11 Sandra // Feb 23, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    I have been desperate to find this skull cake pan for my sister’s wedding in early August. I’d be willing to pay shipping to borrow this pan. I’ll even let you borrow my Wilton Jumbo Cupcake pan, which I haven’t even used yet, while I borrow yours. Please say you’ll help.

  • 12 rex holcomb // Apr 5, 2011 at 12:13 pm

    well i bet it might be a little better than triming it out ..like i have just donr..thought i would try this for son’s bday ..cause he is into the biker stuff also.yes triming him out is a lot of work getting it just right ..but does great if you freez the cake first if u are triming one out .

  • 13 Maddie // Aug 20, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    Did the cake come out dry at all?

  • 14 megan // Aug 23, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    Maggie – No, though the bits around the details on top were a bit bit more done than the flatter sides of the cake.

  • 15 Lynette // Oct 24, 2012 at 12:53 pm

    ooooh… just imagine,
    use it for Meatloaf!
    With rice maggots, maybe (ketchup-pink or gravy-grey) potato brains…..

  • 16 Lynette // Oct 24, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    Oh!Oh!
    And make the BACK a cornbread loaf to go with it!

  • 17 Jennifer // May 27, 2013 at 2:10 am

    He should be called (EARL)

  • 18 Design Bridge blog // Jun 7, 2013 at 8:51 am

    […] The Meat Hand is quite good – or check out how to make this Skull Cake: […]

  • 19 Ju-Ju Bean Bakes // Oct 6, 2013 at 4:17 pm

    You can still get them at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores. I work there and picked it up almost as soon as It went on the shelf!

  • 20 theresa // Oct 21, 2014 at 9:18 am

    Sir Bonerific Cakeman

  • 21 Carol // Oct 31, 2014 at 10:52 am

    I think I would use my pastry needle to inject some pudding into the skull… a gooey suprise for the gang.

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