Now that Halloween is creeping up, it’s time to crank up some spooky vibe. And what could be cooler (and creepier) than giant, edible pirate skulls? I’ve been whipping up these pirate skull cakes for the past four years, and let me tell you, my kids and their friends go absolutely NUTS for them!

Why My Pirate Skull Cake Steals The Show Every Time
- With its flashy gold tooth and cheeky fondant eye patch, this cake is basically screaming fun! It’s got just the right touch of spooky pirate vibes to make it perfect for Halloween, whether for kids or adults.
- All the ingredients of this homemade cake recipe are super easy to find! You start with a skull-shaped cake pan, slather on some buttercream icing, and add a few fondant details to bring it to life. For the teeth, we just pop in some gum pieces — so quick and easy. And if you prefer to add some pirate-y flair, why not sprinkle a bit of graham cracker crumbs around to make it look like sand?
- This cake is a time-saver for basically anyone. There’s no need to stress about perfectly smooth icing (it’s a skull, after all, so rough edges only make it much cooler). And if the fondant gets wrinkly? Even better! It’ll look like weathered pirate fabric, trust me.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients and kitchen tools you’ll need:
![]() | Easy Skull Shaped Cake Pan |
![]() | Renshaw Red Rolled Fondant Icing – 8oz |
![]() | Luster Dust – Antique Gold – 2g |
![]() | Paintbrushes – Set of 5 |
White Square Gum (Such as Chiclets) | |
Graham Cracker Crumbs |
4 Easy Steps to Make Pirate Skull Cake
Step 1. Bake The Cake and Make The Icing (This can be done 3 days ahead!)
First things first, grab your skull cake pan and give it a good coating with baking spray (Baker’s Joy works great for me), then bake your favorite chocolate cake recipe (or even a boxed mix) according to the directions. After about 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, flip it out onto a cooling rack.
Once it’s fully cooled, wrap it up in plastic and pop it in the freezer. When you’re ready to decorate, take the baked cake out and let it thaw just enough to work with. But we still want it firm and cold — no need for it to reach room temperature!
Now, let’s make a batch of Brenda’s Bakery Buttercream. Once it’s ready, cover it with plastic wrap, press it down right on the surface, and store it in the fridge. On the morning of cake day, take it out and let it soften up to room temperature. Give it a good stir with a rubber spatula to bring the texture back to life.

Step 2. Crumb-coat and Ice The Cake
Time to crumb-coat, everyone! Spread a thin layer of buttercream all over the cake — this will lock in any loose crumbs. Next, pop the cake in the fridge for about 20 minutes until the icing is firm.

Once it’s chilled, spread a thicker coat of buttercream on top. You can fill the left eye cavity completely with icing (that’s where the eye patch will go later). Try to keep the rest of the skull’s shape intact. And don’t worry about the teeth for now; we’ll add those details later!
Put the cake back in the fridge for about 30 minutes to let everything firm up again.

Here’s a fun trick:
- Heat some water in the microwave for about a minute.
- Dip your spatula into the hot water.
- Shake off the excess.
- Smooth out the icing.
It doesn’t need to be perfect — after all, it’s a pirate skull, so a little roughness works! When you’re happy with how it looks, stick the cake back in the fridge while we get ready for the fondant details.

Step 3. Add Fondant Accents
On a surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar, roll out about 4 oz of red fondant into a rectangle. (Ours was about 4 ½” by 11″.) Trim one of the long sides so it looks nice and neat.
Bandana:
Now, grab the cake from the fridge and drape the fondant over it to make a bandana. Gently create some wrinkles for a more authentic fabric look.


Next, cut away any extra fondant around the edges, then roll out a bit more fondant into a 5″ by 5″ square and cut it diagonally into two triangles. After that, fold the long side of each triangle to make a tail and attach them to the cake with a little water. To finish the bandana, roll a small ball of fondant to make a knot and place it in the middle.




Face:
Trace the shape of the eye patch, evil eye, nose, and mouth onto parchment paper, using your skull pan as a guide. Cut out these shapes, lay them on rolled-out black fondant, and then cut out your fondant pieces. Carefully place them all on the cake.


For a little extra ‘wow,’ you can roll out tiny black fondant ropes to outline the evil eye and the mouth. This part is optional, but it really adds some character to your cool pirate!)
About the eye patch strap, just roll out a thin strip of black fondant, cut it in half, and stick it to the sides of the patch. Trust me, the buttercream will hold it in place quite nicely.

Step 4. Add Teeth and Final Details
Let’s give your pirate some teeth! Brush a little water on the back of the gum-shaped fondant pieces and attach them to the mouth area.

(Optional but totally fun!) Mix some gold luster dust with a few drops of vodka or clear extract until it has a paintable consistency — not too thick, but not runny, either. Then, paint one of the teeth gold and add some gold highlights to the edges of the bandana. If the mixture starts to separate, stir it or add more extract if it gets too dry.



How about some black polka dots for the bandana? Easy: roll tiny balls of black fondant, flatten them, and attach them with a bit of water. Finally, spread some graham cracker crumbs around the base of the cake to look like sand.


And there you have it: your show-stopping pirate cake is ready to impress!
Recipe Notes
1. We decided to go with our Classic Chocolate Cake Recipe for a rich, deep chocolate flavor. But honestly, a box mix would work just fine, too, if you’re in a pinch!
That said, you should definitely skip the store-bought icing. Trust me on this one – making a batch of our Brenda’s Bakery Buttercream is the way to go. You want something easy to spread and smooth out with a spatula, and store-bought just doesn’t cut it.
2. Feel free to bake your pirate party cake a few days ahead! Just wrap it up in plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer until you’re ready to use it. When it’s time to ice, take it out, unwrap it, and let it thaw slightly. (It’s best if it’s still a little chilled when you start icing.) You can put leftover cakes in an airtight container and stash them in the fridge for up to 5 days.
3. The buttercream can be prepped a few days in advance, too. Cover it with plastic wrap right on the surface so it doesn’t form a crust, then stash the bowl in the fridge.
On cake day, pull it out in the morning, let it come to room temp, and give it a good stir with a rubber spatula to bring back the smooth texture. Then you’re all set!
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Hope you can nail it!