Happy Haunts at Home: How to Make a Real & Fake Haunted Mansion Wedding Cake!

Happy Haunts, everyone! While Disneyland remains closed, I’ve got something very special for you today… and it involves something scary! Last year for the 50th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion, there was a whole array of Haunted Mansion-themed foods available in New Orleans Square. One thing that stood out to me was The Wedding Cake at French Market. A towering tiered wedding cake celebrating Constance Hatchaway’s (repeated) nuptials… except the cake is stained with blood! I was so inspired by that cake that when I got home from my Disneyland trip, I made my own version for a Haunted Mansion tea party and served a recreation of The Wedding Cake. Here’s how I made it . . . 

Haunted Mansion at Home: Bloody Wedding Cake

For the 50th anniversary of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, they served a yummy wedding cake at The French Market across from the Mansion. It was a cherry “poke” cake with a whipped cream frosting and a filling that evoked the bloody end of the bride’s unlucky husbands. It’s surprisingly easy to make, and it’s sure to leave an impression on whoever sees it!

Haunted Mansion Cherry Wedding Cake Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 package Betty Crocker white cake mix (prepared according to package instructions)
• 1 3.5 oz package of cherry JELLO
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ cup cold water
• 1 can cherry pie filling

Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

• Prepare and bake cake mix according to directions on package in 9″ cake pans. Cool completely in pans. 
• Combine JELLO with boiling water and stir until dissolved, then add cold water to the mixture
• Poke holes in the cakes (still in the pans!) with a skewer or fork. Pour JELLO mixture over the top of the cakes.
• Refrigerate cakes for 3 hours or until JELLO is set.
• Just before serving, whip together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form
• To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on serving tray or cake stand. Frost the top with a thin layer of the whipped cream frosting. Pour cherry pie filling in the middle of the cake, making sure it doesn’t get too close to the edges. Next, place the second cake layer on top and frost all sides with the remainder of the whipped cream frosting.

Haunted Mansion Dummy Cake

If you’re looking for the star centerpiece to use for a Haunted Mansion party or simply looking to add a little creepy elegance to your home decor, you can make this dummy cake to un-liven things up! Here’s how you do it:

I bought a styrofoam layered wedding cake ensemble from Amazon as well as some inexpensive cake decorating tools such as decorating tips, icing comb smoother, and disposable piping bags.

I also used some spackling compound that you can get at any home improvement center and some white acrylic paint. You could also use an ivory paint or tint it however you would like.

I also got a roll of a small string of craft pearls and used some silk hydrangea petals I had on hand leftover from another project.

I collected a lot of pictures of the cake in the attic and copied the decorations and piping techniques. I secured the layers together with wooden skewers and hot glue. I also used hot glue to secure the flowers and pearls.

The cake topper was found on Etsy and happened to be a 23rd wedding anniversary for my husband.

I also have a short video detailing the process for how to “age” your cake so it looks like you’ve had it for decades! Trust me, it’s not as hard as it looks.

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Let’s Hear From You

I’m still coming to terms that the Haunted Mansion turned 51 and we couldn’t celebrate by visiting it this year! But that means the next anniversary will be that much more special. You’ve still got time to surprise your family with a Haunted Mansion surprise this Halloween! Were you able to try The Wedding Cake at the French Market last year? Ready to try making your own? Let us know in the comments below!

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Related Reading

To see more of the Haunted Mansion’s 50th-anniversary goodies from last year, plus a special event with live characters from the Haunted Mansion, take a look at the article below!

Disneyland Update – Matterhorn Mischief, Train Trouble, and Haunted Happenings

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