Nightmare Before Christmas Layer Cake

Love Nightmare Before Christmas? Want a fun dessert idea? You have to try this Nightmare Before Christmas Cake, a tie dye cake, featuring the design of Sally’s dress. This is a great layer cake recipe that everyone will love. 

Nightmare Before Christmas Layer Cake

I love the Nightmare Before Christmas. I have loved it since it first aired, all those many years ago. I remember my cousin and I we living together and she bought me a Jack Skelington toy to use as our Christmas Tree topper. I have been hooked every since. Now my kids love this Halloween classic as much as I do. And they love this Sally layer cake. It look complicated, but honestly, it is very easy to make. It tastes amazing too. 

Tips for Icing a Layer Cake

Many people get intimated when it comes to icing a layer cake. It isn’t hard. Especially with this Nightmare Before Christmas Cake. You will add scoops of frosting to each layer and then slowly spread it out to a smooth layer. Using an angled spatula, you simply smooth the icing out and over the edges. Then you smooth the sides. To make the cake look like Sally’s dress, you will be using piping bags and decorating tips. Don’t get nervous. It is extremely easy. I like this decorating set. It has everything you need and it is inexpensive. I like to have extra piping bags so I can put the icing in without having to wash the bags in between.

How Long Does Tie Dye Cake Last

When you are making this tie dye cake, as long as it is stored properly, the cake will last about 4 to 5 days. Don’t worry, this delicious cake rarely lasts long enought to go bad. If you do not think you can finish the cake before it goes bad, you can freeze the cake. 

How to Store this Nightmare Before Christmas Cake

Whenever I make a cake, I like to keep the cake on the counter with a cake cover and stand. I like this one particularly because it lets you see the cake’s gorgeous decorations and it keeps it protected from air exposure. You can also store the cake in the refrigerator. It will give the cake a few extra days, but the refrigerator makes the cake taste dried out. 

How to Freeze the Sally Layer Cake

Whenever I freeze a cake that has been decorated, I like to freeze the cake before I freeze the cake. I cut the cake into slices and then I put them on a plate or baking sheet. I let the cake freeze so that the frosting is frozen before I wrap it in plastic. This keeps the cake and frosting from sticking to the plastic. Once it is frozen, I wrap it well in plastic wrap and then put in freezer bags. This keeps the cake protected from freezer burn. When I am ready to thaw the cake, I remove the plastc forst to prevent ruining the frosting. 

How to Make a Tie Dye Cake

If you have ever seen a tie dye cake, you know it looks complicated. It actually isn’t. To make the tie dye cake, you simply add cake batter of different colors and put scoops of all the colored batter into the pans next to each other. As the cake bakes, this makes a tie dye cake which gives a cool effect.

Ingredients in Nightmare Before Christmas Layer Cake

• French Vanilla Cake mix
• eggs
• whole milk
• unsalted sweet cream butter
• powder sugar
• heavy whipping cream
• Gel Food coloring – I recommend gel food coloring. The problem with liquid food coloring is that to get the bright color it takes a lot of drops. This thins the icing. 
• pure vanilla extract

Equipment Needed to Make a Layer Cake

• 3 9inch round cake pans
• 1 10inch round cake board
• 1 cake leveler
• piping bags and decorating tips
• 1 angled spatula

How to Make This Nightmare Before Christmas Tie Dye Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray cake pans with pam baking spray

Follow the directions on the back of the cake boxes

Divide the batter into three bowls

Mix a few drops of pink gel food coloring into 1 one bowl until combined

Mix a few drops of yellow gel food coloring into the second bowl until combined

Mix a few drops of teal gel food coloring into third bowl until combined

Scoop about 1/4 C of the yellow cake batter into the cake pan

Scoop 1/4 C of the teal cake batter into the cake pan next to the yellow

Scoop 1/4 C of the pink cake batter into the cake pan on top of the teal

Repeat steps one more time in one pan

Repeat steps in the remaining two cake pans

Bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Allow to cool completely

Remove the cakes from the cake pans and place them onto a cutting board

Place one cake onto the cake board and use the cake leveler to remove the dome from the cake

Repeat steps with remaining two layers

Vanilla frosting directions 

Using a standing mixer, combine all ingredients except the food coloring and beat until smooth and stiff peaks form

Scoop 1 C of frosting into 3 bowls bowls

Mix in the several drops of black food coloring into the remaining frosting

Mix in 1 color into each bowl

Scoop each color into its own piping bag

Scoop 1/2 C of Black frosting into the 4th piping bag

Building the cake

Level each cake layer using the cake leveler.

Place one cake layer onto the cake board

Scoop about 1 C of black frosting onto the first cake layer and spread evenly

Place the second cake layer on top of the first layer of frosting

Scoop another C of frosting on top of the second layer of cake and spread evenly

Place the last cake layer on top

Using the remaining black frosting frost entire cake and smooth frosting

Place into the fridge for several hours

Decorating the cake

Cut the tips off the four disposable piping bags

Using the black piping bag, pipe out the lines of Sally’s dress

Take the Pink frosting and fill in a few of the squares or rectangles

Take the teal frosting and fill in a few of the squares or rectangles

Repeat the steps with the yellow and black frosting

Using the remaining the black frosting, pipe out the details of the dress

Place into the fridge again to allow the frosting to harden up

Cut into the slices and enjoy!

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