It’s a major part of his haunted house at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Key Points
- Ozzy Osbourne’s love for carrot cake inspired a dessert at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.
- The cake features cream cheese mousse, a chocolate shell and a chocolate bat topper.
- Recreate the recipe at home and put your own rock-and-roll twist on the classic
Heavy metal music icon Ozzy Osbourne was known for co-founding Black Sabbath, selling more than 100 million albums, winning hearts on his family’s reality TV show and biting the heads off of various winged animals. But among friends and family, the sometimes-controversial rocker was also famous for having a bit of a sweet tooth.
Osbourne especially loved carrot cake, a dessert wife Sharon Osbourne made for him often. In fact, the cake makes an appearance in a season two episode of The Osbourneswhere the Prince of Darkness can be seen plating an enormous slice and saying, “I love carrot cake.”
Later, he’s seen eating more of the dessert. “I’m skipping dinner and going straight to the carrot cake,” he muses. If you’ve missed the running theme so far, Osbourne is also seen eating more slices of carrot cake and even watching a cooking show where one is being baked on-screen.
Osbourne, who died in 2025, is being honored this year at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, a seasonal event that takes place at both its Orlando and Hollywood locations and features haunted houses and food and beverages themed around each.
Universal worked closely with Jack and Sharon Osbourne to create the Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness haunted house, a fun homage to Osbourne’s music. And, while the haunted houses featuring Osbourne are different at each theme park, there’s a special tribute to Osbourne’s favorite dessert available at both events.
The Prince of Darkness Cake is a three-tiered miniature carrot cake dessert iced with cream cheese mousse, encased in a chocolate shell and topped with a chocolate bat. Christopher Colón, the executive sous chef of research and development at Universal Orlando Resorttells EatingWell that creating a dessert that paid tribute to Osbourne meant a great deal to his team.
“We were all fans of The Osbournes TV show,” says Colón, “so we knew that carrot cake was one of Ozzy’s favorite desserts and that Sharon loved making it for him. That inspired us to create a three-tiered wedding cake as a tribute to Ozzy and Sharon.”
And the bat on top? It’s a nod to one of Osbourne’s most infamous moves. “We’re excited for guests to have their own opportunity to ‘bite the head off the bat’ and experience a playful nod to one of rock’s most legendary moments,” Colón continued. “We enjoyed the opportunity to present this concept to Sharon and Jack Osbourne, and Sharon was thrilled with the idea.”
Fans wanting to recreate Osbourne’s favorite dessert at home will have to stick to their own tried-and-true carrot cake recipe, as Sharon Osbourne’s has been kept a secret for years. Luckily, Colón says the most rock-and-roll way to make any dessert is to put your own spin on it.
“We chose to use a cream cheese mousse rather than a traditional frosting to give our cake a different texture and flavor profile,” he explains. “And, for our version, we left out nuts to make it more allergy-friendly and accessible to a wider range of guests.”
There are plenty more ways you can modify a recipe to suit your family or friends—skip the nuts, opt for gluten-free flour or even keep things vegan if that will allow everyone to enjoy a slice. Here are a few of our favorite twists on the classic:
But skipping the nuts isn’t the only adjustment the team at Universal made. “We also added a bit of cocoa powder to give the cake a slightly darker color while complementing the cinnamon and cream cheese mousse filling,” Colón adds. “As a final touch, we coated the cake in a chocolate shell, creating a combination that guests don’t typically associate with carrot cake but that works surprisingly well together. The result is something familiar, yet uniquely inspired by the Prince of Darkness.”
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Osbourne or just someone who enjoys a delicious dessert, we have a feeling you’ll love digging into this fun tribute. It might be time to crank up the music and head toward your nearest Halloween Horror Nights—or at least fire up the oven for some carrot cake at home.