Black Velvet Cake Recipe

I used black cocoa to make a Velvet Chocolate Cake topped with black fudge frosting that looks like midnight and will make you wonder how a single pantry ingredient creates that Oreo-like depth.

I can’t stop bragging about this Black Velvet Cake, even though it’s not perfect. The color is insane and that flavor comes from unsweetened black cocoa powder, with a little hit of hot brewed coffee to lift the darkness into something kinda thrilling.

I call it my Black Cocoa Chocolate Cake experiment because people always ask if it’s dyed or store bought. It looks like night in cake form and somehow tastes nostalgic and new at the same time.

If you like bold desserts that make you pause before you eat them, this one will do that, and probably ruin other cakes for you.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: Mostly carbs, gives structure, low fiber and protein.
• Granulated sugar: Simple carbs, makes it sweet, tender, no vitamins.
• Black cocoa powder: Intense chocolate flavor low fat, some antioxidants, quite bitter.
• Eggs: Protein rich, binds and leavens, add moisture and richness.
• Vegetable oil: Unsaturated fat keeps cake moist, neutral flavor, calorie dense.
• Buttermilk: Tangy adds acidity for tenderness reacts with baking soda, has calcium.
• Hot brewed coffee: Deepens chocolate flavor and color, no sugar unless added.
• Unsalted butter: Gives richness to frosting, saturated fat, improves mouthfeel.
• Semi sweet chocolate: Adds cocoa depth and fat, helps texture, slight bitterness.
• Powdered sugar: Fine sugar for frosting pure carbs, sweetens and smooths.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened black cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral vegetable oil
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, room temp
• 1 cup (240 ml) hot brewed coffee or hot water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces (115 g) semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled a bit
• 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened black cocoa powder, sifted (for frosting)
• 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup (60-120 ml) heavy cream or milk, as needed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
• Pinch fine salt

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment, then lightly flour or spray them so cakes release easy.

2. Sift together 2 1/2 cups (315 g) all purpose flour, 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar, 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened black cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon fine salt into a large bowl; whisk to combine and knock out any lumps.

3. In a separate bowl whisk 2 large room temperature eggs, 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral vegetable oil, 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, 1 cup (240 ml) hot brewed coffee or hot water and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until smooth. Hot coffee really wakes up the cocoa and gives that deep Oreo like flavor, so go with coffee if you can.

4. Pour the wet into the dry and whisk just until combined and smooth. Batter will be relatively thin, that is ok. Scrape the bowl, do not overmix or you’ll get a dense cake.

5. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake 28 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway if your oven is uneven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. If it comes out wet keep baking a few minutes and recheck.

6. Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting. You can wrap and chill layers to make slicing easier if you like.

7. Make the black fudge frosting: beat 1 cup (227 g) softened unsalted butter until creamy, then beat in 4 ounces (115 g) melted and slightly cooled semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate. Add 3/4 cup (75 g) sifted unsweetened black cocoa powder (for frosting) and a pinch of fine salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

8. With mixer on low, add 4 cups (480 g) sifted powdered sugar in batches, then add 1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 120 ml) heavy cream or milk as needed to reach a spreadable, fluffy consistency. Stop and taste; add a tiny extra pinch of salt if it seems too sweet. Beat until light and spreadable but not soupy.

9. Assemble: level cakes if needed, place one layer on your board, spread a generous layer of frosting, top with second layer, apply a thin crumb coat and chill 10 to 15 minutes, then finish with the remaining frosting. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days or in the fridge for longer, but bring back to room temp before serving so the frosting is soft and chocolatey.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven (preheat to 350°F / 175°C)
2. Two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans, parchment paper and nonstick spray or flour
3. Mixing bowls one large, one medium
4. Whisk
5. Electric mixer (hand or stand)
6. Measuring cups, spoons and kitchen scale for the gram measurements
7. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for cocoa and powdered sugar
8. Rubber spatula and offset spatula for spreading frosting
9. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick to check doneness

FAQ

Black Velvet Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All purpose flour
  • Cake flour — for a lighter crumb use cake flour by weight 1:1, or make your own: per cup remove 2 tbsp APF and stir in 2 tbsp cornstarch.
  • Whole wheat pastry flour — use 50 to 75% of the APF weight (expect a denser nuttier cake).
  • Gluten free 1:1 baking blend (with xanthan) — swap by weight 1:1; gives best texture when you use a tested blend.
• Granulated sugar
  • Superfine/caster sugar — 1:1, dissolves faster for a smoother crumb.
  • Light brown sugar — 1:1, adds moisture and a mild caramel note, slightly darker flavor.
  • Coconut sugar — 1:1 by volume, less sweet, caramel-y flavor; cake will be browner.
  • Honey or maple syrup — use about 3/4 cup liquid sweetener per 1 cup sugar and reduce other liquids by ~2 to 3 tbsp; will brown more and give extra moisture.
• Buttermilk
  • Milk + vinegar or lemon — 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice, sit 5 minutes (classic swap).
  • Plain yogurt or kefir — thin with a little water or milk to a pourable consistency, use equal volume.
  • Non-dairy milk + acid (soy or oat + 1 tbsp vinegar) — same method as above for vegan option.
• Unsweetened black cocoa powder
  • Dutch-process cocoa — closest dark color and mellow flavor, swap 1:1.
  • Natural unsweetened cocoa — swap 1:1 but color will be less inky and flavor more bitter; watch leavening since acidity differs.
  • Dark unsweetened chocolate + a bit less flour — melt and add to batter for deeper chocolate, reduce other fat slightly; or add a touch of black gel food coloring to Dutch or natural cocoa to get that black velvet look.

Pro Tips

1) Weigh your dry ingredients whenever you can. Cups lie, scales dont. Using grams for flour and sugar keeps the texture consistent so you wont end up with a dense cake.

2) Black cocoa sucks up moisture and makes frostings feel grainy sometimes, so if your frosting seems dry add a little extra melted chocolate or an extra splash of cream while you beat it, then taste and adjust with a tiny pinch of salt. It’ll smooth out and stay intensely chocolatey without tasting chalky.

3) Let the coffee cool just a bit before you mix it with the eggs, you dont want to accidentally cook them. Hot-but-not-boiling coffee still wakes up the cocoa flavor, but being a little careful keeps the batter silky.

4) Chill between the crumb coat and final coat, and if you want razor clean slices, chill the whole cake or pop it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. It firms everything up so you get neat layers, not a frosting mess.