Black Velvet Halloween Cake
This Black Velvet Halloween Cake is rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey, with a dramatic black color from black cocoa powder instead of food dye. A smooth black buttercream and spooky Halloween decorations turn this tender cake into an impressive centerpiece.
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Servings: 15 slices
Equipment
- Two 8-Inch Round Cake Pans
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Serrated knife or cake leveler
- Offset Spatula
- Cake scraper
- Piping bags and tips
Ingredients
For the Black Velvet Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⅔ cups granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup black cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup full-fat buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup hot coffee
- For the Black Buttercream
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 cup black cocoa powder sifted
- 4 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Decorating
- Black or Halloween sprinkles
- Chocolate skulls bats, or other Halloween decorations
- Fresh blackberries optional
Instructions
- Prepare the pans: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
- Make the batter: Whisk flour, sugar, black cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix until combined. Slowly add the hot coffee, then mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.
- Bake: Divide between the pans, filling no more than two-thirds full. Bake for 32–36 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- Make the buttercream: Beat softened butter for about 4 minutes until creamy. Add powdered sugar gradually, then mix in black cocoa, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Build the cake: Level the cooled layers if needed. Place one layer on a cake stand and spread with buttercream. Add the second layer and cover the entire cake with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20–30 minutes.
- Finish frosting: Apply the remaining buttercream in a smooth, even layer. Chill again for about 30 minutes so the frosting firms up.
- Decorate: Pipe spooky borders or Lambeth-style details around the cake and finish with Halloween sprinkles, chocolate skulls, bats, or fresh blackberries.
Notes
- Black cocoa is essential for the deepest natural black color and gives the cake an Oreo-like chocolate flavor.
- The buttercream may look dark brown immediately after mixing but naturally deepens to a darker black as it rests.
- If you don't have buttermilk, combine 1 tablespoon white vinegar with 1 cup whole milk and let it stand for 15 minutes.
- For the darkest result, use extra-dark black cocoa in both the cake and buttercream.