Black Velvet Cake
This Black Velvet Cake is a spooky twist on classic red velvet cake, made with black cocoa powder for a naturally deep black color and an even richer chocolate flavor. It has that signature tangy flavor from buttermilk, yogurt, and vinegar, along with an incredibly soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture thanks to a combination of butter, oil, whipped egg whites, and Caputo “00” Baking Flour. Each layer is frosted with a fluffy black cocoa and dark chocolate buttercream, then finished with a few festive sprinkles. Best of all, the cake stays moist for days, making it an ideal make-ahead dessert for Halloween parties!
- Yield: 12 servings
- Prep Time: 1 hr
- Cook Time: 30 min
Ingredients
For the cake
For the buttercream
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Caputo Baking Flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until fully combined.
- Add the oil, egg yolks, vanilla, and vinegar, and beat until completely combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Mix in the yogurt and buttermilk until fully combined.
- In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until fully combined.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans, using a kitchen scale or cookie scoop to distribute the batter evenly.
- Bake the cakes for 25–35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when you touch them and the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans.
- Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
For the buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy and very pale, about 10 minutes.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, followed by the black cocoa powder.
- Lastly, mix in the melted chocolate. Continue mixing on low speed until smooth.
For assembly
- About 30 minutes before decorating, place the cake layers in the freezer. This will make it easier to frost and remove the need for a crumb coat!
- When ready to decorate, secure the first layer of cake on the cake stand with a small amount of buttercream on the bottom. Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to measure out the buttercream for each layer. I used a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop and put 3 scoops on each layer.
- Cover the whole cake in an even layer of buttercream. Use a cake scraper to smooth out the top and sides of the cake.
- Transfer the remaining frosting to a piping bag with a small star tip.
- Pipe a border around the top and bottom of the cake.
- Decorate with Halloween sprinkles, as desired.
Products Used In The Recipe
About the Chef
Meet Sloane Papa
Sloane is a professional baker, recipe developer, food photographer, and cookbook author passionate about making bakery-worthy baking approachable for home bakers. Through Sloane’s Table, she shares everything from simple sweets to technical pastries, with detailed recipes and helpful techniques designed to take the guesswork out of baking. Known for her beautiful food photography and approachable teaching style, Sloane loves showing her audience that impressive desserts can be recreated right at home. From cakes and cookies to donuts, macarons, savory bakes, pastries, and seasonal favorites, her content inspires bakers of all skill levels to get creative in the kitchen.