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Black Velvet Cake with Dark Chocolate Buttercream Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 145 reviews
  • Author: Hannah
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 20 servings 1x
  • Category: Baking
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Black Velvet Cake is a rich, moist, and tender cake made with black cocoa powder and a hint of espresso to deepen the flavors, layered and frosted with a luscious black dark chocolate buttercream. Perfect for those who love a dramatic, decadent twist on classic chocolate cake, this recipe delivers a beautiful black cake with intense chocolate flavor and a silky smooth buttercream frosting.

Ingredients

Scale

Black Velvet Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
  • 3/4 cup black cocoa powder (75g)
  • 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (9g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 1 cup hot water (240g)
  • 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee (5g)
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240g)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (110g)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)

Black Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (454g)
  • 1 cup black cocoa powder (100g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 5 cups powdered sugar (625g)
  • 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (180g)
  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled (230g)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans or four 7-inch pans to ensure easy removal after baking.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined to ensure consistent flavor and rise.
  3. Dissolve Espresso in Hot Water: In a separate medium bowl, stir the instant espresso or coffee into the hot water until fully dissolved; this intensifies the chocolate flavor of the cake.
  4. Add Wet Ingredients: Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the espresso mixture. Stir quickly just to combine all wet ingredients thoroughly without overmixing.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be thin, which is expected for a tender crumb.
  6. Fill Pans and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Weighing the pans can help ensure equal distribution for even baking. Bake for 24-27 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  7. Cool Cake Layers: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then loosen edges with an offset spatula and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
  8. Level Cake Layers: Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the tops of each layer for uniform stacking and a professional finish.
  9. Prepare Buttercream: Beat the unsalted butter on medium speed for 30 seconds to soften. Add black cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing on low until combined.
  10. Add Sugar and Cream: Gradually add powdered sugar while mixing low. Halfway through, add heavy cream to achieve a creamy, smooth consistency.
  11. Incorporate Melted Chocolate: Mix in melted and cooled dark chocolate on low speed until fully incorporated and the frosting reaches desired thickness. Use a spatula to scrape bowl sides occasionally.
  12. Optional Food Coloring: For a deeper black hue, add a squirt of black gel food coloring and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap to avoid crusting when resting.
  13. Assemble Cake: Place a cake layer on a greaseproof board and secure with a dollop of frosting. Spread an even layer of buttercream between each layer.
  14. Crumb Coat and Chill: Apply a thin crumb coat around the stacked layers and smooth with a bench scraper. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes until firm.
  15. Final Frosting and Decorate: Apply a thicker second layer of frosting, smooth with a bench scraper, then decorate as desired. Serve and enjoy your elegant Black Velvet Cake!

Notes

  • Using room temperature ingredients allows better mixing and a more tender cake texture.
  • Properly measure dry ingredients by spooning and leveling or use a kitchen scale for accuracy.
  • Do not overmix the batter to keep cake layers soft and fluffy.
  • Weigh cake pans to distribute batter evenly and ensure uniform cake layer height.
  • Tap pans on the counter before baking to release trapped air bubbles for an even crumb.
  • Level cake layers after cooling for neat stacking and professional presentation.
  • Freeze cooled cake layers before assembling to make frosting and stacking easier.
  • You can make cake layers and frosting in advance; freeze layers tightly wrapped and frost up to a week in the fridge.
  • Buttercream keeps well in the fridge for up to a month and can be frozen for 3 months—stir when thawed to restore texture.
  • A frosted cake lasts up to one week refrigerated or one month in the freezer
  • Recipe updated May 2022 for a more tender texture.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice (1/20th of cake)
  • Calories: 450
  • Sugar: 36g
  • Sodium: 220mg
  • Fat: 26g
  • Saturated Fat: 12g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 12g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 54g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Cholesterol: 55mg

Find it online: https://cookesrecipes.com/black-velvet-cake-with-dark-chocolate-buttercream-recipe/