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Rich, moist black velvet cake is made with black cocoa powder for deep chocolate flavor similar to Oreo cookies. Its dark color comes from black cocoa powder without any food coloring. If you want a fun cake recipe for a Halloween party or a chocolate-lover’s birthday party, this is perfect!

black velvet layer cake with candles and smoke

If you enjoy red velvet cake, meet its gorgeously spooky Halloween-loving cousin, black velvet.

Velvet cakes are rich and moist with a subtle tangy flavor. Red velvet has just a twang of chocolate, but the black velvet version amps up the chocolate with black cocoa powder. Its smooth, unique chocolate flavor makes this cake taste like an Oreo cookie. And you might be surprised at how easy this gorgeous two-layer cake is to make!

top view of black chocolate cake with slice removed

Why You’ll Love This Black Velvet Cake Recipe

  • As far as creepy, spooky, and fun Halloween desserts, this one literally takes the cake! Both the cake and frosting have a rich, deep color thanks to black cocoa powder. It’s the perfect birthday cake for chocolate lovers, or serve it at a Harry Potter themed party (death eater cake, perhaps?!) or a Halloween party.
  • Think of this two-layer cake as a canvas to decorate however you like. You can wrap melted marshmallows haphazardly around it, similar to cobweb cookies. Go with raven cake toppers for Edgar Allen Poe vibes. Or keep it simple with black sprinkles or sanding sugar and black birthday candles if it’s a birthday cake!
  • It has a fudgy, moist texture and rich chocolate flavor. Black cocoa powder gives this cake a different chocolate flavor than cakes make with regular cocoa powder. It tastes like an Oreo cookie, but in cake form.
partially eaten slice of black velvet cake showing moist crumb

Ingredients

Ingredients Explained

In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.

Black Velvet Cake Ingredients

black cocoa chocolate cake ingredients
  • Unsalted butter – For rich flavor.
  • Sugar – This adds sweet flavor and also helps the cake stay moist.
  • Brown sugar – Lends rich flavor notes of caramel and molasses.
  • Sour cream – Similar to adding buttermilk to cake, sour cream helps create a moist, tender crumb.
  • Eggs – Eggs help us achieve the perfect fluffy crumb for this cake.
  • Water – Water is one of the liquid ingredients here. Don’t be tempted to use milk instead! It’ll mute black cocoa powder’s rich flavor and deep color.
  • Vanilla extract – To help create depth of flavor. You won’t be able to pull out the taste of vanilla, but it brings out the natural flavor nuances in chocolate.
  • Distilled white vinegar – No fancy vinegar needed here! Distilled white vinegar acts as a tenderizer (along with buttermilk or sour cream) and creates the perfect moist, tender cake crumb. Because black velvet cake uses black cocoa powder (which is heavily alkalized so its acidity is neutralized), we need a little vinegar to lend a subtle pleasant tanginess to balance out the cake’s sweet richness.
  • Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour here.
  • Black cocoa powder – This is the star of the show! Unlike natural cocoa powder, black cocoa powder is Dutch-processed. Through Dutch-processing, black cocoa powder is treated with an alkaline solution, which reduces its acidity. This creates a smoother, more one-dimensional cocoa flavor. If you’ve ever had Oreo cookies, you know exactly what black cocoa tastes like. Black cocoa powder is what lends the deep color to this cake – without the need for any added food dye or coloring!
  • Baking soda – The leavening agent. Here we use baking soda instead of baking powder because of the acidic ingredients (i.e., sour cream and distilled white vinegar).
  • Salt – Salt helps make sure our cake isn’t bland, and ties all the flavors together.
  • Instant espresso powder – This is optional. We only add enough instant espresso powder to lace the chocolate flavor with coffee, which highlights the natural notes of coffee present in chocolate.

Black Cocoa Frosting Ingredients

black frosting ingredients
  • Unsalted butter – Butter and powdered sugar are the base of this easy American buttercream frosting. It’s rich and delicious, and only takes about 5 minutes to whip up!
  • Powdered sugar – Adds sweetness and stability.
  • Black cocoa powder – Black cocoa powder lends rich chocolate flavor and deep color to this easy buttercream frosting.
  • Vanilla extract – For depth of flavor.
  • Instant espresso powder – Just like in the cake, instant espresso powder is optional in the frosting. We use it to pull out the notes of coffee that are in chocolate.
  • Salt – To create a well-balanced flavor profile.
  • Milk – We use a little milk to help the buttercream achieve the perfect spreadable, creamy consistency.
  • 70% dark chocolate – Adding rich melted dark chocolate to the frosting makes it extra rich and fudgy.

Other Ingredients

black cocoa cake with chocolate buttercream on wooden cake stand with vintage forks

How to Make Black Cocoa Cake

1: Make the Cake Batter

how to make black velvet cake wit black cocoa powder

To prep, preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. (Or you can line them with parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit in the bottom, and spray the sides and bottoms with nonstick spray.)

  1. Add the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar to a large bowl, and use a handheld electric mixer to beat until it looks like wet sand.
  2. Beat in the sour cream and eggs until light and fluffy.
  3. Then add the water, vanilla, and vinegar.
  4. Beat until well-combined.
  5. Add the flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and instant espresso to the wet ingredients.
  6. Beat to combine.

2: Bake the Cakes

baking black velvet cake
  1. Divide the cake batter between the 2 prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  2. Put the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.

3: Make the Black Frosting

how to make black chocolate buttercream frosting

When the cakes are cooled, make the buttercream.

  1. Add all ingredients except the 70% dark chocolate to a large bowl.
  2. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until smooth and creamy.

4: Assemble and Decorate the Cake

top view of black cocoa halloween cake with black cocoa buttercream

Place 1 cake round onto a cake stand or plate, and spread 1/4 of the buttercream evenly across it. Put the 2nd cake round on top, and spread 1/2 of the buttercream evenly across the top and on the sides. Transfer the remaining 1/4 of the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and decoratively pipe decorations on top of the cake. Add black sprinkles, sanding sugar, and/or edible luster dust if desired. Serve.

Storage

Store leftover cake wrapped well at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months.

close up front view of partially eaten slice of moist black cocoa cake

Expert Tips

  • Don’t be tempted to swap out the black cocoa powder for another type of cocoa here. This recipe was developed using black cocoa powder, which is quite different from regular (natural) cocoa powder on the pH scale.
  • You don’t need to add food dye to make black cake. If you’re looking for a black cake recipe without dye, this is it. Black cocoa powder does a great job of creating a beautifully dark cake!
  • If you like cream cheese frosting on classic red velvet cake, you can use it on black velvet too. The sharp, subtly tangy flavor of cream cheese frosting pairs beautifully with this cake. Here’s my go-to cream cheese frosting (it’s on my favorite carrot cake!).
close up front view of black chocolate velvet cake with black frosting with lit candles on top

Frequently Asked Questions

Does black cocoa taste like Oreos?

Yes! The distinct, unique chocolate flavor of Oreos comes from black cocoa powder. If you’re a fan of Oreo cookies, you’ll love black velvet cake!

What is black velvet cake made of?

Black velvet cake uses black cocoa powder to get its deep color and Oreo cookie-like flavor. Similar to red velvet cake, black velvet has a tangy component (here we use sour cream and vinegar instead of buttermilk). Tangy ingredients not only add a subtle pleasant tang to balance the sweet richness, but they also help create a super moist crumb. Black velvet cake has deep chocolate flavor without any bitterness, thanks to using alkalized black cocoa powder.

Is black chocolate cake the same as black cake?

No! Black cake is a traditional Christmas cake hailing from the Caribbean. Drawing inspiration from the British colonist’s plum pudding, black cake is heavy with dried, fruit, laced with spices, and generously flavored with rum (it’s flavor profile is similar to mincemeat).

On the other hand, black chocolate cake is made with black cocoa powder and has deep chocolate flavor.

More Spooky Halloween Dessert Ideas

slice of black velvet cake with fudgy buttercream partially eaten with vintage fork

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Black Velvet Cake Recipe

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Other Time2 hours
Yields: 16 servings
Black velvet cake is moist and rich with deep chocolate flavor thanks to black cocoa powder, which makes the cake black without food dye. It's easier to make than you might think, and the perfect cake for Halloween or a chocolate-lover's birthday party!

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Ingredients
 

Black Velvet Cake:

Black Cocoa Frosting:

Other:

  • Black sprinkles for decorating (optional; see Notes)

Instructions
 

For the Black Velvet Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. (Or you can line them with parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit in the bottom, and spray the sides and bottoms with nonstick spray.)
  • Add the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar to a large bowl, and use a handheld electric mixer to beat until it looks like wet sand. Beat in the sour cream and eggs until light and fluffy, and then the water, vanilla, and vinegar until well-combined.
  • Add the flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and instant espresso to the wet ingredients. Beat to combine.
  • Divide the cake batter between the 2 prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Put the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.

For the Fudgy Black Velvet Buttercream:

  • When the cakes are cooled, make the buttercream.
  • Add all ingredients except the 70% dark chocolate to a large bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until smooth and creamy.

To Assemble the Cake:

  • Place 1 cake round onto a cake stand or plate, and spread 1/4 of the buttercream evenly across it. Put the 2nd cake round on top, and spread 1/2 of the buttercream evenly across the top and on the sides.
  • Transfer the remaining 1/4 of the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and decoratively pipe decorations on top of the cake. Add black sprinkles if desired.
  • Serve.

Notes

  • Storage: Store leftover cake wrapped well at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months.
  • Dye Free Black Velvet Cake: You don’t need to add food dye to make black cake. If you’re looking for a black cake recipe without dye, this is it. Black cocoa powder does a great job of creating a beautifully dark cake!
  • Cream Cheese Frosting Option: If you like cream cheese frosting on classic red velvet cake, you can use it on black velvet too. The sharp, subtly tangy flavor of cream cheese frosting pairs beautifully with this cake.
  • Decorating the Cake: Here I used black sprinkles and sanding sugar and edible black luster dust to decorate the cake. You could also go with black birthday candles or raven cake toppers depending on the look you’re going for.

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 571IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Black Chocolate Cake, Black Cocoa Cake, Black Cocoa Cake Recipe, Black Velvet Cake, Black Velvet Cake Recipe

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Faith, author of An Edible Mosaic.
About Faith

I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

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