Black Velvet Cake Recipe

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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Black Chocolate Cake, Black Cocoa Cake, Black Cocoa Cake Recipe, Black Velvet Cake, Black Velvet Cake Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Other Time: 2

Servings servings

Calories 418kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Ingredients

Black Velvet Cake:

Butter and flour for the cake pans
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup black cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder

Black Cocoa Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup black cocoa powder
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons milk plus more if necessary to achieve the right consistency
50 grams 70% dark chocolate melted

Other:

Black sprinkles for decorating (optional; see Notes)

US Customary - Metric

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.

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