Description
Indulge in the rich and moist Black Velvet Cake with Dark Chocolate Frosting, a decadent dessert featuring black cocoa for a deep chocolate flavor with a smooth, velvety texture. This recipe yields 20 servings and combines a tender cake crumb with a luscious chocolate buttercream, perfect for any special occasion or chocolate lover’s craving.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 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)
Frosting Ingredients
- 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
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line and grease three 8-inch cake pans or four 7-inch pans to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal of cakes.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until uniformly combined.
- Dissolve Espresso in Hot Water: In a medium bowl, stir the instant espresso or coffee into the hot water until fully dissolved to boost chocolate flavor depth.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the espresso mixture. Stir briefly to combine into a smooth liquid mixture.
- Mix Wet into Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be thin—this is the desired consistency for a tender crumb.
- Divide Batter and Bake: Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans, using a kitchen scale to ensure equal amounts for uniform layers. Bake for 24 to 27 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cake Layers: Remove cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Loosen the cakes from the pans using an offset spatula, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Level Cake Layers: After cooling, use a serrated knife to level the tops of the cakes for even stacking. Wrap and freeze layers if making ahead.
- Make Buttercream Frosting: Beat unsalted butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth. Add black cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing on low until combined.
- Incorporate Powdered Sugar and Cream: Gradually mix in powdered sugar. Halfway through, add heavy cream to ease mixing and achieve smooth texture.
- Add Melted Dark Chocolate: Slowly mix in melted and cooled dark chocolate on low speed, ensuring the chocolate is liquid but not hot. Continue mixing until the frosting is thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Optional Coloring: Add black gel food coloring for a darker shade if desired, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent crusting until ready to use.
- Assemble Cake: Place the first cake layer on a greaseproof cake board, attaching it with a dab of frosting. Spread an even layer of buttercream on top, then continue stacking all layers.
- Crumb Coat and Chill: Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting around the entire cake and smooth with a bench scraper. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes until firm.
- Final Frosting Layer and Decorate: Add a second thicker layer of frosting, smooth again using the bench scraper, then decorate as desired. Serve and enjoy this rich and moist Black Velvet Cake!
Notes
- Use instant espresso or coffee in the batter to enhance the chocolate flavor without adding a coffee taste.
- Room temperature ingredients ensure smooth batter and frosting consistency.
- Weigh batter portions to guarantee even cake layers for professional results.
- Black gel food coloring is optional but deepens the cake’s rich black color.
- Wrap and freeze cake layers if preparing in advance to maintain freshness.
- Cool frosting before adding melted chocolate to avoid curdling.
