This black velvet cake pairs three soft, deeply chocolatey layers with a rich black cocoa American buttercream. Black cocoa powder gives the cake a naturally dark color without food coloring, while buttermilk and yogurt add that signature velvet cake tang. With a moist, melt-in-your-mouth crumb and a simple finish of piped buttercream and red and black sprinkles, this 6-inch cake makes a beautiful centerpiece for your Halloween party!
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Why you'll love this black velvet cake
- Soft, velvety cake layers: A combination of butter and oil, tangy buttermilk and yogurt, and whipped egg whites creates a moist cake with a light, tender crumb.
- Chocolate on chocolate: Black cocoa gives the cake its deep color and Oreo-like flavor, while black cocoa powder and melted chocolate make the American buttercream extra chocolatey.
- Simple Halloween centerpiece: The dark cake and frosting do most of the decorating for you! A piped border and a scattering of sprinkles are all you need for a spooky finishing touch.
For more Halloween recipes, try my Black Poison Caramel Apples, Black Velvet Jack-O'-Lantern Cupcakes, Spiderweb Black Velvet Cheesecake Cookies, and White Ghost Cupcakes.
Ingredient Notes
- Cake flour: Cake flour helps create a soft, delicate crumb. Weigh it with a kitchen scale for the most accurate results!
- Black cocoa powder: This gives the cake its naturally dark color and distinctive chocolate cookie flavor, without any black food coloring.
- Baking soda: Works with the acidic ingredients to help the cake rise. Be sure to use baking soda, not baking powder!
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor in both the cake and buttercream.
- Unsalted butter: Adds buttery flavor to the cake and forms the base of the American buttercream. Bring it to room temperature so it mixes smoothly.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create a tender crumb.
- Neutral oil: Using oil alongside butter keeps the cake moist without giving up that buttery flavor. Choose an oil with a mild flavor.
- Eggs: Separate the yolks and whites. The yolks add richness, while the whites are whipped separately and folded into the batter for a lighter texture.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and the subtle tang that makes velvet cake so delicious.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Use plain, full-fat Greek yogurt for richness, moisture, and a little extra tang. Alternatively, sub with sour cream.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the chocolate flavor.
- Distilled white vinegar: Adds acidity and helps activate the baking soda.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the buttercream. Add it gradually on low speed to keep it from flying out of the bowl!
- Chocolate: Melted semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate adds richness to the buttercream. Let it cool until it's no longer warm but still fluid before mixing it in.
- Sprinkles: Red and black nonpareils give this cake a simple Halloween finish, but you can change the colors for another celebration!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this black velvet cake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
Make the cake layers
Make the cake batter and divide 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 top 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.
Make 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.
Decorate
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. 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.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Softened butter and room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and yogurt mix together more easily for an evenly combined batter. Fold in the whipped egg whites gently to preserve their volume.
- Cool the cake and melted chocolate before assembling. The cake layers should be completely cool before frosting, and the melted chocolate should be cool but still pourable before adding it to the buttercream. Warm cake or chocolate can soften the frosting.
- Whip the butter for a full 10 minutes. To get a really light, fluffy buttercream, be sure to beat the butter on medium speed for a full 10 minutes.
- Measure the frosting between layers. Use a cookie scoop to portion equal amounts of buttercream between the layers. This helps keep the cake level and leaves you with neat, even slices!
Recipe FAQs
Black velvet cake is a variation of red velvet cake made with black cocoa powder instead of red food coloring. It has the same tender texture and subtle tang, with a darker color and a more pronounced chocolate flavor.
Black cocoa has a mellow, distinctive chocolate flavor that's reminiscent of Oreo cookies. It's a heavily alkalized cocoa powder, which also gives it a much darker color than natural or standard Dutch process cocoa.
Yes, you can substitute an equal weight of Dutch process cocoa powder, though the cake will have a lighter color and a more traditional chocolate flavor. Add black food gel to achieve a similar dark color.
Yes! Bake the cake layers a day ahead, let them cool completely, and wrap them tightly before storing at room temperature overnight. Make the buttercream and assemble the cake the following day. For longer storage, wrap and freeze the unfrosted layers.
Because the batter is so dark, color isn't a useful guide. Look for centers that spring back when lightly pressed, edges that are beginning to pull away from the pans, and a toothpick that comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
Store this cake in airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. To freeze, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.Â
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other Halloween recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
Black Velvet Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the black velvet cake:
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 50 g (½ cup + 1.5 tbsp) black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 113 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
- 270 g (1 â…“ cups) granulated sugar
- 150 g (¾ cup) neutral oil
- 2 eggs, separated
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 113 g (½ cup) plain greek yogurt, room temp
- 113 g (½ cup) buttermilk, room temp
For the chocolate buttercream:
- 340 g (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
- 300 g (2 â…” cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- 42 g (½ cup) black cocoa powder, sifted
- 113 g (â…” cup) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a 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 top 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.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. Softened butter and room temperature eggs, buttermilk, and yogurt mix together more easily for an evenly combined batter. Fold in the whipped egg whites gently to preserve their volume.
- Cool the cake and melted chocolate before assembling. The cake layers should be completely cool before frosting, and the melted chocolate should be cool but still pourable before adding it to the buttercream. Warm cake or chocolate can soften the frosting.
- Whip the butter for a full 10 minutes. To get a really light, fluffy buttercream, be sure to beat the butter on medium speed for a full 10 minutes.Â
- Measure the frosting between layers. Use a cookie scoop to portion equal amounts of buttercream between the layers. This helps keep the cake level and leaves you with neat, even slices!
Luiselena says
I just baked this cake, and I truly recommend it!! For me the texture of this cake is the best I have tried so far. My Family loved it!!
Virginia says
No I haven't but I want to* wat is pr
Doris says
Why can't you put cups after what it ask for in recipe. Will this work in 9 by 13 pan
EP says
I'm wanting to know the same thing. I don't want to have to take extra time to look up the equivalent of grams to cups. And is black chocolate the same as dark chocolate? Please make recipes easy to follow. Otherwise, most people will never know if it tastes good or not.
Sloane says
The recipe calls for black cocoa powder, not black chocolate. If you do not have it on hand, you can sub an equal amount of dutch process cocoa powder. As for the measurements, I have only tested this recipe in grams, so I cannot provide volume measurements. I have lots of other recipes that include both weight and volume measurements. I hope you get the chance to try some of them!
Sloane says
I have not tested this recipe in volume measurements, so I cannot provide them for you. This recipe should work just fine in a 9x13 pan. If you'd like to make the recipe, I recommend purchasing a $10 kitchen scale and weighing out your ingredients. Trust me, it's much easier and more accurate than using cups! Otherwise, I have many other recipes that include both weight and volume measurements. I hope you get the chance to try some of them!
Park Avenue says
Although this is a real "Velvet" cake... Please, please STOP with the "Velvet" versions of everything that is baked.
However, the recipe sounds delicious and the cake looks amazing.
Pa
Connie says
Could uou please use cups or spoons instead of grams
Sandy says
What brand chocolates do you like?
Thanks
Sloane says
My favorite chocolate to bake with is Guittard!