A Spooky Black Velvet Cake Recipe
October 5, 2022
Halloween lovers: black velvet. The cake layers are pitch black, super moist and decadent, naturally colored, and taste just like the delicious shell of an Oreo cookie! Paired with my favorite dye-free black buttercream recipe and lambeth piping, this black velvet cake is a real stunner. It’s elegant and a little eerie all at the same time, which makes it the perfect Halloween party cake!
Turns out that lambeth was the perfect choice to turn this black velvet cake into a spooky showstopper.
I used the black buttercream to fill and stack the cake, crumb coat it, and frost it with a smooth buttercream finish. After chilling the cake until the frosting was firm, I made a template for the garlands using this same parchment paper technique from my cherry chip cake recipe. Then, I used the following piping tips to decorate:
Wilton Tip 6B for the shell border around the bottom + top edges
Wilton Tip 4B for the shell border above the bottom 6B shell
Wilton Tip 104 for the ruffle garlands
Wilton Tip 32 for the overlapping shells below the garlands
100% dye-free layers of velvety black cocoa cake and black chocolate buttercream dressed up with lambeth piping for the perfect mix of elegance and spookiness.
Prep Time:45 minsCook Time:32 mins
Servings: 15 slices
Ingredients
Black Velvet Cake
2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
1 2/3 Cups (340g) granulated sugar
2/3 Cup (80g) black cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
1 Cup (240ml) hot coffee or hot water
Dye-Free Black Buttercream
2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 Cups (600g) powdered sugar
1 Cup (112g) black cocoa powder**
4 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
Make the Black Velvet Cake
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle.
Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 32-36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Black Buttercream
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until just incorporated, then add the rest of the powdered sugar. With the mixer still in the off position, sift in the black cocoa powder and add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix on low until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
The buttercream will look dark brown at this point, but the color will darken significantly over the next several hours. See the recipe notes for storage instructions if you're not planning on frosting the cake the same day.
Assembly
Once the cake layers have cooled completely, level them to your desired height. Fill and stack the layers with black buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with more black buttercream. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 20-30 minutes to let the frosting firm up.
To create the design pictured, use the black buttercream to create a smooth finish on the cake, then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Use the rest of the black buttercream to create lambeth piping (feel free to use this tutorial as guidance). Accent the lambeth piping with round black sprinkles where desired.
Notes
*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
**For the darkest black buttercream, you’ll want to use extra dark black cocoa powder. This can also be used for the cake portion of the recipe.