Black Velvet Cake
This black velvet cake has ultra-moist, tender black cocoa cake layers paired with a rich dark chocolate buttercream.
It has the tang and soft texture I love in a velvet cake, but the black cocoa gives it a deep chocolate flavor and naturally dark color that makes it perfect for Halloween.
This Recipe At a Glance
- Flavor: Deep chocolate with the slight tang of a classic velvet cake
- Texture: Moist, tender, and soft
- Skill level: Intermediate, but each step is straightforward
- Perfect for: Halloween, birthdays, and dramatic celebration cakes
- Makes: 3 (8-inch) layers or 4 (7-inch) layers
- Frosting: Black dark chocolate buttercream
- Key ingredient: Black cocoa powder gives the cake and frosting their deep color and Oreo-like chocolate flavor
How to Make This Black Velvet Cake
To make sure your black velvet cake turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together! I’ve also included a video tutorial in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Make the Black Velvet Cake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line and grease three 8-inch cake pans or four 7-inch cake pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt.
In a separate bowl, dissolve the instant espresso or coffee in the hot water. Whisk in the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until everything is fully incorporated. The batter will be thin, and that’s exactly what you want.
Step 2: Bake and Level the Cake Layers
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. I like to weigh the pans with a kitchen scale so each one has the same amount of batter and the layers bake to the same height.
Bake for about 24–27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the layers cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.
Run an offset spatula around the edge of each pan to loosen the layers, then flip them onto wire racks to finish cooling.
Once the cake layers have cooled, use a serrated knife to level the tops. If you’re making the layers in advance, you can wrap and freeze them at this point.
Step 3: Make the Black Buttercream
While the cake layers bake and cool, make the black dark chocolate buttercream.
Beat the room-temperature butter until smooth, then mix in the black cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt.
Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, adding the heavy cream about halfway through to make the frosting easier to mix.
Mix in the melted and cooled dark chocolate on low speed. The chocolate should still be completely liquid, but it shouldn’t feel hot to the touch.
If you want the buttercream to be an even deeper shade of black, add a small amount of black gel food coloring.
Step 4: Stack and Crumb Coat the Cake
Place the first cake layer on a greaseproof cake board with a small dab of frosting underneath to hold it in place.
Spread an even layer of buttercream on top, then repeat with the remaining cake layers.
Step 5: Add the Final Coat of Frosting
Spread a thicker layer of black buttercream around the cake and create a textured look with a large offset spatula or the back of a spoon, then enjoy!
What Makes Black Velvet Cake Different From Chocolate Cake?
The thing that makes this cake feel like a velvet cake is its soft texture, moisture, and slight tang. But unlike traditional red velvet cake, this recipe uses a generous amount of black cocoa powder.
Black cocoa gives the cake a much deeper chocolate flavor and color. It tastes like an Oreo cookie!
The buttermilk also plays an important role. It helps give the layers that tender velvet texture and subtle tang, so I don’t recommend swapping it with regular milk.
Why Use Black Cocoa Powder?
Black cocoa is one of my favorite ingredients because it gives baked goods an incredibly dark color without needing a ton of food coloring.
It’s more alkalized than natural cocoa powder, which gives it that distinctive dark color and smooth, bittersweet flavor. I usually order King Arthur black cocoa online.
If you can’t find black cocoa, dark cocoa powder can be used instead. The flavor and color will be a little different, and you may want to add a small amount of black gel food coloring to deepen the color.
Substitutions & Swaps: Black Velvet Cake Layers
- Black Cocoa Powder: Dark cocoa powder can be used if needed, but the cake won’t be quite as dark, and the flavor will be slightly different.
- Instant Espresso or Coffee: This deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste strongly like coffee. If you need to omit it, use the hot water without it.
- Buttermilk: I strongly recommend using buttermilk because it gives this cake the signature tang and texture you expect from a black velvet cake.
- Vegetable or Canola Oil: Either works well in this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: Either can be used.
Substitutions & Swaps: Black Dark Chocolate Buttercream
- Black Cocoa Powder: Dark cocoa powder can be used, but you may need black gel food coloring to reach the same deep black shade.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Use a dark chocolate you enjoy eating. I usually use dark chocolate chips made by Ghirardelli or Guittard. Let the melted chocolate cool for about 10 minutes after melting so it doesn’t melt the butter in the frosting when added.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy cream can also be used.
- Black Gel Food Coloring: This is optional when using black cocoa, but a small amount can deepen the finished color.
Making This Black Velvet Cake in Different Sizes
One batch of this recipe makes 3 (8-inch) cake layers or 4 (7-inch) cake layers.
If you use a different pan size, keep an eye on the layers as they bake because the bake time will change depending on the depth of the batter.
Or if you want to scale this recipe up, I recommend using my cake batter calculator. One batch of this recipe makes about 8 cups of batter (1475 grams).
Troubleshooting
Why did my black velvet cake sink in the middle?
The most common causes are underbaking, opening the oven door too early, or measuring the leavening ingredients incorrectly. Make sure the center of each layer is fully baked before removing the pans from the oven.
Why are my cake layers dry?
The layers were most likely overbaked, or too much flour was added. Use a kitchen scale if possible and start checking the layers near the beginning of the recommended bake-time range.
Why isn’t my cake very black?
The final color depends heavily on the cocoa powder you use. Black cocoa naturally gives this cake its deepest color. If you use dark cocoa powder instead, add a small amount of black gel food coloring if you want a darker shade.
Why is my black buttercream gray instead of black?
Black cocoa creates a naturally dark frosting, but the color can deepen as the buttercream sits. If needed, add a small amount of black gel food coloring and let the frosting rest before adding more.
Why did the melted chocolate make my buttercream lumpy?
The bowl may have been a bit cold, and some bits of chocolate solidified when it touched the cold bowl. Make sure your kitchen isn’t too cold, or that your bowl hasn’t been stored somewhere cool (like a cold cupboard or pantry).
You can also mix the heavy cream and melted chocolate together before adding them into the butter mixture to avoid any lumps.
Can I use cream cheese frosting instead?
Absolutely. Cream cheese frosting would taste delicious with these layers. You can also swap 1 cup of butter for 1 cup (8 oz. block) of full-fat cream cheese to make a dark chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Can I use this recipe to make black velvet cupcakes?
Yes! If you’d rather make cupcakes, I recommend using my black velvet cupcake recipe instead. It makes a dozen moist and tender black velvet cupcakes.
Let Me Know What You Think
If you try this black velvet cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and let me know your thoughts by sharing a comment.
Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so I can see your amazing creations!
Note: I updated this recipe in May 2022 to make the texture a bit more tender. If you want the original recipe, please email hello@chelsweets.com.
Black Velvet Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Black Velvet Cake Recipe
- 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
Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 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 160g
- 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled 230g
Instructions
Black Velvet Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line and grease 3 eight-inch cake pans, or 4 seven-inch pans.
- Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup black cocoa, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
- Add 1 cup of hot water and 2 tsp of instant espresso or coffee in a separate, medium-sized bowl. Stir until dissolved. Then add 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla extract to the instant espresso mixture. Give the mixture a quick whisk to combine the ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk together until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Note: The batter will be thin!
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans (490g per pan if you're making 3 layers) and bake for about 24-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them onto wire racks to finish cooling.
- Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer. If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.
Black Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Beat 2 cups of room-temperature unsalted butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
- Add 1 cup black cocoa, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp fine salt. Mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Slowly mix in 5 cups of powdered sugar. Halfway through, add in 2/3 cup of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
- Then mix in 1 1/3 cups of melted and cooled dark chocolate on a low speed. Let the chocolate sit for about 10 minutes after melting it. It should still be completely liquid, but not hot to the touch. Mix until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- If you want the buttercream to be a darker shade of black, you can mix in a squirt of black gel food coloring. Then cover with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.
Assembling This Black Velvet Cake
- Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board. Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
- Then spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake, fully covering the cake layers. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
- Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper. Then decorate as desired and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips for Making the Best Black Velvet Cake
- Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
- Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them (490g per pan if you make 3 layers). Making sure each pan has the same amount of batter will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
- Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
- Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
Making this Black Velvet Cake in Advance and Storage Tips
I highly recommend making your cake layers in advance and freezing them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable. You can also make the chocolate frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again. A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious! Just be sure to remove the cake from the fridge a couple of hours before you plan to cut into it to let it come to room temperature.Nutrition
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Can this be made into cupcakes?
It can, but i’d recommend using my chocolate cupcake recipe instead with black cocoa! It’ll be the same look and taste, but they will rise better. My cake recipes are formulated not to rise much, so that they bake relatively flat. Hope that helps, here’s the link:
https://chelsweets.com/2017/07/08/the-best-one-bowl-chocolate-cupcake-recipe/
@Amy, since I was testing the recipe, I made a small 15cm cake and 12 cupcakes. Once baked I made a little well in the middle filled it with forest berry jam I made myself then piped it with lashings of black cocoa cream cheese/mascarpone cream. So so so so soooooo good!
@Anthony Dunstan, oohhh can I have Your recipe please?
Do you absolutely need a stand mixer or can everything be done by hand? I’m still a novice and I’ve seen stand mixers in many recipes and it almost doesn’t seem optional. Thanks in advance.
@Cloud, I’m no novice and I’ve been using a handheld mixer my entire life. I’ll soon upgrade to a gold plated kitchen aid, but before then, I’ll continue to do almost everything with my double pronged mixer. I picked mine up a few years ago for €40 or so. Has a beefy 450w motor! 😉
I’ve been baking all my life and have never owned a stand mixer. I hand mix or use a hand mixer for everything and you most definitely CAN cream butter and sugar by hand with a whisk or fork!
Hi Lady,
I totally agree! That’s why the equipment section lists a stand mixer or a hand mixer 🙂 I use my hand mixer way more that I use my actual stand mixer!
Do you think it’s important if you’re doing black velvet layers and red frosting that you do your crumb coat in white so that the red frosting is brighter? Or do you think it doesn’t matter when you have darker layers?
Hi Jessica,
If you’re adding a thick, second layer of frosting (I’m usually quite generous with it) it shouldn’t really matter! Hope that helps, happy baking <3
Hi! I was wondering how much black cocoa would you use to color only 1 layer black of the typical 4 layer cake you make? I’ve attempted a black cake before but just with gel coloring and it wasn’t as black as I was hoping for.
Hi Mercedes,
It would just be 1/4 the amount called for in the recipe, since it makes 4 layers 🙂
Could I add pumpkin or will it mess up the consistency of the cake?
she took the words right out of my mouth. I needed a super black cupcake recipe this weekend. Just in time Chelsweets, YAY!!
Hi,
Can this recipe be used for craving for fondant cakes?,thanks
Hi Nnedi,
Do you mean for making fondant cakes? Yes, it works great with both buttercream and fondant!
How much of which color food coloring do you use to make the red frosting?
Hi Amanda! I used americolor super red, which I ordered on Amazon! Here’s the link: https://amzn.to/2nQg8dv
thank you for all of your recipes and ideas! I love trying to replicate them. I have been using three 8 inch cake pans, but do you use 7 inch cake pans?
Of course! I usually use 4, 7-inch cake pans with one batch of batter, but you can also use 3, 8-inch cake pans! The cake will just be slightly less tall.
I just tried making the cake. i think it may have burned. The tops are kind of hard and the sides. I think I might have to try and trim the sides like you were saying an cut a thicker layer off the top. I’m hoping that will work I cooked them on the temp you have for the length. I rotated one of them to the back is it was still liquidy. inside.it didn’t take long for it to cook. I just hope the rest of the cake doesn’t taste burnt and I don’t mess it up trying to trim it
I redid the cake. Didn’t want to risk it tasting burnt. The 2nd batch was done in 25 min. I rotated them after 10 min then again the last 5. The tops turned out soft this time.. Dot them in the freezer. I’m going to make the frosting we were talking about tomorrow c And put the cake together Sunday then leave it in the fridge until an hour b4 I have to leave. Out will be 2 1/2 hours before it is cut. Hopefully it will never room temp by that time.
Thank you so much for replying! I actually tried this recipe but my cake seemed to come out a little dry. I did realize after the fact that my buttermilk and eggs were not completely at room temp, could that have affected it? The batter did look slightly grainy when I poured them into the cake pans.
Hey,
Do you think this cake could be converted into a red velvert and carrot cake? I.e. adding carrots to the batter?
Hi Azrah! I’d recommend just using my carrot cake recipe! Do you want to make a black carrot cake? If so, I’d say swap out about 1/2 cup of flour for black cocoa, and then you should be good to go! you can also add a tiny bit of gel food coloring if you want too <3
Here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/2019/04/17/moist-carrot-cake/
Thanks for sharing so much with us! Do you think this recipe would come out the same texture if it where made into a larger size cake? Like a 12″ or even 14″ round cake? Or would it maybe be not so fluffy and soft? If so do you think doubling or tripling they recipe would be enough for each cake round of those sizes? Thanks.
The texture should be the same, even if you make it into larger cake layers! If you make that big of layers, just be sure to use flower nails in the center of your pan, to help the cake layers bake more evenly and quickly. Hope that helps, happy baking Lisa!
Thanks. In this recipe is the red just ut american butter cream or was a flavor added? Or did you make it the cream cheese?
I made your black velvet cake and used black cocoa in place of regular cocoa in your chocolate buttercream frosting to make a Toothless character cake from ‘How to Train your Dragon’ . It came out so black and looked great! Thank you for the recipe. I added about a teaspoon more black food coloring to the frosting and let it sit for two days. Worked like a charm! I tagged you on Facebook so I don’t know if you can look at it or not.
Hi Priscilla,
I am so happy to hear that!! I will have to take a look, I’d love to see it 🙂 Thank you for sharing!!! <3
Hi! I love this cake! I saw it on Instagram, looking for ideas to add gold to a cake. How did you “paint” the gold up the sides of the cake?? Thank you in advance 🙂
Hi Rachel!
Great question. I chill a frosted cake, and once the buttercream is firm to the touch I use a thick paint brush to paint edible gold paint up the sides in streaks! I use edible art paint (I get it on amazon: https://amzn.to/3620sDR), but you could also mix together luster dust and vodka to make your own edible gold paint. Hope that helps, happy baking! <3
I’m so excited to try baking this cake next week! I was wondering if you could tell me how much frosting this recipe makes. I’d like to use a different recipe for the frosting (your cream cheese buttercream, although I’d be adding some white chocolate) but I want to be sure I have enough to frost the whole 3-layer, 8-inch cake. Thanks in advance!
One batch of buttercream should be enough for a 3 layer, 8 inch cake, which is how much my cream cheese buttercream recipe makes.
I usually recommend making 1 1/2 batches though just to be safe ( which is the amount of frosting included with this black velvet cake recipe), and in case you want to add some big swirls or other buttercream decoration to the cake. I hope that helps, happy baking!!
HI! I want to try baking this for my husband. He loves red velvet and thought this was a good mix of something he loves with something a bit different! Im definitely a beginner but your videos interest me so much I thought id give it a try. Do you use the same type of recipe for both colors of frosting you used? or is one the buttercream frosting and the other is cream cheese frosting with gel food coloring?
I’ve done similar recipes by hand — and I had a neighbor who loved baking and would even whip up egg whites by hand (therapeutic, she said!). As long as you know you’ll need to do extra work by hand, it’s not as though you can’t get similar results. People did in fact manage to cream butter and sugar before the advent of electricity!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! It is a keeper. I appreciated the additional advice you included. I baked this for my husband’s birthday. He’d told the kids that black is his favourite colour so the pressure was on to find a black (unburnt) cake ? .He is a bit of a tough crowd but he was very impressed! I used a different frosting though: strawberry between the layers and black cocoa cream cheese frosting over the whole cake. Thank you again!
Hi.. I want to make this for my dads 70th. I am a lockdown baker aka beginner. So I am a bit scared and feeling the pressure. What if I want to make a tiered cake- 1 8 inch and 1 6 inch, can I half the recipe? And what about the buttercream – keep it the same or half it too? Super excited to try it! Also any tips to help keep the buttercream frosting sturdy (I live in India and it’s super hot and humid)..
Thanks
Hi! Can i use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer?
How many layers of cake does this recipe make? I’m looking to make 3 layers in a 9-inch cake pan.
Hi there I’m just wondering if I could substitute the butter for canola or veg oil, this is the recipe I’d like to use for a Halloween cake and it’s due tmr -oops- I have enough butter for the frosting but not the actual cake
I’m so excited I found this recipe. My son has requested a Rubik’s Cube cake that is all black when he cuts it. I am going to spread the assembly over a couple days. How should I store the layers before I frost them, and how should I store the cake for a day before his birthday? Thanks in advance!
I am looking at this recipe and very interested in trying it. But when I looked at the icing you mentioned a cream cheese buttercream, but when I look down in the ingredients there is no cream cheese listed? How is it a cream cheese buttercream if there is no cream cheese? (Or did I miss something lol) Also I love how you turn it black. The gel and black Cocoa is genius!! Please help!!
Thanks.
What is the substitute of eggs. Would love to try this cake
Just a tip, if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, squeeze some lemon juice into whole milk (or a pinch of citric acid if you have it). It gives it the acidity that buttermilk has and works great in a pinch.
Hi Chelsea I was wondering if this recipe would work with 3 6inch cake pans. If so what do you recommend for cook time
Thanks
I’m going to make this cake. Is it OK to use vanilla extract? If so, how much? I didn’t notice vanilla in the ingredients. Thank you.
Hello
I have made your black velvet cake a few times in the past and is my mums favourite. I’ve noticed you’ve changed the recipe slightly by adding coffee and I was wondering if you still had your previous recipe you posted as it was sooooo nice.
Thank you
Beki
Hi Rebeca,
Absolutely!! I just sent you an email with the original recipe. Hope that helps, happy baking 🙂
Just came here to say I made this cake for our family’s annual pumpkin Carving day. It was a hit with everyone! I made the cake and frosting as instructed and they turned out beautifully. But! I also added your cream cheese buttercream recipe and dyed that a deep purple and so my inner layers were purple and my rosettes were half black frosting and half purple. I was so pleased. Thank you so much for your expertise, time and willingness to share with others. I will be writing this one day to keep in my “keepers” book.
I have your original recipe and absolutely love the flavor. It tastes just like and Oreo. With this version calling for oil, vanilla and coffee will the taste and texture be the same?
Hi Erika,
The texture is definitely different, but the flavor is pretty similar because most of the flavor comes from the black cocoa. I like the updated recipe because I think it’s easier to make the batter and I think it’s more moist. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Your black velvet cupcakes are delicious and have chocolate chips in them ..why not here too?
Hi Fiona,
My black velvet cupcake recipe is based on my chocolate cupcake recipe, and this recipe is based on my moist chocolate cake recipe, so they are just two different recipes! The crumb of this cake needs to be slightly stronger than my black velvet cupcakes for you to be able to pick up, stack, and frost the layers. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hello Chelsey,
Just wanted to know what you used for the drip? I can’t seem to find it in the recipe.
Thanks LaNae
Hi Lanae,
The recipe for my black drip cake (which includes the black drip) can be found here: https://chelsweets.com/black-drip-cake/
Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi! If I use the cream cheese frosting, how many drops of black food coloring do I need to add? Thank you!
Oh.my.god. This is delicious! I believe it’s the best cake I ever made, for my dad’s 96th birthday. Thank you!
SO happy to hear that Rick!!! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I am so excited to try this cake! I attempted a different recipe today. It was my first makeling a cake from scrach but it wasn’t too bad. Your recipe looks way easier and looks yummy with the espresso. I just had two questions. One can I use 9in cake pans. Two, can I leave the black cocao out of the frosting but still use the black food color gel? My husband wants not chocolate frosting, and I am a newbie. Thanks
Hi Nicole,
That is so exciting! And great questions. You can use this recipe to make either 2, 9 inch cake layers that are a little bit thicker, or you can make 3, 9 inch cake layers that are a little bit thinner than the layers in the pictures. Bake time will be a few minutes longer if you make 2, 9 inch layers and it will be a little bit shorter if you make 39 inch layers.
You can leave the cocoa out of the frosting and just use black gel food coloring but it can be hard to get a really deep color without a naturally dark base. However, if you make this frosting in advance it usually deepens in color over time but when you first make it, it might look a little bit Gray. Hope that helps and that your cake turns out great. Happy baking!
hi, i only have springform pans, and the batter is leaking out of the bottom of my pans. i’m wondering if there’s anyway to thicken it, without messing up the texture/flavor?
Hi Aislyn,
Ahh yes — springform pans can be tricky with thinner batters! I haven’t tried this before, but I’ve heard you can try wrapping the outside of the pan with a double layer of foil to catch leaks (and save your oven!). If you want to thicken the batter just slightly, you could try adding 1–2 extra tablespoons of flour, but I’d test it with just 1 first to avoid changing the texture too much. Alternatively, if you have regular cake pans, that’s always the safer route for this recipe. Hope that helps!
Can I make this without the coffee in it?
Totally! Just skip it and use the warm water. Hope that helps, happy baking Nadine!
Love the recipe. Is there a way to use cream cheese icing and still get it this black color? Thank you!
Hi Lynette,
So happy to hear you love this recipe! You can swap out 1 cup of butter for 1 cup of cream cheese in the buttercream recipe to make black cream cheese frosting 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
Does the flour and cocoa need to be sifted?
Hi Linda,
Great question! I usually don’t unless my cocoa powder is really chunky. But you can if you want to or think you need to based on the type of flour and cocoa powder you’re using. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Is this recipe enough for 3 8 inch pans?
I was skeptical because ive never put so many liquids in a cake batter as I usually use a classic Victoria sponge as my base. This recipe is amazing. Its going in my permanent collection. The flavour is great, its moist and springy, the temperature and bake time spot on. My mouth wasn’t big enough, nor was my stomach.
Thanks for the recipe. ???
Aw that is such an honor!!!! So happy to hear you love this recipe Laura 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!!!
Your black velvet cupcakes use melted chocolate, but your black velvet cake is an entirely different recipe. Can I use the cupcake recipe for cake layers?
Hi Amanda,
They are definitely two different recipes! I think that this recipe bakes batter cake layers, but if you really want to use my cupcake recipe to make cake layers you can!
I love this recipe and have used it many times! Can it be used for 9×13 size cake pan? If so do you know how long it might take to bake?
Hi Randi,
I am so happy to hear that! You can make a 9×13-inch sheet cake using one batch of this recipe, the bake time can vary based on the type of metal the pan is made of, and whether you use heating cores! I usually do use heating cores, and it takes me about 40-45 minutes. The bake time cane vary based on your oven too! I’d recommend checking the center with a toothpick for doneness after 40 minutes. Once it comes out out with a few moist crumbs, you know it’s ready 🙂 Hope that helps, happy baking!
Among my friends, this is known as THE cake. I baked this emo cake for my emo 30th birthday party two years ago, and those who were there that day still bring it up to me. Well, they’re in luck, because I’m bringing it back for my boyfriend’s 30th birthday party! The crumb is so moist, dense, and chocolatey; the icing is straight-up addictive. And the deeply dark, ominous appearance…unforgettable. To appease the masses, I also made a batch of emo cupcakes (using your cupcake recipe per your suggestion) since we had no leftovers last time around.
Hi Sarah,
Ahh I absolutely love this!! An emo 30th birthday party sounds like the perfect occasion for it, and I love that you’re making it for your boyfriend’s birthday too!! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
black cocoa powder can be a bit muted in flavor although very pretty. it may help to bloom it. in my case instead of the coffee, as that can kill me, bloom cocoa in hot water instead.
Hi Julie,
Absolutely! If you don’t want to use coffee, hot water works perfectly well in its place. The recipe actually uses hot water with instant espresso dissolved into it, so you can simply leave out the espresso and use the hot water as written. Hope that helps!