Black Velvet Cake

4.83 from 85 ratings

This black velvet cake recipe is a total showstopper! It's moist, packed with rich chocolate flavor, and gets its dramatic dark color from black cocoa powder.

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Additional Time30

Total Time1 25

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 480kcal

Author: Chelsey White

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

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.

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