Black Velvet Chocolate Cake Recipes

BLACK VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Line and grease three, eight-inch cake pans, or four, seven-inch pans.
• Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup black cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
• In a separate, medium-sized bowl, add 1 cup of hot water and 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee. Stir until dissolved.
• Add in 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract into the instant espresso mixture. Give the mixture a quick stir to combine the ingredients.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be on the thin side, but that's the consistency you're after!
• Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, and bake for about 24-27 minutes. I like to use a kitchen scale to weigh the pans. It makes sure each pan has the exact same amount of batter and helps the cake layers bake up to be the same height.
• 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 into 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.
• Beat the butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
• Add in the sifted black cocoa, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
• Slowly mix in the powdered sugar. Halfway through, add in the heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
• Mix in the cooled, melted dark chocolate on a low speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
• If you want the buttercream to be a darker shade of black, min in a squirt of black gel food coloring. Then cover with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.
• 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.
• Add 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!

BLACK VELVET LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugars, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together coffee, oil, and eggs. Add coffee mixture to flour mixture, and beat at medium speed until smooth. Stir in sour cream and vanilla until combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Using a serrated knife, remove rounded tops from cake layers. Crumble tops, and set aside.
• Pipe a ring of Sweet Cream Cheese Frosting around inside edge of bottom cake layer to create a border. Fill center with ⅛ cup (30 grams) Caramel. Repeat with remaining cake layers and Caramel. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top and sides of cake. Spread remaining frosting on top of cake, and swirl with a spatula. Top with reserved cake crumbs. Store cake, covered, in refrigerator.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 cup (120 grams) at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in cream, 1 tablespoon (15 grams) at a time, until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. Beat in vanilla. Refrigerate leftover frosting for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months.
• In a large heavy saucepan, place sugar, ¼ cup (60 grams) water, and corn syrup; swirl to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until mixture is amber colored, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, stirring until melted (mixture will foam).
• In a microwave-safe bowl, heat cream on high until warm, 30 to 40 seconds. Slowly add cream to caramel mixture, whisking until smooth. (Mixture will foam). Stir in salt. Let cool completely. Store Caramel in an airtight container in refrigerator until ready to use; it is much easier to work with cold.
• Store remaining Caramel in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 months.

BLACK VELVET CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• NOTE: If you use a cocoa powder that is different than listed, your cake will not be as dark. You can supplement the color with 1 tsp of super black food coloring
• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF/176ºC.
• Grease three 8" cake pans with cake goop.
• Whisk together melted chocolate, cocoa powder, hot coffee, vanilla, and oil until combined (it will look lumpy). Then mix in the warm buttermilk and whisk until combined. Then set aside.
• Add butter to stand mixer and beat at medium-high speed until smooth and shiny, about 30 seconds. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar, beat until mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing in fully before adding the next egg.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• With the mixer at the lowest speed, add about a third of the dry ingredients to the batter, followed immediately by about a third of the chocolate mixture, mix until ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter. Repeat the process 2 more times. When the batter appears blended, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixer to low speed, beat until the batter looks like satin, about 15 seconds longer.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake cakes until they feel firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it, about 30-35 minutes.Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack and pop cakes out of pans. Cool completely before frosting.
• Cream your butter until smooth with the whisk attachment (by hand or in the stand mixer is fine)
• Add the vegetable shortening to the butter and cream until smooth
• While mixing on low, start adding in your powdered sugar one cup at a time until it's all combined with the butter mixture
• Add in your salt, vanilla and milk and whip on medium for 10-15 minutes until very light and fluffy
• If your frosting is too thick, you can add in 1-2 more Tablespoons of water or milk to thin it down to your desired consistency.
• You can now add in your desired food coloring if you prefer your frosting to be colored. I used electric pink, electric green and electric pink food coloring from americolor.com. Remember, the frosting color will deepen after 24 hours.

BLACK VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease 3 (8- or 9-inch) round cake pans with shortening; lightly flour.
• In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another large bowl, beat oil, buttermilk, eggs, food color, vinegar and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed just until blended. Gradually add flour mixture; beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
• Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Brush off all loose crumbs from cake layers. Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with third cake layer. Spread very thin layer of frosting on side to seal in crumbs. Spread remaining frosting on side and top of cake. Cut licorice into pieces. Pile licorice on top of cake. Decorate bottom edge of cake with jelly beans.

BLACK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Brush the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and instant coffee; pour in the boiling water and let stand 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Combine the sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla in a liquid measuring cup (it will look curdled).
• Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the coffee-chocolate mixture; beat until combined. Beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the sour cream mixture in two batches, until just incorporated. (Keep the mixer on low as you add the ingredients, then increase the speed to medium briefly between additions to beat out the lumps.) The batter should look like hot fudge.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the pans, then run a knife around the edges and remove the cakes to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Whisk the eggs, 1/4 cup milk, the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl until smooth (the mixture will be thick). Heat the remaining 1 1/4 cups milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, then pour the entire mixture into the pan. Bring to a boil, whisking (the mixture will become thick like pudding very quickly). Continue cooking 30 to 60 more seconds to thicken further, whisking vigorously, then remove from the heat. Pour into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until cold, 3 to 4 hours.
• Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted; let cool slightly. Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the cocoa pudding mixture to loosen, then gradually beat into the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate. Continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Trim off the domed tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife. Put one cake layer on a platter. Spread 1 cup frosting on top, then top with the other cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

BLACK VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one 10-inch bundt pan or two 9-inch round pans with a nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, milk and oil. Mix until smooth; batter will be thin.
• Pour into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes for bundt pan, 25 minutes for 9-inch round pans, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
• Add a small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.
• Frost cake and garnish as desired.