Black Velvet Cake

Black Velvet Cake (My Kitchen Looked Like a Coal Mine)

So everyone’s obsessed with red velvet cake, right? But have you seen black velvet cake? It’s basically red velvet’s cooler, more dramatic sibling. And honestly? It tastes way better.

I first made this for Halloween last year, and I’m not gonna lie—my kitchen counter looked like I’d been mining coal. Black cocoa powder gets EVERYWHERE. But it was so worth it.

What Even Is Black Velvet Cake?

Okay, here’s the thing. Black velvet cake is basically a super moist chocolate cake that gets its deep black color from black cocoa powder. Not food coloring. Not activated charcoal (thank goodness, because that stuff is weird). Just straight-up black cocoa powder.

The first time I tried making this, I couldn’t find black cocoa powder at my regular grocery store. Had to order it online from King Arthur Baking, and then I waited like a week. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.

It’s got this rich, almost Oreo-like flavor that’s not too sweet, and the texture is insanely soft. Like, melt-in-your-mouth soft. My neighbor’s kid who “doesn’t like chocolate cake” (weird kid, honestly) ate two slices.

Why This Recipe Works (After Three Attempts)

Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. My first attempt was… not great. The cake was dry and tasted like dust. Turns out I overbaked it by like 10 minutes because I got distracted watching some show.

Second attempt? Better, but the frosting turned my hands completely black. Like, I looked like I’d been working on a car engine. The trick is to let the buttercream sit for a few hours—it darkens on its own without making you look like you lost a fight with a printer cartridge.

Third time was the charm. And now I’ve made this probably six times, so I’ve got it down.

Let’s Talk About Black Cocoa Powder

This is the star ingredient. Black cocoa powder is what makes this a naturally dye-free black velvet cake. It’s basically ultra-dutch processed cocoa that’s been alkalized to the max. Gives you that deep, dark color without any artificial stuff.

You can find it online pretty easily now. I use the King Arthur brand, but Hershey’s makes one too. Don’t try to substitute regular cocoa powder—you’ll just get a brown cake. Which is fine, but not what we’re going for here.

And yeah, it’s a bit more expensive than regular cocoa. But one bag lasts forever, so it’s worth it.

Ingredients for the Best Black Velvet Cake Recipe

For the Cake:

Here’s what you need for this easy black velvet cake recipe. I promise it’s simpler than it looks.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour—just the regular stuff
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup black cocoa powder—THIS is the important one, don’t skip it
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt—I use regular table salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature—if you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to regular milk and let it sit 10 minutes
• ½ cup vegetable oil—or canola, whatever you have
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot water (or hot coffee for extra flavor)
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder—optional but highly recommended

For the Black Buttercream:

Trust me, this black buttercream frosting cake is what takes it over the top.

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened—and I mean SOFT, not melted
• 1 cup black cocoa powder, sifted
• 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• ⅔ cup heavy cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1⅓ cups dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled—I use Ghirardelli

How to Make This Moist Black Velvet Cake

Step 1: Prep Everything (Seriously, Don’t Skip This)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. I learned the hard way that skipping the parchment paper means half your cake stays stuck to the pan. Not fun.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Stuff

In a huge bowl—like, your biggest one—whisk together the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The black cocoa powder cake mix will look super dark already. That’s normal.

Pro tip: Sift the black cocoa powder first. It gets lumpy and clumpy, and nobody wants lumps in their cake.

Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients

In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Now here’s where it gets important—dissolve your espresso powder in the hot water (or just use hot coffee). This intensifies the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee. Weird but true.

Pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix! I made this mistake on attempt number one. The batter will be really thin—like, almost liquid. Don’t panic. That’s exactly what you want for a soft black velvet cake.

Step 4: Bake These Babies

Divide the batter evenly between your three pans. I use a kitchen scale to weigh them because I’m obsessive like that, but eyeballing it works too.

Bake for 24-27 minutes. Start checking at 24 minutes with a toothpick. It should come out with just a few moist crumbs. NOT clean, or your cake will be dry. NOT goopy, or it’s underbaked.

Let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then flip onto wire racks. Wait, I almost forgot—run a knife around the edges first to loosen them. Otherwise you might have a cake disaster. Been there.

Step 5: Make That Incredible Black Buttercream

While your cakes are cooling (they need to be COMPLETELY cool, trust me), make the frosting.

Beat the softened butter for like 3-4 minutes until it’s super fluffy and pale. This is important—don’t rush it.

Gradually add half the powdered sugar, beating on low so you don’t create a sugar dust storm in your kitchen. (Ask me how I know about this.)

Add the rest of the powdered sugar, then sift in the black cocoa powder. Add the vanilla, salt, and heavy cream. Beat on low until combined, then crank it to medium-high and beat for another 2 minutes.

Here’s the magic part: melt your chocolate chips and let them cool to room temperature. NOT hot, or they’ll melt your butter. Add the melted chocolate to your frosting and beat until smooth.

The frosting will look dark brown at first. That’s fine. It darkens over the next few hours. Some kind of chemical reaction or something—I’m a baker, not a scientist.

Step 6: Assemble This Beauty

Level your cake layers if they domed (they probably will). Put the first layer on your serving plate or cake stand. Spread about 1 cup of frosting on top. Add the second layer, more frosting. Third layer, then crumb coat the whole thing with a thin layer of frosting.

Stick it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. This firms up the crumb coat so you can do a final smooth layer without getting crumbs everywhere.

Final layer of frosting, smooth it out however you like, and you’re done. I’m terrible at decorating, so I just do a simple smooth finish. Looks fancy, is actually easy.

Random Tips I’ve Discovered

Okay, so here are some things nobody tells you:

• This homemade black velvet cake tastes better the next day. Something about the flavors melding together. Science or whatever.
• You can make the cake layers ahead and freeze them. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before frosting.
• If you’re making this for Halloween (perfect choice), you can decorate with candy eyeballs. My 8-year-old insisted, and honestly it looked pretty cool.
• The coffee/espresso is optional but HIGHLY recommended. It makes the chocolate taste more chocolate-y without adding coffee flavor. Trust me.
• Room temperature ingredients really do make a difference. Cold eggs make lumpy batter. I learned this the hard way.

What If Things Go Wrong?

Because stuff happens, right?

Cake turned out dry? You probably overbaked it. Next time, pull it out a minute or two earlier. It continues cooking in the pan even after you take it out of the oven.

Frosting too stiff? Add more cream, one tablespoon at a time until it loosens up.

Frosting too runny? Add more powdered sugar. Or stick it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.

Black cocoa powder staining everything? Yeah, that happens. Wear dark clothes. Wipe counters immediately. It does come off, just takes some scrubbing.

Cake layers uneven? That’s what leveling is for. Use a serrated knife or buy a cake leveler—they’re like $5 on Amazon and totally worth it.

Why This Recipe Is Perfect

This rich dark black velvet cake is honestly one of my favorite cakes to make now. It looks super impressive but it’s actually pretty straightforward. The ingredients are easy to find (except the black cocoa, but that’s just one online order). And the taste? Incredible.

It’s got this deep chocolate flavor that’s not too sweet, and the texture is so soft it almost doesn’t need frosting. (But the frosting makes it even better, so don’t skip it.)

I’ve brought this to three different parties now, and every single time people ask for the recipe. One person even said it was better than the $60 cake from that fancy bakery downtown. I’m not saying they’re right, but… yeah, they’re probably right.

Final Thoughts on This Black Velvet Layer Cake

If you want to make something that looks super impressive but is secretly pretty easy, this is it. The fudgy black velvet cake with black buttercream frosting combo is unbeatable.

Yeah, your kitchen might look like a crime scene afterward. And yeah, you might get some black powder on your clothes. But it’s so worth it.

Make this. Impress people. Pretend it was way harder than it actually was.

Happy baking! (And maybe invest in some dark-colored dish towels.) 🍰