Black Velvet Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 0.75 cup black cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee (Use either instant espresso or coffee; may be omitted, using the hot water without it.)
• 1 cup buttermilk (Room temperature.)
• 0.5 cup vegetable or canola oil (Use either vegetable oil or canola oil.)
• 112 g large eggs (Room temperature.)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (For the cake; use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.)
• 2 cup unsalted butter (4 sticks; room temperature.)
• 1 cup black cocoa powder (For the buttercream.)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (For the buttercream; use either vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.)
• 0.5 tsp fine salt (For the buttercream.)
• 5 cup powdered sugar
• 0.6667 cup heavy whipping cream (Room temperature.)
• 1.3333 cup dark chocolate chips (Melted and cooled; let sit about 10 minutes after melting, until liquid but no longer hot to the touch.)
• black gel food coloring (Optional; a squirt, for a darker shade of black.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line and grease three 8-inch cake pans or four 7-inch cake pans.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and fine salt until combined.

3. 3

   In a separate medium bowl, stir the instant espresso or coffee into the hot water until dissolved.

4. 4

   Add the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and cake vanilla to the espresso mixture. Whisk briefly to combine.

5. 5

   Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until fully incorporated. The batter will be thin.

6. 6

   Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans (about 490 g per pan when using three layers). Bake for 24–27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

7. 7

   Remove the cake layers from the oven and cool them in their pans for about 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Run an offset spatula gently around the rim of each pan to loosen the cake, then turn the layers out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

9. 9

   Once completely cool, use a serrated knife to level the top of each layer. If making the layers in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

10. 10

    Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter on medium speed for 30 seconds, until smooth.

11. 11

    Add the buttercream black cocoa, vanilla, and fine salt. Mix on low until fully incorporated.

12. 12

    Slowly mix in the powdered sugar. Halfway through adding it, add the heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix, then continue adding the remaining sugar.

13. 13

    Add the melted, cooled dark chocolate and mix on low until fully incorporated and the frosting reaches the desired consistency. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

14. 14

    For an even darker frosting, mix in a squirt of black gel food coloring. Cover the buttercream with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set it aside.

15. 15

    Place the first cake layer on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting underneath to help it stick.

16. 16

    Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer, stacking the remaining layers as you go. Use a large offset spatula to spread the frosting.

17. 17

    Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake to cover the layers. Smooth it with a bench scraper, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes, until the frosting is firm to the touch.

18. 18

    Add a second, thicker layer of frosting and smooth it with a bench scraper. Decorate as desired and serve.

Notes

Dark cocoa powder can substitute for black cocoa if needed, but the cake will be less dark and its flavor will differ. The espresso/coffee may be omitted; use the hot water without it. Recipe comments mention that one batch also fits a 9×13-inch pan, with a variable bake time of about 40–45 minutes and checking for a few moist crumbs; this is an optional variation rather than the main method.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• baked
• chocolate
• layer cake
• vegetarian
• celebration