For any of you gouhls and goblins that are looking for a spooky Halloween treat to celebrate this week, how about giving this Black Velvet Cake a whirl?

Black Velvet Cake

This cake is completely inspired by Halloween, and the rich chocolaty cake layers are indeed reminiscent of black velvet! The thought if 2 bottles of black food coloring really grossed me out, so I just laced a very dark chocolate cake with a little black food coloring, and it totally got the job done.

Black Velvet Cake

I thought that the pinkish purple hued frosting was a really fun and beautiful contrast to the color of the cake. The chocolate crown and the fun sprinkles were the icing on the cake (pun intended) and made the cake totally worthy of a celebration!

Black Velvet Cake/4

My children were totally delighted with the cake, and it also made a stunning focal point on my Halloween Table, but I think it would be a beautiful birthday cake too…

Black Velvet Cake

So also, as promised, here is one picture from my Cleopatra costume on Saturday night. I usually completely avoid “selfies” but the fact that I put so much effort into the costume combined with the “Halloween Punch” must have let down my inhibitions for the first hour of the party. By the way, you can’t really tell, but I have like 10 coats of self tanner on for that costume, and I had to use a boatload of eye makeup remover the makeup was so intense- but I had a great time. Like such a great time that we had to have the cab stop for cheeseburgers before we went home to the babysitter…

Cleopatra

Let me know, what are you dressing up as for Halloween? Oh and also, 5 more days till we get our puppy. I am dying over it!!

To make this cake, this is what you do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8” pans with cooking spray and parchment rounds.
For the Cake: Put the cocoa powder in a small bowl, and pour the boiling water on top of it.Whisk the water and cocoa together until smooth, and then set aside until cooled.
In a mixing bowl or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time until they completely combined. Sift all of the dry ingredients together.

IMG_6713.jpg
Gently add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and half of the chocolate. Mix to combine. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and mix into a smooth batter. Add the black food coloring and mix completely in. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.
IMG_6715.jpg

Bake the cake layers about 25 minutes. (If they are puffy on top (domed) I smack them down a couple of time with a spatula so that they will be more even to stack when frosting)
Black Velvet Cake

Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting them.

To make the frosting:
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the soft butter, powdered sugar and milk and whip until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the food coloring and combine well.

Spread ¼ of the frosting in between each of the cake layers and save the other half of the frosting for the outside of the cake. When it is completely frosted, I recommend refrigerating it for about 30 minutes before adding the chocolate.

Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the cake and let is drip down the edges. Apply sprinkles immediately to wet chocolate.

Slice and serve!
Black Velvet Cake

 

Recipe: Black Velvet Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
 (I like Hershey DARK brand)
  • 1 cup soft unsalted butter
  • 2-1/4 cup white sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3/4 cups AP flour
  • 
2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 teaspoons black food coloring
  • Buttercream Frosting:
  • 1 cup butter
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • food coloring (optional)
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted in the microwave
  • Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8” pans with cooking spray and parchment rounds.
  2. For the Cake:
  3. Put the cocoa powder in a small bowl, and pour the boiling water on top of it.
  4. Whisk the water and cocoa together until smooth, and then set aside until cooled.
  5. In a mixing bowl or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
  6. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time until they completely combined.
  7. Sift all of the dry ingredients together.
  8. Gently add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and half of the chocolate. Mix to combine.
  9. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and mix into a smooth batter. Add the black food coloring and mix completely in.
  10. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Bake the cake layers about 25 minutes
  11. Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting them.
  12. To make the frosting:
  13. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the soft butter, powdered sugar and milk and whip until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the food coloring and combine well.
  14. Spread ¼ of the frosting in between each of the cake layers and save the other half of the frosting for the outside of the cake. When it is completely frosted, I recommend refrigerating it for about 30 minutes before adding the chocolate.
  15. Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the cake and let is drip down the edges. Apply sprinkles immediately to wet chocolate.
  16. Slice and serve!

Preparation time: 1 hour(s)

Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

Print Recipe  
Categorized: Chocolate, Dessert
Tagged: , ,

For any of you gouhls and goblins that are looking for a spooky Halloween treat to celebrate this week, how about giving this Black Velvet Cake a whirl?

Black Velvet Cake

This cake is completely inspired by Halloween, and the rich chocolaty cake layers are indeed reminiscent of black velvet! The thought if 2 bottles of black food coloring really grossed me out, so I just laced a very dark chocolate cake with a little black food coloring, and it totally got the job done.

Black Velvet Cake

I thought that the pinkish purple hued frosting was a really fun and beautiful contrast to the color of the cake. The chocolate crown and the fun sprinkles were the icing on the cake (pun intended) and made the cake totally worthy of a celebration!

Black Velvet Cake/4

My children were totally delighted with the cake, and it also made a stunning focal point on my Halloween Table, but I think it would be a beautiful birthday cake too…

Black Velvet Cake

So also, as promised, here is one picture from my Cleopatra costume on Saturday night. I usually completely avoid “selfies” but the fact that I put so much effort into the costume combined with the “Halloween Punch” must have let down my inhibitions for the first hour of the party. By the way, you can’t really tell, but I have like 10 coats of self tanner on for that costume, and I had to use a boatload of eye makeup remover the makeup was so intense- but I had a great time. Like such a great time that we had to have the cab stop for cheeseburgers before we went home to the babysitter…

Cleopatra

Let me know, what are you dressing up as for Halloween? Oh and also, 5 more days till we get our puppy. I am dying over it!!

To make this cake, this is what you do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8” pans with cooking spray and parchment rounds.
For the Cake: Put the cocoa powder in a small bowl, and pour the boiling water on top of it.Whisk the water and cocoa together until smooth, and then set aside until cooled.
In a mixing bowl or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time until they completely combined. Sift all of the dry ingredients together.

IMG_6713.jpg
Gently add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and half of the chocolate. Mix to combine. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and mix into a smooth batter. Add the black food coloring and mix completely in. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans.
IMG_6715.jpg

Bake the cake layers about 25 minutes. (If they are puffy on top (domed) I smack them down a couple of time with a spatula so that they will be more even to stack when frosting)
Black Velvet Cake

Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting them.

To make the frosting:
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the soft butter, powdered sugar and milk and whip until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the food coloring and combine well.

Spread ¼ of the frosting in between each of the cake layers and save the other half of the frosting for the outside of the cake. When it is completely frosted, I recommend refrigerating it for about 30 minutes before adding the chocolate.

Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the cake and let is drip down the edges. Apply sprinkles immediately to wet chocolate.

Slice and serve!
Black Velvet Cake

 

Recipe: Black Velvet Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
 (I like Hershey DARK brand)
  • 1 cup soft unsalted butter
  • 2-1/4 cup white sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3/4 cups AP flour
  • 
2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 teaspoons black food coloring
  • Buttercream Frosting:
  • 1 cup butter
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • food coloring (optional)
  • 8 ounces dark chocolate, melted in the microwave
  • Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare three 8” pans with cooking spray and parchment rounds.
  2. For the Cake:
  3. Put the cocoa powder in a small bowl, and pour the boiling water on top of it.
  4. Whisk the water and cocoa together until smooth, and then set aside until cooled.
  5. In a mixing bowl or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
  6. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time until they completely combined.
  7. Sift all of the dry ingredients together.
  8. Gently add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and half of the chocolate. Mix to combine.
  9. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and mix into a smooth batter. Add the black food coloring and mix completely in.
  10. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans. Bake the cake layers about 25 minutes
  11. Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting them.
  12. To make the frosting:
  13. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the soft butter, powdered sugar and milk and whip until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the food coloring and combine well.
  14. Spread ¼ of the frosting in between each of the cake layers and save the other half of the frosting for the outside of the cake. When it is completely frosted, I recommend refrigerating it for about 30 minutes before adding the chocolate.
  15. Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the cake and let is drip down the edges. Apply sprinkles immediately to wet chocolate.
  16. Slice and serve!

Preparation time: 1 hour(s)

Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

Recipe by Heather Christo (http://heatherchristo.com)