Description
This Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake is a decadent and visually striking dessert perfect for your Halloween celebrations. Featuring a rich, moist black velvet cake layered with smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting, this cake is decorated with fun Halloween-themed toppings to add a festive touch. The deep black color is achieved using black gel food coloring, making it a spooky centerpiece that is sure to impress your guests.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Black gel food coloring (as needed)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Optional Decorations:
- Halloween sprinkles
- Candy eyeballs
- Black sanding sugar
- Plastic spiders
- Chocolate ganache drip
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder to combine evenly and remove any lumps.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, white vinegar, vanilla extract, and several drops of black gel food coloring until the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until smooth and fully incorporated. Add more black gel food coloring if necessary to achieve a rich, deep black color.
- Divide and Bake: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Then carefully remove them from the pans and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: Using a mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, mix in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt until well combined.
- Assemble Cake: Once the cakes are completely cooled, level the tops if necessary. Spread a layer of frosting on top of one cake layer, then place the second layer on top.
- Crumb Coat and Chill: Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire cake to seal in crumbs. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Final Frosting and Decoration: Apply a final, thick layer of frosting to the cake and smooth it out evenly. Decorate with halloween sprinkles, candy eyes, black sanding sugar, plastic spiders, or a drizzle of chocolate ganache for a spooky finish.
Notes
- For an even deeper black color, substitute regular cocoa powder with black cocoa powder.
- The cake can be prepared 1 to 2 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
- Allow cakes to cool fully before frosting to prevent melting or sliding.
- Use room temperature ingredients for better batter consistency and cake texture.
