Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake
Deeply colored velvet layers meet tangy buttermilk and sour cream for a tender crumb, finished with silky cream cheese frosting and a spooky silhouette perfect for Halloween gatherings.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2.25 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 0.75 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 1.5 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1.25 cups buttermilk room temperature
- 0.5 cup sour cream room temperature
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 0.5 teaspoon white vinegar
- 0.5 teaspoon black gel food coloring
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C), then grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour (1), cocoa powder (2), sugar (3), baking powder (4), baking soda (5), and salt (6) for 30 seconds to blend and aerate.
- Add eggs (7), buttermilk (8), sour cream (9), oil (10), vanilla (11), vinegar (12), and food coloring (13). Whisk until smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes.
- Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth tops, and bake 30–35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow layers to cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- In a bowl, beat cream cheese (14) and butter (15) until silky smooth.
- Add vanilla (17), then gradually beat in powdered sugar (16) until fluffy.
- Frost cooled layers, crumb-coat if desired, then finish frosting and decorate.
Notes
If the batter looks gray, add more gel coloring until it turns jet black.
For best results, chill the frosted cake 30 minutes before slicing to set the frosting and clean edges.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 45g
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