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Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake

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Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake is a rich and moist two-layer chocolate cake made with black cocoa powder for a deep Oreo-like flavor. Filled with homemade blackberry compote and frosted with black cocoa cream cheese buttercream, it’s topped with fresh blackberries and chocolate skulls, making it the perfect spooky season showstopper.

  • Author: Tina
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3/4 cup black cocoa powder, sifted

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 cup hot coffee

1/2 cup canola oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups fresh blackberries

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp cornstarch

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup black cocoa powder, sifted

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate skulls (optional)

Fresh blackberries (for garnish)

Dried rose petals (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, black cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in hot coffee last.
  4. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 30–33 minutes. Let cakes cool completely before removing from pans.
  5. For the compote, add blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and cinnamon stick to a saucepan. Boil for 5–6 minutes. Mix water and cornstarch, add to blackberry mixture, and cook until thickened. Remove cinnamon stick and chill for 1 hour.
  6. To make frosting, beat softened cream cheese and butter. Add sifted powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy.
  7. Level cake layers. Pipe frosting around edge of bottom layer and fill with blackberry compote. Add second cake layer, bottom side up for a flat surface.
  8. Apply a crumb coat of frosting and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Frost entire cake with remaining frosting.
  9. Decorate with chocolate skulls, fresh blackberries, and dried rose petals.

Notes

  • Use high-quality black cocoa for best flavor and color.
  • Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor but can be replaced with hot water or decaf coffee if preferred.
  • Make cakes ahead and refrigerate layers, tightly wrapped, before assembly.
  • Blackberry compote can be strained to remove seeds.
  • Use cake leveler or serrated knife for even layers.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cheftinaskitchen.com/spooky-black-velvet-halloween-cake/