Luxurious Black Velvet Cake Recipe
A dramatic, silky Luxurious Black Velvet Cake Recipe — deep black cocoa layers kept ultra-moist with oil and buttermilk, finished with a silky cream-cheese buttercream (plus optional dark ganache). Show-stopping, rich, and perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
For the cake (three 8-inch layers)
- 300 g 2 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
- 300 g 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 14 g 2 tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 16 g 2 tbsp black cocoa powder (or extra natural cocoa + black gel)
- 1 tsp baking soda ≈ 5 g
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 240 ml 1 cup vegetable oil (neutral oil)
- 240 ml 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (or 240 ml milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 tbsp 15 ml distilled white vinegar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract 10 ml
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder optional — dissolves in 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 –2 tsp black gel food coloring optional, for deepest black
For the Silky Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 340 g 12 oz / 1 block full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 113 g 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 600 g about 5 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch fine salt
- 1 –2 tbsp heavy cream optional, to adjust consistency
- Optional Dark Chocolate Ganache for drip or glaze
- 200 g dark chocolate 60–70% cocoa, chopped
- 200 ml heavy cream
Instructions
Preheat & prep pans
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round pans, line with parchment rounds, and lightly flour or use nonstick spray with flour.
Make the dry mix
- In a large bowl, sift (or whisk) together cake flour, granulated sugar, natural cocoa, black cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk so everything is evenly combined and aerated.
Combine wet ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, vanilla, vinegar, dissolved espresso, and (if using) black gel coloring until smooth.
Build the batter
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry mixture and fold gently with a rubber spatula (or mix on low speed) until just combined — no streaks of flour. Avoid overmixing.
Bake
- Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Smooth the tops gently. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25–32 minutes for 8-inch pans. Start checking at 22 minutes — cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs and the top springs back lightly.
Cool
- Cool in pans for 10–12 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks and remove parchment. Cool completely before frosting. For easier leveling, chill layers 15–30 minutes.
Make the cream cheese buttercream
- Beat butter (113 g) until creamy. Add cream cheese (340 g) in chunks and beat on low, then medium, until smooth. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar (600 g), 1 cup at a time, on low to avoid clouds of sugar, then increase to medium and beat until silky. Add 1 tbsp heavy cream if the frosting needs loosening.
Optional ganache
- Place chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream until just simmering and pour over chocolate. Let sit 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Cool to a pourable but not runny consistency (20–30 minutes at room temp).
Assemble
- Level cake layers if needed. Place first layer on plate/board, spread ~1 cup frosting evenly. Stack second and third layers, frosting between. Apply a thin crumb coat over entire cake and chill 20–30 minutes. Apply final coat of frosting and smooth with an offset spatula/bench scraper. If using ganache, chill cake briefly, then drip ganache around the edge and smooth top. Decorate with piped swirls, chocolate shavings, toasted nuts, or edible gold leaf as desired.
Notes
- Color tips: Black cocoa yields the truest black. If unavailable, increase natural cocoa slightly and add concentrated black gel coloring. Use gel (not liquid) to avoid thinning batter.
- Moisture & texture: Oil keeps the crumb tender and moist. For a slightly richer flavor use melted butter instead (texture will change).
- Room temperature ingredients: Ensure eggs, buttermilk, cream cheese, and butter are at room temp to form a stable emulsion and smooth frosting.
- Make-ahead & storage: Bake layers a day ahead, wrap tightly and refrigerate (or freeze up to 1 month). Frosted cake keeps refrigerated up to 4 days; bring to room temperature 45–60 minutes before serving. For longer storage, freeze fully decorated cake (flash-freeze uncovered, then wrap); thaw overnight in fridge.
- Variations: Swap cream cheese for mascarpone; add a raspberry gelee layer; convert to gluten-free with a 1:1 cake blend; vegan adaptations possible but will alter texture and flavor.
- Serving tip: Plate slices with a dollop of berry coulis or a quenelle of crème fraîche for contrast.