Unleash your inner artist and create a dessert that is as dramatically beautiful as it is delicious with this Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake. This isn’t just a cake; it’s a statement piece. It’s one of the most elegant Black Halloween Cake Ideas you can find, featuring a moist, tender crumb made with rich black cocoa, a surprise bright and tangy blackberry filling, and a decadent black cocoa cream cheese frosting. This stunning Gothic Cake is the perfect centerpiece for a sophisticated Halloween party, a Scary Birthday Cake for a horror fan, or any time you want to bake one of the most memorable Spooky Cakes.
Why This is the Ultimate Spooky Elegant Cake
This recipe is the perfect blend of dark, moody aesthetics and bright, delicious flavors.
- Striking Appearance: The deep, natural black color from the black cocoa powder gives this cake a truly impressive and dramatic look without the need for artificial food coloring.
- A Surprise Inside: The vibrant blackberry compote filling provides a beautiful color contrast and a burst of tangy, fruity flavor that perfectly cuts through the richness of the cake and frosting.
- Incredibly Moist & Rich: The combination of buttermilk and hot coffee in the cake batter creates an exceptionally moist and tender crumb with a deep, complex chocolate flavor.
- Perfectly Themed: It’s the ideal dessert for a wide range of Halloween Cake Themes, from a spooky haunted house to an elegant gothic dinner party.
Your Ingredient Checklist
This recipe is broken down into three magnificent parts: the cake, the filling, and the frosting.
For the Black Velvet Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup black cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup hot coffee
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Blackberry Compote Filling:
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice & 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup water & 1 tbsp cornstarch
For the Black Cocoa Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup black cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these steps to create your own edible masterpiece.
Part 1: Bake the Black Velvet Cake
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Mix the Batter: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Slowly mix in the hot coffee until the batter is smooth.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely.
Part 2: Prepare the Filling and Frosting
- Make the Blackberry Compote: In a saucepan, bring the blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and cinnamon stick to a boil. Cook for 5-6 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the water and cornstarch to create a slurry, then stir it into the blackberry mixture and cook until thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and let it cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, and salt, and beat until smooth. Mix in the vanilla.
Part 3: Assemble Your Gothic Cake
- First Layer: Place one of the cooled cake layers on a serving platter. Pipe a “dam” of frosting around the outer edge of the cake.
- Add the Filling: Spread the cooled blackberry compote evenly inside the frosting dam.
- Second Layer: Place the second cake layer on top.
- Frost the Cake: Apply a thin “crumb coat” of frosting over the entire cake and chill for 20 minutes. Then, apply the final, smooth layer of frosting over the entire cake.
- Decorate: Get creative! Decorate with chocolate skulls, fresh blackberries, or edible dried flowers for the perfect spooky, elegant finish.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is black cocoa powder and can I substitute it? Black cocoa powder is a type of Dutch-process cocoa that has been heavily alkalized, which gives it its signature deep black color and a smooth, non-bitter, Oreo-like flavor. It is the key to this Black Frosting Cake. If you can’t find it, you can use regular Dutch-process cocoa, but you will need to add black gel food coloring to both the cake and frosting to achieve a similar color.
2. How can I adapt this into a Scary Birthday Cake? This makes a fantastic Scary Birthday Cake! To make it more “gory,” you could create a “blood” drip effect by thinning out some seedless raspberry jam with a little water and letting it drip down the sides of the black cake. You could even top it with some fun, horror-themed cake toppers.
3. What are some other Halloween Cake Ideas From Scratch? If you enjoy baking Halloween Cake Ideas From Scratch, you could try a “graveyard” cake by frosting a sheet cake with chocolate icing, covering it in crushed Oreo “dirt,” and adding cookie “tombstones.” Another fun idea is a “spiderweb” cake, made by piping a white chocolate web over a dark chocolate glaze.
4. How do I store this cake? Because of the cream cheese frosting and the fresh fruit filling, this cake must be stored in the refrigerator. Keep it in a covered cake container. It will stay fresh and delicious for up to 4-5 days. For the best taste and texture, let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving.
Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake
Equipment
- Two 8-inch round cake pans
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Hand or stand mixer
- Saucepan
- Parchment paper
- Spatula
- Cake platter or stand
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup black cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup hot coffee
- ½ 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
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup black cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, black cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until combined. Slowly mix in hot coffee until batter is smooth.
- Divide batter between pans and bake 30–33 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- For filling: In a saucepan, cook blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and cinnamon stick for 5–6 minutes. Stir in cornstarch slurry (water + cornstarch) until thickened. Remove cinnamon stick, cool completely.
- For frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, black cocoa, salt, and vanilla. Beat until creamy.
- Assemble: Place one cake layer on serving plate. Pipe a frosting dam around edge, fill with blackberry compote. Top with second cake layer.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting, chill 20 minutes. Frost with final layer of black cocoa frosting until smooth.
- Decorate as desired — fresh blackberries, edible flowers, or chocolate skulls for a spooky gothic finish.