Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake
This Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake is a gothic masterpiece — moist, tender black cocoa cake layers filled with tangy blackberry compote and finished with luscious black cocoa cream cheese frosting. With its dramatic dark color and vibrant filling, it’s the ultimate elegant Halloween dessert centerpiece.
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.
Notes
Black cocoa gives this cake its signature deep, natural color and smooth Oreo-like flavor. If unavailable, substitute Dutch-process cocoa and add black gel food coloring to achieve a similar shade. Store covered in the refrigerator for 4–5 days, and bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor.