Chocolate Halloween Cake (With Black Cocoa Powder)
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This black cocoa cake covered in black cocoa chocolate buttercream is the perfect cake to make for Halloween. This cake has deep, rich Oreo-like chocolate flavor with a moist and velvety crumb. Make it extra spooky by adding adorable whipped cream ghosts! If you’re looking for a black cake made with black food coloring, check out my black velvet cake recipe.
YOU WILL LOVE THIS NO DYE BLACK CAKE THAT TASTES LIKE OREOS
As someone who has been making cakes, as a side business or as a baking instructor, since 2010, I’ve made just about every cake recipe under the sun. I often hear from folks that they don’t love red velvet cake because it uses so much dye, and the same goes for my black velvet cake recipe.
I get it. Food dyes get a lot of heat, so in the interest of removing all of the dye from a cake recipe while still leaving behind a black cake, I developed this black cocoa powder cake to use for Halloween or any other time you have an occasion to make a black cake.
Unfamiliar with black cocoa? You’re probably more familiar with it thank you think! Black cocoa powder is what gives Oreos their signature color and flavor, so with the addition of a black cocoa chocolate frosting, this cake is essentially like one giant Oreo, minus the cream filling.
The chocolate flavor is smooth, intense, and ever so slightly less sweet than traditional unsweetened cocoa powder. That means this is a rich chocolate flavor you are not used to in a chocolate cake, and I think I think you’re going to love it.
BLACK COCOA CAKE VS BLACK VELVET CAKE
While this cake might look a lot like my black velvet cake on the surface, they are two completely different cakes.
While this black chocolate cake takes some attributes from my red velvet cake, it is, by all intents and purposes, still a chocolate cake. My black velvet cake is an exact copy of my red velvet cake with a swap for black food dye instead of red. This means that black cake tastes more like red velvet than chocolate, so depending on your preference, you can choose to stick with this black chocolate cake recipe or bump over to that black velvet one.
INGREDIENTS FOR BLACK COCOA CAKE
You only need 12 total ingredients for the cake and the frosting. Be sure you’re paying close attention to the notes as there are a couple ingredients substitutions you can make based on what you already have on hand.
FOR THE CAKE
It is so important for all of your ingredients to be at room temperature to ensure an even blending of the batter.
For the cake, you will need:
• distilled white vinegar
• milk
• all-purpose flour
• black cocoa powder
• salt
• baking soda
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
• vegetable oil
• eggs
• vanilla extract
FOR THE FROSTING
There are a lot of overlapping ingredients from the cake to the frosting, and the only additional ingredient you’ll need is powdered sugar.
For the black cocoa buttercream frosting, you’ll need:
• powdered sugar
• black cocoa powder
• salt
• unsalted butter
• vanilla extract
• milk or cream
IMPORTANT INGREDIENT & RECIPE NOTES
Since black cocoa powder is an ultra-Dutch processed cocoa powder, this means it has been treated with an alkaline solution to reduce its acidity and it won’t react with the baking soda in the recipe. When baking soda combines with a liquid and an acid, it creates carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause the batter to rise, which is why I’m preferring you use an acidic milk.
While buttermilk is totally fine to use, there is no fat in black cocoa powder, so my preference for this black cocoa recipe is whole milk + vinegar. If you prefer to use buttermilk, omit the distilled vinegar and use 1 cup of room temperature buttermilk. It is ideal if you can find a higher fat buttermilk.
Another way we’re bringing lift to this cake is by whipping the egg whites. We’ll discuss this in detail in a bit, but know that the higher fat milk + vinegar + whipped egg whites is the key to bringing rise and lift to the cake layers as well as keeping the crumb tender.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CAKE
While it might seem like this cake has a lot of steps, I promise they’re simple. Be sure you’re reading through the recipe before starting so your ingredients are prepared properly and you can tackle each step with confidence.
WHIP THE EGG WHITES
Start by whipping the egg whites to soft peaks then setting them aside until you need them.
What to look for: you want the tips of the egg whites to curl over and then fall back into the mixture when you remove the whisk or spatula.
Be sure you’re only whipping to soft peaks. Anything more than this will create too much lift and your cake will rise too much and wrinkle on top after baking.
MAKE THE CAKE BATTER: OVERVIEW
STEP #1: whisk together the dry ingredients.
STEP #2: cream together the butter and sugar, then add in the oil, egg yolks, and vanilla.
STEP #3: to the wet ingredients, you’re going to add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with half of the soured milk.
STEP #4: fold in the whipped egg whites by cutting your spatula down the middle of the batter, then gently scooping half of the batter over and on top of the other half of the batter. Turn the bowl ¼ of a turn and repeat until batter is silky and smooth.
STEP #5: divide the batter into your prepared pans then bake.
STEP #6: allow the cake layers to cool completely before assembling the cake.
MAKE THE FROSTING
STEP #7: whisk together the dry ingredients.
STEP #8: beat the butter, then slowly add the dry ingredients and vanilla extract.
STEP #9: use the milk/cream to thin the frosting to the desired consistency.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
You can make this cake a two- or four-layer cake.
- To make a 2 layer cake: place one layer, bottom side up, on a plate or cake stand. Using a spatula or knife, spread an even layer of frosting over the entire surface. Place the second layer on top, bottom side up, and press down on the top lightly. Spread the rest of the frosting on the cake, beginning with the top and working your way down the sides. Decorate as desired.
- To make a 4 layer cake: split each layer into two smaller layers using a cake leveler or serrated knife and repeat steps for 2 layer cake.
To make this truly specific to Halloween, consider using colorful filling like I do in my black velvet cake.
MAKE THIS BLACK COCOA CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING INSTEAD
If you want to pair this dark cake with a white frosting, consider my cream cheese frosting for a tangy complement. You can add about 1 cup of black cocoa powder if you’d like it to be chocolate cream cheese frosting instead.
WHAT SIZES CAN I MAKE THIS BLACK COCOA CAKE?
This recipe will fit also fit in three-8″ round cake pans, two-9″ round cake pans or three-6″ round cake pans. See notes for specific baking times.
BLACK COCOA CHOCOLATE CAKE FAQs
Black Cocoa Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
BLACK COCOA CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup (240mL) milk1 room temperature; you can also use buttermilk (see notes)
- 2 and ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¾ cup (96g) black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (160mL) vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs room temperature and separated
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
BLACK COCOA CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (96g) black cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ to ½ cup (80-120mL) milk or cream
Instructions
BLACK COCOA CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Move a rack in the oven to the middle position and preheat it to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease and flour (or use homemade cake release) two 8" round cake pans2 and set aside.
- Add the vinegar to the milk, stir, and allow to curdle while you start on the cake batter.2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar, 1 cup (240mL) milk1
- Whip the egg whites in a medium size bowl, either using a handheld mixer or a whisk, whisking vigorously by hand. Whip the egg whites until soft peaks3 form (see the photo in the post above if you're unsure what this looks like). This will take about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.4 large eggs
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until combined. Set aside.2 and ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour, ¾ cup (96g) black cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes). Add the vegetable oil and beat again until completely incorporated. Add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat again on medium speed until everything is combined.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar, ⅔ cup (160mL) vegetable oil, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with half of the milk/buttermilk. Do not overmix batter, and stop after the last bit of dry ingredients is mostly incorporated. There may be some dry pockets remaining. This is ok.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with a spatula by cutting your spatula down the middle of the batter, then gently scooping half of the batter over and on top of the other half of the batter. Turn the bowl ¼ of a turn and repeat until batter is silky and smooth. It will be slightly thick.
- Divide batter evenly between the two (or three) prepared cake pans. Bake cakes for 40-44 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. If the cakes need a little longer, indicated by wet batter on the toothpick, bake for a minute longer and retesting, taking care not to overbake the cakes as they will dry out. You may need to bake an additional minute, test, and rebake and retest until it is properly finished. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool in the pans completely on a wire rack before removing and assembling.
BLACK COCOA CHOCOLATE FROSTING
- Note: this recipe will give you just enough to frost an 8" cake with a few embellishments, just like my photos. If you want to be able to pipe more designs or like some more wiggle room with your frosting, I suggest 1.5x the frosting recipe.
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, ¾ cup (96g) black cocoa powder, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth.1 cup (227g) unsalted butter
- Turn the mixer speed down to low and slowly add the powdered sugar/cocoa mixture. Add the vanilla extract and continue mixing until smooth.2 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Slowly add the milk/cream until frosting is at desired consistency, then beat again on medium-high speed until everything is incorporated.⅓ to ½ cup (80-120mL) milk or cream
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- For a 2 layer cake: place one layer, bottom side up, on a plate or cake stand. Using a spatula or knife, spread an even layer of frosting over the entire surface. Place the second layer on top, bottom side up, and press down on the top lightly. Spread the rest of the frosting on the cake, beginning with the top and working your way down the sides. Decorate as desired.
- For a 4 layer cake: split each layer into two smaller layers using a cake leveler or serrated knife and repeat steps for 2 layer cake.
- Cake stays fresh covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cake may be covered and refrigerated for up to 7 days.
- Make ahead: prepare cakes and frosting up to 1 day in advance. Cover cakes tightly and keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container until ready to use. Unfrosted cake layers may be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling. Frosted cake can be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Distilled white vinegar/milk: since there is no fat in black cocoa powder, I prefer to use whole milk + vinegar in this recipe. If you prefer to use buttermilk, omit the distilled vinegar and use 1 cup of room temperature buttermilk. It is ideal if you can find a higher fat buttermilk.
- Cake pans: this recipe will fit also fit in three-8″ cake pans (reduce bake time to 30-34 minutes), two-9″ round cake pans (reduce bake time to 30-34 minutes) or three-6″ round cake pans (reduce bake time to 20-24 minutes).
- Egg whites: be sure you’re only whipping to soft peaks. Anything more than this will create too much lift and your cake will rise too much and wrinkle on top after baking.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.