Decadent Black Velvet Cake Recipe (Shockingly Easy 6-Ingredient Version!)
Dramatic, delicious, and surprisingly simple! This Black Velvet Cake uses real black cocoa for intense flavor and natural color - no artificial dyes needed.
Equipment
- Three 6-inch cake pans
- Stand mixer
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 60 g black cocoa powder must be black cocoa, not regular
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 300 g granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 325 ml vegetable oil or canola oil
- 235 ml buttermilk room temperature
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Black Cocoa Buttercream
- 220 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 210 g vegetable shortening
- 360 g powdered sugar
- 150 g black cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 6-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. For flatter layers, use damp cake strips around pans.
- In large bowl, whisk together black cocoa powder, flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda until no lumps remain.
- In separate bowl, whisk oil, buttermilk, vinegar, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually pour into dry ingredients while mixing. Switch to spatula when batter thickens.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 20 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- For buttercream: Beat butter and shortening until fluffy (3 mins). Gradually add powdered sugar, then black cocoa. Whip until light and spreadable.
- Level cooled cakes if needed. Stack with buttercream between layers. Apply crumb coat, chill 20 minutes, then frost completely. Decorate with white splatters and sprinkles if desired.
Notes
Pro Tips: For extra-dark color, add 1 tsp activated charcoal to dry ingredients. Leftover cake freezes beautifully - wrap slices individually. Make cupcakes with extra batter (bake 18-20 mins).