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Luxurious Black Velvet Cake

A rich, moist black velvet cake made with black cocoa powder and buttermilk, delivering deep chocolate flavor and a striking dark color without artificial dyes. Perfectly paired with a smooth, sweet buttercream frosting.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup black cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 teaspoons instant espresso or coffee powder
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • For the buttercream frosting:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 cup black cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2–4 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, dissolve instant espresso in hot water.
  4. Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the espresso mixture and stir to combine.
  5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix by hand until fully incorporated; batter will be thin.
  6. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and bake for 24-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  7. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
  8. For the buttercream: Beat softened butter until creamy and light.
  9. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing on low until incorporated.
  10. Sift in black cocoa powder, then add vanilla, salt, and milk; beat on medium until smooth and fluffy, adding more milk if needed to reach desired consistency.
  11. Frost cooled cake layers as desired.

Notes

Using black cocoa powder gives the cake its signature deep black color without artificial dyes. Weighing batter for each pan ensures even layers. The buttercream darkens over several hours, so prepare ahead if possible.

  • Author: Sophie Lane
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Method: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Calories: 420
  • Sugar: 40g
  • Sodium: 320mg
  • Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 7g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 9g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 58g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Cholesterol: 55mg