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Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 117 reviews

This Spooky Black Velvet Halloween Cake is a show-stopping dessert perfect for Halloween celebrations. Featuring a rich black velvet cake made with black cocoa powder and coffee for depth, it’s layered with a tart blackberry compote and smooth black cocoa cream cheese frosting. Topped with chocolate skulls, fresh blackberries, and dried rose petals, this cake combines dramatic visuals with delicious flavors to create a memorable treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Black Velvet Cake

  • 2 cups White granulated sugar
  • 2 cups All purpose flour (sifted)
  • 3/4 cup Black cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 Eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 cup Buttermilk (room temperature)
  • 1 cup Coffee (hot)
  • 1/2 cup Canola oil
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract

Blackberry Compote

  • 2 cups Fresh blackberries
  • 2 tbsp White granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Lemon zest
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch

Black Cocoa Frosting

  • 8 oz Cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter (softened)
  • 3 cups Powdered sugar (sifted)
  • 1 cup Black cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Decoration

  • Chocolate skulls
  • Fresh blackberries
  • Dried rose petals

Instructions

  1. Prepare the cake pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottoms and sides with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of cakes after baking.
  2. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, black cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
  3. Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the room-temperature buttermilk, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well incorporated.
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Mix gently until just combined.
  5. Add hot coffee: Slowly add the hot coffee to the batter and mix until the batter is smooth and well combined.
  6. Fill cake pans: Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops to ensure even baking.
  7. Bake the cakes: Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool completely in their pans.
  8. Prepare blackberry compote: In a medium saucepan, combine fresh blackberries, granulated sugar, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and a cinnamon stick. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  9. Thicken compote: Mix water and cornstarch together in a small bowl to create a slurry. Stir this into the blackberry mixture and cook until thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer compote to a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill and set.
  10. Make black cocoa frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Sift powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, and salt, then gradually add to the cream cheese mixture. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add vanilla extract and mix again until fully combined.
  11. Level cakes: Once cooled, remove cakes from pans and use a cake leveler or serrated knife to level the tops if necessary, ensuring flat layers for assembly.
  12. Assemble cake – first layer: Spread a small amount of frosting on your cake plate to anchor the cake. Place the first cake layer down and pipe a border of frosting around the edge to create a ‘dam’ that will hold the blackberry compote. Spread an even layer of the compote within the border.
  13. Assemble cake – second layer: Place the second cake layer on top with its bottom side facing up for a flat surface.
  14. Crumb coat the cake: Apply a thin layer of frosting over the top and sides of the cake to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes to set the crumb coat.
  15. Final frosting: After chilling, apply the remaining frosting evenly over the cake to create a smooth finish.
  16. Decorate: Top the finished cake with chocolate skulls, fresh blackberries, and crushed dried rose petals to create a spooky and elegant Halloween presentation.

Notes

  • Room temperature ingredients help achieve a smooth batter and even baking.
  • Hot coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor and helps the batter be more moist.
  • Ensure the cakes are completely cool before frosting to prevent melting.
  • Using a cake leveler helps achieve professional-looking layers for stacking.
  • Refrigerate the filled cake during crumb coating to make final frosting easier.
  • Black cocoa powder provides a richer, darker color than regular cocoa powder, perfect for this spooky cake.
  • Fresh blackberries can be substituted with frozen if out of season, but thaw them and drain excess juice before using.

Keywords: Black Velvet Cake, Halloween Cake, Black Cocoa Cake, Blackberry Compote, Cream Cheese Frosting, Spooky Cake, Halloween Dessert

Find it online: https://cookcrisis.com/spooky-black-velvet-halloween-cake-recipe/