Spooky Midnight Black Velvet Halloween Cake Recipe for Fun

Darkness falls, and a decadent midnight black velvet Halloween cake emerges as the ultimate showstopper for your spooky celebration.

Deep, rich cocoa blends with mysterious midnight-black coloring to create a haunting dessert that captivates every eye.

Rich buttercream frosting swirls across the dark canvas like ghostly whispers.

Layers of intense chocolate flavor complement the dramatic presentation.

Each slice promises a delightful balance between sweet indulgence and Halloween drama.

Bold bakers will love how this stunning cake transforms an ordinary dessert into an extraordinary centerpiece.

Prepare to bewitch your guests with this sinfully delicious Halloween treat.

FAQs

• Can I use regular food coloring instead of black gel food coloring?

No, gel food coloring provides a deeper, more intense black color without changing the cake’s consistency. Regular liquid food coloring might make the batter too runny and won’t achieve the same dark look.

• Is black cocoa powder necessary for this recipe?

Black cocoa powder isn’t mandatory but helps create a deeper black color and richer chocolate flavor. If unavailable, you can use regular cocoa powder, though the color will be less intense.

• How do I prevent the cake from being dry?

Use room temperature ingredients, don’t overmix the batter, and be careful not to overbake. Check the cake at 25 minutes and remove from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out clean to maintain moisture.

• Can I make this cake in advance?

Yes, you can bake the cake layers up to 2 days ahead and store them wrapped in plastic at room temperature. The frosting can be prepared a day before assembling the cake.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Calories: 500 kcal

Servings: 13

Halloween Cake Ingredients for That Velvet Look

• All-Purpose Flour: Creates the cake's sturdy structure and helps bind ingredients together.
• Cocoa Powder: Delivers rich chocolate depth and enhances the dark Halloween aesthetic.
• Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create a tender cake texture.
• Baking Soda: Helps the cake rise and creates a light, airy crumb.
• Baking Powder: Ensures additional leavening for a soft, fluffy cake.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances overall flavor profile.

• Buttermilk: Adds moisture and creates a tender, tangy cake texture.
• Vegetable Oil: Keeps the cake incredibly moist and soft.
• Eggs: Provide structure, richness, and help bind the ingredients.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds depth and rounds out the chocolate flavor.
• Hot Water: Helps dissolve cocoa and creates a smoother batter.

• Black Gel Food Coloring: Creates the dramatic black color for Halloween theme.
• Softened Butter: Forms the base of the creamy buttercream frosting.
• Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
• Heavy Cream: Adds richness and creates smooth frosting consistency.
• Halloween Sprinkles, Candy Eyes: Provides fun, spooky decorative elements.

Kitchen Tools for Spooky Cake Layers

• Mixing Bowls: Large, sturdy bowls for combining dry and wet ingredients.
• Electric Mixer: Essential for beating butter and creating smooth buttercream frosting.
• Cake Pans: Three 8-inch round pans for baking the cake layers.
• Parchment Paper: Crucial for lining cake pans and preventing sticking.
• Whisk: Perfect for blending wet ingredients smoothly.
• Sifter: Helps remove lumps from dry ingredients and ensures even mixing.
• Wire Cooling Rack: Allows cakes to cool evenly and prevents soggy bottoms.
• Spatula: Great for spreading frosting and scraping bowl sides.
• Toothpick: Helps check cake doneness by testing center.
• Cake Stand or Serving Plate: Displays the finished Halloween masterpiece.

How to Make a Black Velvet Halloween Cake

• Fire Up the Oven

Get your oven hot and ready at 350F. Grab your cake pans and coat them with a quick spray of cooking oil and line with parchment paper.

• Mix the Dark Batter

Toss all dry ingredients into a big bowl and give them a good stir. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until they’re smooth and silky. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and blend until everything looks perfectly combined. Add hot water and mix until the batter looks like midnight. Drop in black food coloring until the batter looks seriously dark.

• Bake the Haunting Layers

Pour the inky batter evenly into your prepared pans. Slide them into the hot oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Check if they’re done by poking a toothpick in the center – it should come out clean. Let the cakes cool down in their pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

• Whip Up Spooky Frosting

Beat the butter until it’s super creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar and cocoa, mixing thoroughly. Pour in cream and vanilla, then add black food coloring. Whip until the frosting looks thick and fluffy like a Halloween cloud.

• Stack and Frost

Place the first cake layer on your serving plate. Spread a generous layer of frosting. Add the next layers, spreading frosting between each. Cover the entire cake with the remaining dark frosting.

• Creepy Decorations

Go wild with Halloween sprinkles, candy eyes, and spooky piping to make your cake look wickedly awesome.

• Slice and Scare

Cut into this sinister sweet and watch everyone’s eyes go wide!

Decorating and Flavor Tips for Halloween Cake

• Use room temperature butter for the smoothest, fluffiest black buttercream that spreads like a dream and creates a sleek Halloween look.
• Bake cake layers up to two days ahead and store wrapped in plastic at room temperature to save time on party prep.
• Swap regular flour with a 1: 1 gluten-free baking blend to make this spooky cake accessible for those with gluten sensitivities.
• Replace eggs with flax eggs, use plant-based butter, and dairy-free milk to transform this Halloween treat into a cruelty-free creepy delight.
• Experiment with edible silver or gold dust, gothic-style chocolate shards, or fondant cobweb decorations to elevate the cake's Halloween aesthetic and create a show-stopping centerpiece.

Present Your Cake with Seasonal Fun

• Haunting Halloween Party Platter: Create a dramatic dessert display with black cake stands, cobweb-inspired doilies, and scattered plastic spiders to amplify the spooky cake's eerie atmosphere.
• Gothic Dessert Pairing: Serve alongside dark chocolate truffles, black licorice, and blood-red raspberry coulis for a wickedly delightful dessert experience that complements the cake's dramatic color.
• Monstrous Beverage Match: Pair with smoky black cocktails like activated charcoal martinis or deep purple blackberry sangria to enhance the Halloween theme and create a cohesive dark and mysterious spread.
• Frightful Slice Styling: Plate individual cake slices on black plates with a light dusting of edible silver glitter or a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce to add an extra touch of supernatural elegance.

How to Store Black Velvet Cake Without Losing Softness

• Keep cake slices in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, preventing moisture loss and maintaining delicious texture.
• Refrigerate cake covered for up to 5 days, wrapping tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying and absorbing other food odors.
• Wrap individual cake layers or whole cake in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months for future Halloween celebrations.
• Thaw frozen cake in refrigerator overnight, then let sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving to restore original softness and flavor.

Midnight Black Velvet Halloween Cake Recipe

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4.7 from 19 reviews

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 13 1x

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Description

Black velvet cake celebrates Halloween’s mysterious spirit with dark chocolate and deep cocoa layers. Creamy cream cheese frosting and eerie garnishes complete this spellbinding dessert you’ll want to share with fellow Halloween enthusiasts.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 2 ½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 ml / 8 fl oz) buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 ml / 8 fl oz) vegetable oil
• 1 cup (240 ml / 8 fl oz) hot water
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• Black gel food coloring
• 1 ½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
• ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz) heavy cream or milk
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• Black gel food coloring
• Halloween sprinkles
• Candy eyes
• Black food coloring gel for piping
• Orange food coloring gel for piping

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Instructions

1. Preparation Ritual: Ignite the oven to 350F (175C). Meticulously line three 8-inch round cake pans with grease and parchment paper for effortless cake extraction.
2. Dry Ingredient Symphony: Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a spacious mixing bowl, ensuring uniform distribution.
3. Liquid Fusion: Whisk buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract in a separate container until seamlessly blended.
4. BatterAlchemy: Gradually unite wet and dry mixtures, stirring until a silky consistency emerges. Introduce hot water, continuing to mix until the batter transforms into a smooth elixir.
5. Spectral Coloration: Infuse black gel food coloring, transforming the batter into a profound, midnight-like hue.
6. Pan Deployment: Evenly distribute the mysterious batter across prepared cake pans, ensuring balanced volume and mystical potential.
7. Baking Incantation: Bake layers for 25-30 minutes, verifying doneness through a clean toothpick test. Allow cakes to rest in pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks.
8. Buttercream Conjuring: Whip softened butter until creamy, gradually incorporating powdered sugar and cocoa powder to create a velvety frosting foundation.
9. Frosting Enchantment: Enhance buttercream with heavy cream, vanilla extract, and black gel food coloring, beating until achieving a ethereal, fluffy consistency.
10. Architectural Assembly: Position first cake layer on serving plate, layering buttercream between each subsequent tier. Enrobe the entire cake in black buttercream, crafting a smooth, dramatic exterior.
11. Ghoulish Garnishing: Adorn with Halloween-themed decorations – sprinkles, candy eyes, and intricate piping – to complete this spine-chilling culinary masterpiece.

Notes

• Precise Color Control: Use gel food coloring sparingly to achieve deep black without altering cake texture or taste. Start with small amounts and gradually increase for intense color.
• Temperature Precision: Allow ingredients like eggs and buttermilk to reach room temperature before mixing, ensuring smoother batter and more consistent cake texture.
• Moisture Management: Do not overmix batter, which can lead to dense, tough cake. Stir just until ingredients combine to maintain light, tender crumb.
• Decoration Flexibility: For gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten-free blend and add xanthan gum for proper structural integrity.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 13
• Calories: 500
• Sugar: 60 g
• Sodium: 300 mg
• Fat: 28 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 63 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 50 mg