This black velvet cake is naturally colored, soft, moist, has a luscious chocolate cream cheese frosting, and a vibrant red cherry filling. It has the rich and tender texture of a red velvet cake but uses black cocoa powder to make it black. The black cocoa powder makes this cake taste like an oreo cookie! It’s the perfect cake for Halloween, New Years, or even for Valentine’s day.
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🎂 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Rich & Velvety: The cake really lives up to its name. It has a rich texture and flavor, it's soft and moist, and fluffy.
- Oreo flavor: The cake tastes like the cookie part of an oreo cookie because of black cocoa powder.
- No food coloring: The rich black color is because of black cocoa powder. Without using any food coloring.
- Cream cheese frosting: It's frosted with a black cocoa cream cheese frosting.
- Cherry filling: Gooey, bright red, and the perfect contrast with the chocolate flavor and the black cake.
❔ What is black cocoa powder?
Black cocoa powder is essentially cocoa powder that has been processed (similar to dutch cocoa powder) to have a black color and a flavor similar to oreos.
It's the same ingredient that gives oreo cookies their rich chocolate flavor and black color.
If you like oreos, you're going to love this cake! You'd also love these oreo pop tarts and these cookies and cream cinnamon rolls.
📝 Key ingredients
This black velvet cake consists of three components: black velvet layers, cream cheese chocolate frosting, and a cherry pie filling to give it that vibrant gooey red filling.
Chocolate and cherry is a classic flavor combination. These black forest cupcakes and cherry brownies combine rich chocolate flavors with juicy, tart cherries.
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Cake layer ingredients
- Black cocoa powder: The key to making this cake black and giving it a rich chocolate flavor.
- Oil & butter: Butter gives the layers a rich, buttery flavor while oil gives them a velvety and moist soft texture.
- Buttermilk: Storebought buttermilk gives these cakes the traditional velvety texture. I don't recommend using homemade buttermilk because you won't get consistent results.
- Vinegar: Apple cider or white vinegar both work great.
- All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Frosting and filling ingredients
- Black cocoa powder: This gives the frosting a deep black color without needing any black food coloring.
- Cherry filling: I used a store-bought cherry pie filling for a vibrant and gooey red filling. You can definitely use homemade cherry (or raspberry) pie filling or even use your favorite red colored jam.
- Butter: Use good quality real butter for best results
- Cream cheese: This gives the frosting a bit of tang to balance the sweetness. Use a good quality brick style cream cheese for best results. If you don't like cream cheese, substitute with more softened butter.
✔️ Ingredient substitutions
I have not tried these ingredients substitutions but they should work! If you try them, let us know in the comments how they work out.
- Filling: You can use your favorite berry filling or even leave the filling out and just fill with frosting. Raspberry or strawberry pie filling will work great. Jam is another great alternative but it will be much sweeter than pie filling.
- Gluten free: Substitute the all purpose flour with 1:1 gluten free flour.
- Black cocoa powder: Use dutch processed cocoa powder if you don't want to use black cocoa powder. The flavor will be more like a traditional chocolate cake and it will be a lighter brown color. Optionally, add black food coloring to make it black.
👩🍳 How to make black velvet cake
The process is divided into two steps: making the cake layers, and making the frosting and assembling.
Make black cocoa cake layers
Step 1: Add cocoa powder into a medium heat safe bowl. Pour hot water into the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature while you make the cake.
Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease three 8” round baking pans with a pat of butter or baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Set aside for later.
Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, oil, sugar, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until lightened in color and creamy.
Step 3: Add eggs, one by one into the same bowl, beating well in between each egg. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula.
Step 4: Add vanilla, vinegar, and buttermilk right into the same bowl and mix to form a runny mixture.
Step 5: Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda right into the same bowl. Fold with a wire whisk until mostly combined.
Step 6: Pour the cocoa powder mixture into the cake batter and fold until most of the lumps are gone. You can give the batter a few quick whisks with the whisk to smooth it out but don’t overmix.
Step 7: Evenly divide the batter among the three cake pans. Use a scale or a measuring scoop to help. Spread out the cake batter to level and bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
You won’t be able to notice if the cake is browning too much so it’s important to use a toothpick to tell if the cake is ready.
Tip: Let the cake layers cool inside the cake pans for 10 minutes before flipping them over to release on a cooling rack and letting them cool to room temperature.
Make frosting and assemble the cake
Step 1: Add softened butter to a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar, cup by cup, beating well in between each cup. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth, very light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder into the same bowl and beat until smooth and fluffy. Make sure you scrape down the bowl halfway.
Tip: If you want to fluff and thin out the frosting, add one or two tablespoons of milk and beat again (I didn’t because my frosting didn’t need this).
Alternatively, if your frosting is too thin, add more icing sugar until you get a good, spreadable consistency.
Step 3: Place a small dollop of frosting on your cake serving plate. Add the first cake layer, right side up. Spread a thin layer of frosting and pipe a border around the perimeter with a large open star piping tip (or just use a piping bag with the end cut off).
Step 4: Fill the middle with cherry filling, stack, and repeat until the very last layer.
Step 5: Place the last layer of cake on top, bottom side up. Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting, smooth, and freeze the cake for 10 minutes to set. This stabilizes the cake structure and prevents the filling from seeping out.
Step 6: Frost the outside of the cake with more frosting, smoothing the sides and top. Use piping tips (I used these Wilton piping tips) to pipe borders and swoops on the cake.
Step 7: Top with sprinkles and candles (optional). Slice and serve!
Tip: This cake needs to be stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese frosting but it is best eaten at room temperature to soften the cake and frosting.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
You can make ahead the cake layers a day or two ahead of assembling. Wrap them up in compostable plastic wrap and store at room temperature (or frozen for up to two months) until ready to assemble.
This black velvet cake can also be made ahead of time. Make and frost the cake and store in a cake carrier, refrigerated overnight to eat the next day.
The cake needs to be stored in the fridge because of the cream cheese in the frosting. Store in an airtight container or cake carrier.
It's best served at room temperature so that you get the perfect soft and velvety texture.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
❔ What makes this the best?
The combination of both butter and oil gives this black velvet cake the best flavor and texture.
Butter gives cakes a rich buttery flavor but oil gives them a texture that stays soft and moist for days.
And if you combine butter and oil in a cake, you get the best of both worlds! A beautiful flavor and a lovely soft, moist, fluffy texture.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. It won't have the same flavor and color - it will be a more traditional chocolate brown and chocolate flavor. Don't substitute with natural cocoa powder.
Yes, just use the chocolate cream cheese frosting to frost in between the cake layers.
Yes, substitute it with more butter. I love how the cream cheese adds complexity and balances out the richness and sweetness in the frosting but if you don't like cream cheese then substitute it.
🍫 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Black Velvet Cake
Equipment
- piping bag and tips optional
- cake carrier optional
Ingredients
Cake Layers
- 1 cup black cocoa powder
- 1 cup water boiling hot
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vinegar white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 300g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting & Assembly
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 6 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup black cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1-2 tablespoons milk optional
- 2 cups cherry pie filling store bought or homemade
- Sprinkles optional
Instructions
Cake Layers
- Add cocoa powder into a medium heat safe bowl. Pour hot water into the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature while you make the cake.1 cup black cocoa powder, 1 cup water
- Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease three 8” round baking pans with a pat of butter or baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Set aside for later.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, oil, sugar, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until lightened in color and creamy.½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Add eggs, one by one into the same bowl, beating well in between each egg. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula.4 large eggs
- Add vanilla, vinegar, and buttermilk right into the same bowl and mix to form a runny mixture.1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 cup buttermilk
- Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda right into the same bowl. Fold with a wire whisk until mostly combined.2 ½ cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pour the cocoa powder mixture into the cake batter and fold until most of the lumps are gone. You can give the batter a few quick whisks with the whisk to smooth it out but don’t overmix.
- Evenly divide the batter among the three cake pans. Use a scale or a measuring scoop to help. Spread out the cake batter to level and bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached. You won’t be able to notice if the cake is browning too much so it’s important to use a toothpick to tell if the cake is ready.
- Let the cake layers cool inside the cake pans for 10 minutes before flipping them over to release on a cooling rack and letting them cool to room temperature.
Frosting & Assembly
- Add softened butter to a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar, cup by cup, beating well in between each cup. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth, very light and fluffy.2 cups unsalted butter, 5-6 cups powdered sugar, 6 oz cream cheese
- Add vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder into the same bowl and beat until smooth and fluffy. Make sure you scrape down the bowl halfway. If you want to fluff the frosting even more, add one or two tablespoons of milk and beat again (I didn’t because my frosting didn’t need this).¾ cup black cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt, 1-2 tablespoons milk
- Place a small dollop of frosting on your cake serving plate. Add the first cake layer, right side up. Spread a thin layer of frosting and pipe a border around the perimeter with a large open star piping tip (or just use a piping bag with the end cut off). Fill the middle with cherry filling, stack, and repeat until the very last layer.2 cups cherry pie filling
- Place the last layer of cake on top, bottom side up. Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting, smooth, and freeze the cake for 10 minutes to set. This stabilizes the cake structure and prevents the filling from seeping out.
- Frost the outside of the cake with more frosting, smoothing the sides and top. Use piping tips to pipe borders and swoops on the cake. Top with sprinkles and candles (optional). Slice and serve!Sprinkles
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!