Black Cocoa Cake
Rich chocolate cake that's not overly sweet. Black cocoa adds smoky, earthy notes to this wonderfully tender layer cake.
The darkest cake, ever.
A long, long time ago (ok, it was like two years but a lot has happened since) I made a chocolate cake with a chocolate mascarpone buttercream and used some black cocoa in it. I remember thinking the cake was lovely in person and I tried taking photos of it but felt they were just meh but the cake was gone and I had no other content one evening, so I posted it. It soared past anything I had done before then on IG (it continues to get a lot of attention on Pinterest) and it was all because of the color: it was black.
When I reposted it, I got a slew of messages asking for the cake recipe (not just the buttercream) which wasn’t mine. And it’s always bothered me that: a. The cake didn’t use black cocoa like the buttercream and b. The cake recipe wasn’t one of my own creations. It’s not like I don’t have a go-to chocolate cake recipe which I love even more than that one, I just hadn’t used it that particular day.
So it’s time to set this right with my own recipe for a cake that is 100% made with black cocoa. And because black cocoa is devoid of fat (more on that in a bit) full fat kefir/buttermilk ensures the cake is still ultra-tender, the way all cakes should be.
What is black cocoa and why make a black cocoa cake?
You are likely more familiar with black cocoa than you think; it’s the cocoa that’s used to make your favorite chocolate sandwich cookies: oreos! It’s a rare and special kind of cocoa because of the drama it adds to any baked good; turns it completely black. Truly,the color is wonderful but black cocoa is so much more than it’s color!
It’s earthy, smokey and tastes different than other cocoas. Because it’s ‘double dutched’ (alkalized) it’s got some almost bitter notes to it. When you use it in baking it really balances out the sweetness coming from the sugar (which in turn, is necessary for texture and structure and why I always ask you not to reduce it).
Kefir and buttermilk for Black Cocoa Cake
By now you know how much I love using buttermilk in my recipes, it makes the bake taste tangy and less one-dimensional but more than that it is responsible for a tender cake. Kefir, like buttermilk, is also a cultured milk, but where buttermilk is fermented with just lactic acid bacteria, kefir is fermented with several kefir grains (colonies of bacteria). They taste fairly similar and their consistency is similar as well.
While I’ve used it for years to make things like pancakes and waffles for the girl’s breakfast (it’s a great way to get them those healthy probiotics), I have begun using kefir frequently in place of buttermilk lately for a few reasons:
- I can find it in full fat more frequently, whereas I only find low fat buttermilk in my area.
- It lasts longer than buttermilk; a few months compared to a few weeks.
- It is tangier and creamier; so everything I love about buttermilk and more!
In this cake specifically I use full fat kefir because of the lack of fat from the black cocoa. The tangy taste also pairs nicely with the muted sweetness of black cocoa.
Ingredients for black cocoa cake
- Cake or all purpose flour: for a more tender and soft cake you can use cake flour, however it will be a little harder to frost (you can freeze it for a bit before you frost to make it easier).
- Black cocoa: If you cannot find it and still crave a rich chocolate cake, this can be turned into a dark chocolate cake simply by using dutch process cocoa.
- Kefir: the acidity of kefir balances the ph out in the cake and the fat compensates for the lack of fat in black cocoa. If you cannot find kefir, you can use full fat buttermilk or thinned out full fat greek yogurt. In a pinch you can use low-fat.
- Chocolate: I add melted chocolate to the buttercream to give it a richer chocolate taste but also to smooth it out. Since the cake itself is not very sweet I used a semi-sweet chocolate (55% cocoa solids) but you can use what you like.
Tips for frosting black cocoa cake
- Make the buttercream ahead of time and let it sit at room temperature
- The cooler the cakes are, the easier they will be to frost. I set mine in the freezer for about an hour before I frost.
- Buttercream temperature matters: if the buttercream is cold it won’t spread or pipe nicely, if it’s too warm it will make a mess. If you make it early, keep it refrigerated until an hour or two before you are going to use it.
Recipe for Black Cocoa Cake
Black Cocoa Cake
Ingredients
Black Cocoa Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (226g)
- 2 cups granulated sugar 420g
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups cake flour 325g
- 1 cup black cocoa 85g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups full-fat kefir or buttermilk 350g
Black Cocoa Buttercream Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter at room temperature (3 sticks, or 330g)
- ⅓ cup black cocoa 28g
- 3 ½ cups organic powdered sugar sifted (455g)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 113 g semi-sweet chocolate optional
Method
How to make black cocoa buttercream
- Beat the butter with the vanilla and salt for 1 minute. Add the cocoa and powdered sugar and beat it until smooth. If adding the chocolate, heat it in the microwave until mostly melted then stir until smooth. Once it’s cool, stir it into the buttercream. If not using the chocolate, add milk or heavy cream until the buttercream is smooth (about 2-3 tablespoons). Set aside, in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
How to make black cocoa cake
- Preheat the oven to 325. Grease and flour two tall 8” or 9″ round cake pans.
- Beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one by one, allowing each to beat fully before adding another. Once all the eggs are in, beat for another 2 full minutes.
- Sift in the cocoa, baking soda and flour and with the mixer on, pour the kefir in and mix until the batter is fully incorporated (scrape the bottom a few times to make sure nothing got stuck and didn’t blend). Avoid overbeating this once the flour is in the batter or the cake will come out tough.
- Bake the cakes for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester turns out clean or you can press the surface of the center of the cake and it springs back.
- Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then flip them onto a wire rack to fully cool. Transfer to the freezer, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for an hour or more.
- Frost the cakes when they are cold.
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Hi Sam! Looking to use this cake for a friends birthday! She loves espresso, would you recommend just brushing each layer with some? (I know it’s against your rule) and do you think a Swiss meringue would top well over it?
i think if she likes espresso then do it – whether that’s a bit added to the batter or a syrup brushed onto the layers. and swiss meringue would be amazing here!
Seriously one of the best recipes I’ve ever followed. Made the cake for (my own) birthday and everyone loved it. I also brushed coffee mixed with spiced rum onto the individual layers, and the only thing i can say, strongly recommend making this recipe.
I’m thrilled to hear it! Happy birthday!
Hi 👋 would this recipe work in a sheet pan? Also would the flavor profile of this cake pair well with a whipped peppermint cream topping?
It would work in a sheet pan, use the full recipe and bake in a 13×9 inch pan. Baking time will differ – I’d start checking at 20-25 minutes but it could take longer. As for flavor, I don’t know as I havent tried it (and it would be dependent on your own indivudal taste I think!)
The frosting is amazing, the cake could use a little more moisture.
Made this for my office Halloween & everyone enjoyed it! It’s not too sweet and makes a great statement! Another hit recipe from Sam!
Just curious – why no coffee in this recipe? Could I add it?
Hi Kelly, I assume you’re asking because it’s common for some people to use hot coffee in their chocolate cakes? I do not do that, as a rule. I like my cakes to taste like true chocolate cocoa (or in this case, black cocoa) without the coffee accent.
Sam’s black cocoa recipe is always a winner with every crowd. It’s my go to chocolate cake because it never misses.
Can you make in a bundt cake pan?
I’m looking forward to making this cake for a birthday. I did notice that only the butter is noted to be at room temperature and not the eggs or milk…… is this correct or am I missing something?
This cake turned out amazing! It was very moist and delicious. I used whole fat buttermilk and cake flour and it came out great. I added whipping cream to the buttercream along with the chocolate, and it came out fluffy and chocolatey! My family loved it!
I didn’t rate this cake because it turned into a pile of crumbs. In my 50 years of baking, it’s never happened to me before. Everything was mixed perfectly…any ideas? I used cake flour if that makes a difference.
I made this for a friends birthday and turned it into a simple vintage cake! It was sooo good.
Great recipe. I only bake recipes with metric measurements because weighing out my ingredients gets consistent results every time. Wish the cupcake one was also all in metric but this recipe also works for cupcakes. My only addition to level up this recipe was the addition of Instant ClearJel I added 9g-12g of Instant ClearJel. This will help improve moisture retention, making the cake more tender and less prone to dryness. Days later it was still moist. I used full fat buttermilk from a local dairy, Jet Black Cocoa from HITT Nutrition, and vanilla bean paste. Great recipe it was a hit.
I do need to update the cupcakes with grams – thanks for the reminder. Never tried clearjel, will look into it. So happy you liked the cake!
Thank you! Do you have any guess as to what the baking time would change to?
It will be less; I’d start checking the cakes around 20 minutes & if they’re not done, keep baking until a cake tester comes out clean.
Hi! I want to make this but my 8 inch cake pans are only two inches deep, should I divide among 3 pans?
yes, best to be safe!
Delicious. Best frosting I have ever had
This is my go-to birthday cake recipe now as a chocolate person – and it freezes beautifully!
SO. FREAKING. GOOD. I made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday, and it was a hit. You know it’s going to be good when the batter is the perfect velvet consistency and tastes like the ultimate “Brownie” chocolate. I didn’t have black cocoa on hand, so Dutch Chocolate was substituted. I also should add that I strictly followed the grams measurements in lieu of cups, and I fully believe that’s the best route to ensure proper proportions. Although it turned out fantastic, I’ve already ordered the black cocoa for next time as there will be a next time.
Could this cake batter recipe be made into a Swiss roll?
It can’t; a swiss roll needs a sponge cake (low on butter/oil, heavy on eggs) so that it won’t break when you roll it up. You could find a chocolate siwss roll recipe and swap out some of the cocoa for black cocoa.
I was looking for a black cocoa cake recipe for a Halloween cake for the spooky look. There weren’t many out there but I came across this one and I’m so glad I did! The cake is full of flavor, moist and rich. I paired it with a regular American buttercream rather than the buttercream included here because I wanted to add some color, but still amazing! I also paired it with a pecan praline filling and what an amazing combo. Couldn’t recommend this cake recipe enough!
Do i freeze the cake overnight if im frosting them the next day? How long before i frost should i take them out?
I made this cake yesterday for a Halloween party! The only alternation I made was to add food-grade black charcoal to both the icing and the cake batter, as the black cocoa only made them look dark brown, not black. The flavor was perfect and it was a hit with a wide group of people that had differing preferences and tolerances for sweet flavors. I think that the success came to following your recipe exactly, other than the addition of some activated charcoal. I used whole milk/fat kefir like you recommended. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Soooo good. I used buttermilk in the cake recipe and didn’t use the optional semi sweet chocolate in the frosting recipe. I made a small cake in the shape of a spider and 12 cupcakes. The cupcakes were so moist. The cupcakes and frosting came out perfectly black. This will be my go to recipe for a black cake or cupcakes.
Hi, does the cake taste like oreos? I’ve heard people say black cocoa gives baked goods a similar to oreo flavour. Please let me know.
It is similar =)
Hi! I’m making this cake a birthday party but she has serious dairy allergies. Would using a vegan butter and a buttermilk substitute alter this recipe too much? Also do you think strawberry would pair well with this flavor? This will be my first time trying black cocoa.
Hi there! The vegan butter would probably be fine on it’s own but that and the buttermilk substitute (esp when we need that full fat creaminess) might alter the texture/moisture level so I don’t know if I can recommend it without trying it.
Made this for a friends birthday, and everyone went wild. This yes cake is definitely a keeper
woo hoo, so happy to hear it Jim!
I have 9 inch pans but my pans aren’t 3 inches tall like you mentioned in one of your comments. They’re about 2 inches. Should I divide it in 3 pans then?
Yep I think that would be a safer choice.
All the things I want in a chocolate cake!!! Deep and darkly chocolate, moist and just sweet enough. I couldn’t find full fat kefir but the buttermilk worked just fine. The chocolate mascarpone frosting (which in itself is an indulgent dessert as many leftover refrigerated spoonfuls were enjoyed, but I digress) complimented the cake perfectly. Because this was being baked for a special occasion, I unabashedly gilded the lily by putting a combo of chocolate/hazelnut spread mixed with feuilletine between the layers. YUM. I want to try this as a snacking cake next. Thank you for this superb forever chocolate cake recipe!
UM that filling sounds AMAZING, I want to try a slice!! Thank you for the kind review Sara =)
Hi. Info wanted to use AP flour are the measurements the same as Cake flour? Will the crumb be more dense? I need to be able to handle the cake to make a checkerboard cake. A spongier softer crumb just falls apart.
You could, the cake will be a tad less light without the cake flour but I think this is what you’re going for so should be ok!
Made this cake yesterday for today at lunch. I cut the top part off each layer, which wasn’t much at all, but I tried them and it was very bitter/smokey. I read that I has notes, but I was very surprised at the flavor. I stressed the entire night since the cake was for my sister’s 30th today. I almost cut it and refrosted it into a packman cake so I could taste test first. Ha!
Once we cut it today, my worries melted away. The cake paired with the buttercream makes all the difference. I did add marshmallow ABC in the middle – just made a vanilla ABC and added a few tablespoons of fluff. Everyone enjoyed it. Said it reminded them of the Oreo Cakesters. This recipe was worth it.
I also crushed oreos to put on top, alongside 8 whole oreos.
Thanks for this recipe!
How would this recipe pair with a marshmallow creme filling?
I think that would be lovely! Like an oreo with marshmallow creme
Thank you for the quick reply! I do have one I place in oven and it’s always spot on so maybe I’ll lower it 5 degrees next time just to be sure! They turned out perfect though! My husband said best chocolate cake he’s ever tasted!!
Hello! Delicious! But about halfway thru baking the tops started to crack is that normal? What did I do wrong or how can I avoid in future? Thank you! Still an amazing cake!
Hi! It’s possible that the temperature was too high. If you have an oven thermometer (not the internal one for the oven, one you’d place yourself inside) you can check it.
I’d really like to try and make this into a simple graduation cake in a square shape (like the top of a grad cap) but don’t want to mess it up. Do you have any suggestions for being able to do that?
That sounds so fun Rachel! If you cut the recipe in half, it should work fine in an 8 inch square pan. If you are using the full amount and making a two layer cake, then just use two 8 inch square pans.
A follow-up to my last comment – I made the cake with no changes other than replacing black cocoa powder with Dutch process and it was absolutely delicious. A new go-to chocolate cake recipe. Thank you!
Hi Molly! Since it is a black cocoa cake I am loathe to suggest that you can use dutch but in truth you can, as you discovered ;p
Hi! I’m planning to make this cake today as a dark chocolate cake, as I don’t have and can’t find locally any black cocoa powder. Are there any other subs or changes needed if I use Dutch process cocoa instead?
Hi there! I’m about to try your black cocoa cake, but have a quick question about baking soda vs. powder. I purchased Anthony’s organic black cocoa powder to do the recipe, but on the back of the bag it says: “Due to its low acidity, dutched cocoa is usually used along with baking powder, while natural cocoa calls for baking soda in recipes.” Your recipe clearly works beautifully (given all the great reviews), but just curious if you’ve ever tried baking powder instead of soda?
WHAT WOULD BE THE MELTED CHOCOLATE IN AMOUNTS LIKE CUPS OR TABLESPOONS PLEASE
about half a cup chocolate (before melting)
I need to make this gluten free. I have a nice quality gf flour, but what would be the ratio since I would not be using cake flour?
I’m thinking you’d treat it like all purpose flour, so swap out 2.5 tablespoons of the flour for cornstarch.
This is now our go-to birthday cake recipe! Just made it for my daughter for the second year in a row and we devoured it again. I covered it with a cream cheese frosting for Oreo vibes and it was a hit!
Also I forgot to pick up buttermilk at the store so I subbed with 50/50 whole milk and plain yogurt and it still turned out great!
love the idea of pairing it with a cream cheese buttercream! kind of a tuxedo cake 😀
this is my favorite cake recipe. can i adapt it to a vanilla cake but just excluding the cocoa?
ah im glad you like it! unfortunately it won’t work by just removing the cocoa as the recipe was developed around it.
I want to make this recipe. I just wanted to check what you mean by tall 8 inch pans. I haven’t measured mine, but I know they’re not as deep as some they sell.
3 inches deep
I am having trouble finding black cocoa at my local grocery store so am having to order online. Is there a brand you recommend?
Hi Peggy! I like King Arthur’s black cocoa
This is the best cake! one question though, the first couple of times I made it, the icing turned out perfectly black. now it’s gray. what am i doing wrong?
Hi! It could be a few things: over-whipping the buttercream which would lighten the butter and thus the frosting, skipping the added melted chocolate usually makes it darker, but also the cocoa brand (or the brand you use might’ve changed their ‘recipe’).
Hi Sam, thanks for the quick response. I’ll definitely check my oven, but I haven’t had any issues recently so I don’t know if that would account for it entirely. The cake pans were a thin metal too. I noticed in one of your comments below that you said to half fill the cake pans and mine were probably 3/4 full before I popped them into the oven, I think next time I’ll fill halfway and see if that works. Thanks!
it could be! I hope it works for you next time <3
Hi Sam, I used this exact recipe (except I couldn’t find full fat kefir, so I used low fat) and I spread it across (3) 6 inch cake pans. After 50 minutes of baking it was still completely raw through the center and then caved in after I took them out of the oven (I didn’t realize how raw the center was initially). I was worried the outside parts were going to get over baked, but perhaps I should’ve left it in for another 15 minutes or so? The cake tins were quite deep, but the cake did start to rise over the edge during baking. Do you think I should’ve just made 3/4 of this recipe or baked for a lot longer? The cake is so delicious, so I’d love to try it again. Thanks for any tips.
Hi Lindsey, sorry you had trouble baking the cakes! I wonder if there’s something off with your home oven? I’m thinking that any 6″ cake at 325 should be done baking by 50 minutes. My own oven is often off so I have another thermometer in there to double check the temperature, you might want to get one and test the oven to see what’s going on. The only other thing I can think of is the cake pan material, was it a thin metal? If it were something like ceramic, those tend to take a longer to heat.
I am looking to make this cake here in a few days for may husbands 40th birthday but can’t find any whole milk kafir or whole milk buttermilk. Any other suggestions or tips on how to mix full fat yogurt to make something similar? I did find a Karoun yogurt drink at a small Indian store but not sure how is compares. Thanks!
Hi! You could water down some yogurt, but I wonder if I can help you locate some kefir. Where are you based?
PHENOMENAL! Made this as a birthday cake, so tender and moist!
absolutely wonderful to hear!
this was a fabulous cake! every recipe of yours is phenomenal!
I’ve been waiting for an all-black-cocoa recipe! Can’t wait to make this for my DIL and teen grandkids. I’ll probably make it as a one layer–the simpler, the better. Next up…please create an all-or-mostly black cocoa cookie! Maybe a choc butter cookie would be able to balance out the dryness? Thank you! Amy
hi Amy! I have had it on my agenda for awhile. Got so close last year (it was a halloween themed cookie) and then I dropped it. Might need to revisit that recipe
My husband made this cake for my birthday and it was without a doubt the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. He used the mascarpone icing instead of the buttercream and we really loved how smooth and rich it was. For those having issues with the color, I would try the King Arthur black cocoa that you can get on Amazon. That’s what we used and the cake and icing were both a deep black. I’d like to make these again as cupcakes to make for easy transportation and sharing. How would the baking time change for cupcakes and is there anything else in the recipe that would need to be altered?
happy birthday hope!! coincidentally my husband also made me this cake for my birthday :p for the cupcakes, I have a black cocoa cupcake recipe:
https://buttermilkbysam.com/black-cocoa-cupcakes/
This cake is DIVINE. It’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had – and really easy to make, too!
Can I substitute the buttermilk for coffee or a 50/50 of buttermilk and coffee?
Made the black cocoa cake with the Raspberry Curd recipe and some swiss meringue buttercream and it was so delicious!!
Made this recipe for my birthday. The cake is ultimately soft. I would have loved darker colour in the sponge. I did make this recipe as 75% by weight in 6” tins. Not sure if that has an effect.
When the recipe says cake flour would that be self raising ?
no, self-raising flour has leavening added to it (sometimes salt too). cake flour is more like all purpose but has a lower protein content and is more finely milled
Could I make this with the caramelized white chocolate buttercream or would that too much?
YOU CAN!! I think it would be wonderful
THANK YOU!
They have Lindt here so i will do that – does it matter if its dark or milk? so long as its 70%?
lindt 70% is dark, their milk is 55 or 45. you can use the 55, it’ll give the buttercream more of a ‘chocolate’ taste and be smoother. good luck!
Hi there!
One more question on the semi-sweet chocolate – what brand do you recommend? I am seeing bakers chocolate online as ‘100% pure semi-sweet chocolate’ would that work? I am in Toronto and would love recommendations on what brand/product works best!
Thanks so much
So semi-sweet would be something that’s like 55% cocoa solids. I think the best place to find chocolate is in the candy aisle at the grocery store, some brands I like: Tony’s, Endangered Species, Beyond Good, or even Lindt (for Lindt I’d go to 70% cocoa solids as their bars are rather creamy).
Made the sponge part of this recipe today for an Oreo cake with some standard vanilla buttercream frosting and it turned out DELICIOUS. I really love the tanginess that comes from using kefir.
oooh, now I want to try it with a vanilla buttercream with bits of oreo!
Hi there, this cake looks incredible and I am very excited to make it:) Quick question: do you know what % of fat ‘full-fat’ keifer is? Apologies but upon googling i can’t seem to find a consistent definition. Would love to know the specs of the product you use (i.e. 1%, 2%). I am in Canada so will try to find an equivalent. Thanks so much!!
usually it’ll say on the bottle if it’s made from whole milk or low fat milk. you can also use buttermilk (but again, best to not use low fat). hope that helps!
What a gorgeous cake. Normally black in cooking/baking is a little off-putting, but there was something so rich about the color and the taste lived up to the same expectation. I made it for my son’s birthday and he absolutely loved it. I may make it again this year!
HELP!
I have made black cocoa cakes before that turned out gorgeous. The cake recipe here is amazing. But the frosting, which was followed to a T is NOT the same color as the frosting in these photo’s…it’s like a dark grey and matte. I know how to make buttercream frosting and not sure what happened. Please help with some pointers as I have now made this 2 days ahead of Thanksgiving.
Best Regards,
Portia
Hi Portia, did you add the chocolate? That usually smooths it out so that it’s shiny and dark colored. If it tastes good and smooths over, I wouldn’t worry too much about the color. Color variations are usually due to the cocoa brand.
Chocolate cakes can often be dry, but this one was beyond delicious and moist. The depth of flavor is fantastic. This has become my go to chocolate cake recipe
I made this a while back, and it came out so well! So beautifully earthy and luscious. I did, however, use oil instead of butter. Mine turned out well, but I highly suggest that you follow Sam’s recipe before you embark on your own experiment.
Can I use this recipe for cupcakes? Any difference in the recipe I need to make
Anita, see the Black Cocoa Cupcakes recipe on my site 😉
Thank you! This is by far the best tasting cake I’ve ever made! It was fluffy, beautiful & everyone raved!
This cake was so yummy! Had a great black color and texture was very good. I baked it as a sheet cake in a metal 13×9 pan. Was good to take out of the oven after 45 min. I made the full batch of frosting but had leftovers. I would reduce the frosting amount by a quarter or third if I did a sheet cake again. I also used black cocoa powder from Modern Mountain since it was what I could easily get on Amazon.
My only possible change for next time would be to add more cocoa powder to the buttercream. It was good but I wish the chocolate flavor was a bit stronger. I didn’t use the semi sweet chocolate in mine so that could have been why.
This recipe needs 10 stars. Easy to follow, and it’s definitely one of the top 3 best tasting cakes I’ve ever had. Thank you so much Sam for sharing!
What would the bake times be for cupcakes?
I ended up making this recipe as 4 layers with 6 inch pans (I made two smaller cakes). I used buttermilk and King Arthur’s black cocoa in my recipe. The bake times were about the same, I think I left them in for a few minutes longer. The cakes were wonderfully moist and I received so many nice comments from my husband and colleagues who devoured it. I also loved the fact that it wasn’t overly sweet. I personally liked this cake even better than traditional chocolate cake. So happy I came across your Instagram page and recipes. Will definitely be my go-to chocolate cake!
I’m baking right now but they are overflowing in the oven. I was careful with the ingredients , etc and I used 8 inch pans…..
Oh no Dina!!! This is so frustrating. I think this might be an issue of the pans being too shallow. When you add the batter to the pans it there should be enough room for the cakes to almost double in size. Hopefully you can catch the extra batter and the cakes will still turn out ok?
I made this for my sisters 50th and it was amazing! I followed the recipe exactly. Did three cake layers instead of two and added a teaspoon of instant espresso powder in the frosting. It was divine! My husband (who does not prefer chocolate) ate 3 pieces.
What an excellent chocolate cake! This is my first time using black cocoa and wow does it add lovely chocolate notes to this cake. I paired the cake with your chocolate mascarpone buttercream and it was excellent! Certainly something you could order at a fancy restaurant. Thank you for the recipe!
Very excited to try this cake for an “Oreo” alternative. I’ve previously made your initial black cocoa cake by substituting a portion of the cocoa for black cocoa – it was perfection! Hoping to try this for 2 9” pans, suggestions on proportions?
Hi Dema! I don’t have another black cocoa cake 😐 (unless you meant the KAF cake with the mascarpone buttercream…). But yes two 9″ pans will be fine, the layers will be a bit thinner and will bake quicker so I”d check it 10 mins early.
Hello, I tried both recipes the black cocoa one and the blueberry… I put them in the freezer before frosting overnight and the cakes were so very dry…the frostings were amazing… so was it the freezing part that caused them both to be dry?
Hi Rose! SO sorry they were so dry =( If you froze them completely covered (plastic wrap and in an airtight container) then I don’t think it was the freezer. Could it be that the flour was overmeasured or that the type of flour was a higher protein content?
This is the first black cocoa cake recipe I’ve made that wasn’t a crumbly mess. The flavor and texture are perfect! I substituted 1/3 of the butter with oil and it seemed to help the cake to stay moist. The butter definitely helps with the cake’s structure.
Would using vegetable oil keep it moist? If I were to sub would I sub 1 for 1 with butter? I don’t typically sub on recipes but I am very into moist leftover cake LOL
Hi Lily, a few people have told me they’ve done it successfully but I haven’t myself. I think if you are using cake flour, measuring everything carefully you won’t have to worry too much about it going dry
This is the first black cocoa cake recipe I’ve made that wasn’t a crumbly mess. The flavor and texture are perfect!
Hi- should the eggs be room temp or cold? I’m waiting for my cakes to cool now and color is great but they sank in the middle. My butter may have been too soft, but I also wonder about the egg temp. Thank you!
Hi Nancy, I’m so sorry they sank! The eggs ideally would be room temp but it wouldn’t have caused the cakes to sink. Usually cakes sink when there’s an issue with the leavening (here baking soda)/if they were overmixed or if the oven door was opened during baking.
Recipe is delicious! I bundt’ed it. No change to ingredients or amounts. Almost 50 minute bake time. And I halved the icing.
hi… if the buttermilk substitute with yogurt .. what is the amount ?
You would thin it out until it’s the consistency of a thick buttermilk or kefir. I’d do 1 cup greek yogurt and 1/2 cup water but add more or less depending on how it changes.
Does the buttercream in these photos have the optional semi-sweet chocolate? I used it and my frosting is much lighter in color. I prefer the visual of black on black and may try leaving it out next time if that is what contributes to your extra dark frosting. The cake was delectable!!
The cake pictured does have the chocolate. Since it goes in at the end you’d be able to see the difference in color before and after you add it.
Should the butter be room temp before beating for the cake? Also – planning to make a week in advance and will freeze until needing to frost. I know you said this cake dries out fast – will the freezing prevent the dry out?
I think it’ll be okay in the freezer, but wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! May I ask, why using butter instead of oil? I know a lot of chocolate cakes recipes use oil. From the pictures it looks very tender so I’m guessing it’s to get that texture??
Hi Ana, it’s a good question and something I’ve been thinking about actually. The short answer is I began testing this cake based off a recipe that was in one of the cookbooks my mom had when I was a kid (can’t remember the name – it was a little thin thing she got in the grocery store, very forgettable) and that one had butter. I have been thinking about trying to do another oil-based version because this one does dry out in the days after baking. We’ll see!
Should this be salted or unsalted butter?
unsalted!
Hi. How do I adjust the ingredients for 2 x 6 inch round pan?
You could halve it; the layers will be shorter (and bake time will differ). If you are doing the full recipe in 6 inch pans I’d recommend 3 pans/layers.
How long do I bake for the 6 inch cake ? I will split the batter into 3 pans. Thank you.
Hi! Would the chocolate mascarpone buttercream pair well with the cake?
Gosh YES!
Looks beautiful! Do you have a specific brand of black cocoa you use? Thank you!
Hi Hanna! I use King Arthur Baking Company’s black cocoa. I’ve heard other brands are good (some get great reviews on amazon) but haven’t tried them myself.
Made this cake for my birthday. Everyone loved it! It had such a depth of flavor. Thank you for the recipe. It was the best part of my birthday.
How would you adjust for a thin sheet pan cake?
I think it could all fit in there, it would be a taller 13×9. Bake temp can stay the same but you’ll judge doneness by checking the cake itself (press the top to see if it springs back or use a cake tester). I’d check it first at 25 minutes and go from there