Nosferatu's Jet Black Velvet Cake
100% dye-free layers of velvety black cocoa cake and black chocolate buttercream inspired by Nosferatu and other horror films.
Ingredients
Black Velvet Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour 265g
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 340g
- 2/3 cup black cocoa powder 80g
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil 120ml
- 2 large eggs or 3 small eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk (full-fat)* 240ml; room temperature DIY recipe in notes
- 1 cup hot coffee 240ml; or hot water
Dye-Free Black Buttercream
- 2 cups unsalted butter 452g, room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar 600g
- 1 cup black cocoa powder** 112g
- 4 tbsp whole milk room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt to taste
Instructions
Make the Black Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or one 12-inch cake pan by spraying the sides with cooking spray (or butter) and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment.
- Sift all of the dry ingredients into the bowl and stir until fully combine them.
- Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Add the hot black coffee in a slow stream, then beat until smooth. The batter will be very thin and bubbly.
- Pour into prepared cake pans, no more than 2/3 full and bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Black Buttercream
- Whip the butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color.
- Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add the powdered sugar one scoop at a time. Mix on low speed until just incorporated.
- Sift in the black cocoa powder and add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix on low until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
- The buttercream will look dark brown at this point, but the color will darken significantly over the next several hours. See the recipe notes for storage instructions and tips on how to speed up the darkening process.
Assembly
- Once the cake layers have cooled completely, level them to your desired height. Fill and stack the layers with black buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with more black buttercream. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 20-30 minutes to let the frosting firm up.
- To create the design pictured, use the black buttercream to create a smooth finish on the cake, then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Use the rest of the black buttercream to create lambeth piping (feel free to use this tutorial as guidance). Accent the lambeth piping with round black sprinkles where desired.
Notes
*DIY Buttermilk recipe: add 1 Tbsp of white vinegar to a jar and top it with 1 Cup of whole milk. Stir and let sit for 15 minutes before using in the recipe.
**For the darkest black buttercream, you'll want to use extra dark black cocoa powder. This can also be used for the cake portion of the recipe.
Make ahead tips:
- We made this recipe without a Stand mixer, just a singular hand mixer. It will take longer but the results are the same.
- To make the Black Buttercream more black, use heat (from a Bain Marie or a microwave) to melt and activate it.
- The Black Velvet Cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The Black Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency. The longer it sits to oxidizes, the darker it will be.