Description
A rich, moist two-layer black velvet cake with blackberry compote and black cocoa cream cheese frosting. A spooky, stunning Halloween treat.
Ingredients
**For the Black Velvet Cake**
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
¾ 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 hot coffee
½ cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
**For the Blackberry Compote**
2 cups fresh blackberries
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick (or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon)
¼ cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch
**For the Frosting**
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
1 cup black cocoa powder (sifted)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
**For Decoration**
Chocolate skulls
Fresh blackberries
Crushed dried rose petals
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Whisk buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
4. Mix wet into dry ingredients until combined.
5. Stir in hot coffee. Batter will be thin.
6. Divide evenly into pans and bake for 30–33 minutes. Let cool completely.
7.
8. In a saucepan, simmer blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, zest, and cinnamon for 5–6 minutes.
9. Mix water and cornstarch, then stir into blackberry mixture. Cook until thick.
10. Remove cinnamon stick. Chill compote for 1 hour.
11.
12. Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
13. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt. Beat until fluffy.
14. Mix in vanilla and beat again until smooth.
15.
16. Level cake layers if needed.
17. Place first layer on plate, pipe a frosting dam, and fill with compote.
18. Top with second cake layer (bottom side up).
19. Apply a crumb coat and chill for 20 minutes.
20. Frost the cake fully and decorate with skulls, berries, and rose petals.
Notes
Let cake layers cool fully before decorating.
Room temperature ingredients mix better and help with even baking.
If using Dutch-process cocoa, add a bit of black gel food coloring for deeper color.
Blackberry compote can be made 1–2 days ahead.
Cake can be stored in the fridge for 5 days or frozen.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 33 minutes
- Category: Halloween Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 481
- Sugar: 39g
- Sodium: 556mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 92g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 69mg