Description
This striking witch cake features a deep, dark crumb achieved through black cocoa and a moisture-rich buttermilk base. Perfect for autumn celebrations, it offers a sophisticated chocolate flavor paired with smooth, contrasting buttercreams.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Black cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable oil
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Hot coffee or water
- Black food gel
- Unsalted butter
- Dark chocolate
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C) and grease four 6-inch round cake pans, lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, room-temperature eggs, vanilla, and hot coffee or water.
- Gently pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, whisking until the batter is smooth and scraping the sides as needed.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack, then prepare and apply the black and vanilla buttercreams once completely cooled.
Notes
To achieve the smoothest frosting consistency, ensure your butter is slightly cool to the touch rather than completely room temperature. Using hot coffee instead of water will not make the cake taste like coffee, but it will significantly intensify the natural richness of the black cocoa.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American