A dramatic near-black two-layer chocolate cake made with black cocoa and buttermilk, frosted with salted vanilla buttercream and dusted with more cocoa.
Before you start: set the butter, eggs and buttermilk out to come to room temperature; line two 8-inch round pans with parchment and grease the sides. Black cocoa is sold online and at baking-supply shops. On its own it tastes like chocolate sandwich cookies; mixing it half and half with Dutch-process cocoa gives a fuller chocolate flavor that's still very dark.
The baked layers keep wrapped at room temperature for 1 day or frozen for 1 month.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- ¾ cup black cocoa powder (or half black and half Dutch-process cocoa)
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened; for the cake)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract (divided)
- 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 cups unsalted butter (softened; for the buttercream)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- ¾ tsp fleur de sel or flaky sea salt
- 2 tbsp black cocoa powder for dusting
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- ¾ cup black cocoa powder (or half black and half Dutch-process cocoa)
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened; for the cake)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract (divided)
- 1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 cups unsalted butter (softened; for the buttercream)
- 4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- ¾ tsp fleur de sel or flaky sea salt
- 2 tbsp black cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
Heat the oven and prep the pans
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Line the bottoms of both pans with parchment and grease the sides.
Equipment: two 8-inch round cake pans, parchment paper
Bloom the cocoa
Whisk black cocoa (¾ cup) into boiling water (¾ cup) until smooth, then set aside to cool while you mix the batter.
Whisk the dry ingredients
In a bowl, whisk flour (1 ¾ cups), baking soda (1 tsp), baking powder (1 tsp) and salt (½ tsp).
Cream the butter and sugar
Beat softened butter (1 cup) and sugar (1 ½ cups) on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Equipment: stand mixer or hand mixer
Add the eggs and vanilla
Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl, then vanilla (1 tsp).
Equipment: stand mixer or hand mixer
Finish the batter
On low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with buttermilk (1 cup) in two parts, mixing just until combined after each.
Mix in the cooled cocoa just until the batter is evenly dark, then divide it between the pans and smooth the tops.
Equipment: stand mixer or hand mixer
Bake
Bake until the tops spring back and a tester in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 30 minutes.
Equipment: two 8-inch round cake pans, cake tester or toothpick
Cool
Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack, about 15 minutes.
Turn the layers out, peel off the parchment and cool completely, about 1 hour.
Equipment: wire rack
Make the salted vanilla buttercream
Beat softened butter (2 cups) on medium-high until creamy and pale, about 2 minutes.
On low, add powdered sugar (4 cups) a cup at a time.
Add vanilla (2 tsp) and cream (2 tbsp) and beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then mix in fleur de sel (¾ tsp).
Equipment: stand mixer or hand mixer
Fill, crumb coat and chill
Trim any domes so the layers are flat. Set one layer on a plate and spread it with a thick layer of buttercream, then top with the second layer.
Spread a thin coat of buttercream over the top and sides to trap the crumbs, then chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
Equipment: serrated knife, offset spatula
Frost and dust
Spread the remaining buttercream smoothly over the top and sides.
Sift black cocoa (2 tbsp) over the top, or through a paper stencil for a spooky pattern. Serve at room temperature.
Equipment: offset spatula, fine-mesh sieve
Tomorrow's Meal
Griddled Black Cocoa Cake with Warm Cherries
Slices of leftover cake toasted in butter until crisp at the edges and topped with cherries simmered in the same skillet.
You'll need to pick up:
1 tbsp butter1 cup frozen dark cherries1 tbsp sugar1 tsp lemon juicewhipped cream or yogurt
Quick overview:
- 1.Simmer the cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a skillet over medium heat 5 minutes until saucy, then pour into a bowl
- 2.Wipe the skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat and toast cake slices (most frosting scraped off) 1 to 2 minutes per side
- 3.Plate the warm cake and spoon the cherries over
- 4.Top with whipped cream or yogurt
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Before you start: set the butter, eggs and buttermilk out to come to room temperature; line two 8-inch round pans with parchment and grease the sides.
- • Black cocoa is sold online and at baking-supply shops. On its own it tastes like chocolate sandwich cookies; mixing it half and half with Dutch-process cocoa gives a fuller chocolate flavor that's still very dark.
- • The baked layers keep wrapped at room temperature for 1 day or frozen for 1 month.
- • The buttercream keeps 1 week in the fridge; bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
- • Store the frosted cake covered at cool room temperature up to 2 days.
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