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Decadent Black Velvet Halloween Layer Cake Recipe with Easy Spider Web Frosting

black velvet Halloween layer cake - featured image
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A rich, moist black velvet cake with a dramatic deep black color paired with silky cream cheese spider web frosting, perfect for Halloween parties and celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • ⅓ cup (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon black gel food coloring
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 8 ounces (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed for consistency

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 8-inch cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  3. Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition; batter may look curdled.
  5. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, vanilla extract, white vinegar, and black gel food coloring; stir gently.
  6. Add dry ingredients in three additions alternating with wet ingredients in two additions, beginning and ending with dry. Mix on low speed just until combined.
  7. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  8. Let cakes rest in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
  9. Beat cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until fluffy. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time to reach pipeable consistency.
  10. Place one cake layer on serving plate and spread a generous layer of frosting on top. Add second layer and cover entire cake with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20 minutes.
  11. Apply a smooth, even final coat of frosting over chilled cake.
  12. Using a piping bag with a small round tip, pipe concentric circles of frosting on top of cake. Drag a toothpick or skewer from center outward 4-6 times to create spider web pattern.
  13. Refrigerate cake for at least 30 minutes to set frosting before serving.

Notes

Use Dutch-process cocoa for deep black color without bitterness. Keep ingredients at room temperature for best texture. Do not overmix batter to avoid dense cake. Chill frosting if too soft for piping. Practice piping spider web on parchment paper before decorating cake. Batter can be thinned with extra buttermilk if too thick.

Nutrition

Keywords: black velvet cake, Halloween cake, spider web frosting, layered cake, cream cheese frosting, spooky dessert, chocolate cake

Find it online: https://lucastable.com/decadent-black-velvet-halloween-layer-cake-recipe-with-easy-spider-web-frosting/