Eerie Black Velvet Cake – Perfect for Halloween Parties

So, Want to Scare Your Friends with Cake?

Let me tell you, this Eerie Black Velvet Cake isn’t just a hit at Halloween parties – it’s honestly my go-to whenever I want jaws to drop and mouths to water (I mean, have you ever not wanted both at the same time?). I first made this a couple of years ago after binge-watching those baking shows and, well, my kitchen looked like a cauldron exploded. The result? Delicious mayhem and a story the neighbours won’t let me forget (flour footprints everywhere!). If you’re anything like me, you might laugh more than you cook. But trust me, it’s worth it.

Why I Keep Coming Back to This (and Maybe You Will Too)

I make this when I want something dramatic – the kind of cake that makes picky kids actually ask for seconds. My family goes bananas for it because, let’s be honest, nobody can resist that deep, chocolatey flavour (and the fact it turns your tongue a bit dark is a giggle for everyone). If you have that one friend who rolls their eyes at “just another chocolate cake,” this’ll shut them up, nicely. I do get a bit frustrated when black food coloring loves to stain my hands, but a little scrubbing (and sometimes an old dish towel) always does the trick. Sometimes I even get wild and make cupcakes instead. Anyway, you’ll see why it’s stuck around in our family cake rotation.

Alright, What You’ll Need (and What You Can Sub In)

• 2 cups plain flour (or all-purpose – my grandma swears by King Arthur, but I just grab what’s on sale)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (once I subbed half brown sugar – pretty nice, honestly)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use black cocoa for max drama, but Dutch-processed works alright)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (sometimes I just do 1 cup milk with a squeeze of lemon if I’m out)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (melted coconut if you’re feeling fancy or “healthier”)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (honestly, store brand is fine – I can’t tell the difference in this cake)
• 1 cup hot water (boiling from the kettle works – careful not to spill!)
• Black gel food coloring (AmeriColor makes a good one; you can mix in a tiny bit of blue or purple gel if you want)

How I Throw This Together (Seriously, It’s Not Hard)

1. Preheat your oven to 350F (175C-ish). Grease two 8-inch cake pans. If you only have one, just bake in batches – I did that for ages.
2. In a big-ish bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I use a fork when my whisk’s lost (which is often).
3. In another bowl, muddle together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the wet stuff into the dry. Stir gently – it’ll look wonky at first, but don’t freak out.
4. Now, slowly stir in the hot water. Batter will be thin and gloopy. Totally normal – this is when I sneak a taste (shh!).
5. Squeeze in your black food coloring, mixing until it’s deep dark (like your coffee on Monday morning). How much? Hard to say, but I usually do a good squirt, mixing as I go until it looks mysterious.
6. Divide into pans. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the centre comes out with a crumb or two (not goopy, but also not bone-dry – that’s boring cake).
7. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then flip onto racks to cool. Burns are no fun, trust me.
8. Frost with your favourite vanilla or cream cheese icing (linking the one I use here—Sally’s is unbeatable, really).

Notes from Actual Experience (A.K.A. My Odd Discoveries)

• Honestly, the black food coloring can taste weird if you overdo it, so add slowly and taste as you go. I once made a cake so black my mouth tasted like ink for a day.
• If you don’t have buttermilk, a dash of vinegar in milk is fine! Actually, I think I prefer that now.
• I think this tastes even better the next day, if it ever lasts that long.

Tried Some Wacky Variations (Guess Which Didn’t Work)

• I swapped half the cocoa for espresso powder once – cake was a real adult treat, but not so popular with the kids.
• Tried adding orange zest for “halloween flair”… didn’t quite hit the right note (tasted like Halloween toothpaste!), so maybe don’t.
• Cupcakes work, just shorten baking time to 18-22 minutes, or until they spring back if you poke ’em.

What If You Don’t Have All the Fancy Gear?

Look, I baked this in a roasting dish when I couldn’t find the right pans – just needed to watch the bake time. No cooling rack? Flip the cake onto an upside-down colander, works a treat (well, mostly – just don’t nudge it!).

How I (Sometimes) Store It

Cake keeps in an airtight box at room temp for 2-3 days, or in the fridge if you’re a cold-cake fan (I’m not, but my sister swears by it). But honestly, in my house it’s gone the same night, so I can’t really say for sure how it fares after that. If you want to freeze it, wrap slices and stash for up to a month. Future-you will thank you.

How We Serve It (And What I’d Love to Try)

We go for a thick layer of cream cheese frosting—dyed with a hint of purple or green for extra Halloween vibes—and honestly, a few gummy worms never hurt. One year, my friend topped hers with shattered red candy “glass.” It was a little over the top, but fun if you like drama.

Lessons I’ve Learned (Usually the Hard Way)

• Don’t rush cooling the cakes. I once frosted when they were warm and had a frosting landslide that looked kinda spooky but didn’t impress anyone.
• Mix the food coloring in small squirts. I went overboard once and ended up staining my whole countertop for a week. Gloves help, or just accept goth fingers.

Your Questions (Because I’ve Been Asked All These Before!)

• Can I use regular cocoa? Yep! Black cocoa’s ideal, but Dutch-processed or even Hershey’s gets you pretty close. The really deep black just looks a bit cooler.
• Does it stain teeth? Only if you go wild with food coloring (ask my cousin Joe!). A regular amount is fine and brushes off easy.
• What kind of frosting do you really use? Cream cheese mostly. And if I’m lazy (which, let’s face it, is often), canned vanilla will totally work. I did find a fun black buttercream recipe on Liv for Cake that’s perfect for the full dark effect.
• Can I do this as a sheet cake? Absolutely. Just adjust baking time and check with a skewer from time to time since ovens are a little wild.
• How much food coloring is too much? If your batter looks pitch black before baking, you’re probably good. Add more and your insides might glow… just kidding. (Mostly.)

So grab your mixing bowl, channel your inner mad scientist, and bake something eerie this Halloween. If you make a mess, let it be a delicious one. And if you figure out how to get food coloring off hands without scrubbing forever, please drop me a line. Happy haunting—and even happier baking!

★★★★★ 4.10 from 190 ratings

Eerie Black Velvet Cake – Perfect for Halloween Parties

yield: 12 servings

prep: 30 mins

cook: 35 mins

total: 50 mins

An irresistibly moist and decadent black velvet cake, colored for spooky effect and topped with a rich buttercream frosting. A show-stopping dessert perfectly suited for Halloween parties and gatherings.

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons black gel food coloring
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (for frosting)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
• 3 cups powdered sugar (for frosting)

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. 2
   In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. 3
   In another bowl, mix buttermilk, oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in black gel food coloring until the batter is a deep, eerie black.
4. 4
   Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
5. 5
   Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
6. 6
   To prepare the frosting, beat softened cream cheese and butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Frost and decorate the cooled cake as desired.

CLICK FOR NUTRITION INFO ↑

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1 serving

Calories: 390cal

Protein: 4 gg

Fat: 21 gg

Saturated Fat: 0g

Trans Fat: 0g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 0mg

Potassium: 0mg

Total Carbs: 50 gg

Fiber: 0g

Sugar: 0g

Net Carbs: 0g

Vitamin A: 0

Vitamin C: 0mg

Calcium: 0mg

Iron: 0mg

Nutrition Disclaimers

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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