Black Magic Cake – A spooky homemade chocolate cake with witchy green buttercream frosting and Halloween-themed sprinkles.
This post may include affiliate links. Please see my disclosure.
Halloween is just around the corner, and this year, Americans are expected to spend $10.14 billion on Halloween-themed or related items.😱 Are you determined to make this Halloween a memorable one?
Whether you’re planning a party, going trick-or-treating or just carving pumpkins as a family, make sure to prepare some spooky treats like this Magic Potion Punch, graveyard Veggie Pizza, Halloween Swirl Brownies or this Black Magic Cake we’re making today!
It’s a rich and moist, homemade chocolate cake with witchy green buttercream frosting and Halloween-themed sprinkles. So much fun for your Halloween festivities!
HOW TO MAKE BLACK MAGIC CAKE
To make this Halloween-themed layer cake, you’ll need:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Brewed coffee
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Buttercream frosting (canned or homemade)
- Neon green food coloring
- Halloween sprinkles
Grab all your ingredients and let’s start making this deliciously decadent chocolate cake.
PREPARING THE BATTER
Preheat your oven to 350℉. Then, grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. You can do this with butter or baking spray. You may also want to place parchment paper on the bottom before spraying to make extra sure that your cakes will come out clean.
Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. You can use a whisk to mix together the dry ingredients or you can use a sifter.
Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients, and add your eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
Beat the ingredients on high speed for 2 minutes. Use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure that everything is incorporated. I have found that a silicone spatula works best for this.
Your batter will be thin, but that’s ok! That’s how it should be.
Pour an equal amount of batter into your two baking pans. Take your pans and drop them on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. This will also ensure that your cakes bake up evenly.
BAKING THE CAKES
Bake your cakes for 32-36 minutes. Then, allow the cakes to cool.
Do the toothpick test before removing them from the oven. Stick a toothpick in the center of each cake. If it comes out clean, then the cake is ready.
FROSTING THE CAKE
Once the cakes have cooled, prepare the frosting with the neon green food coloring and frost the top of one of the cakes.
An offset spatula works great for frosting layer cakes. If you’ve never seen or used one, this is what they look like.
Layer the second cake on top of the first.
Then frost the outside of the entire cake and add some fun Halloween sprinkles.
You can find Halloween sprinkles in most stores during the fall months. Can’t find any? Make your own using orange, white, black and purple jimmies!
CAN I USE INSTANT COFFEE IN THIS RECIPE?
Absolutely! You only need 1 cup of coffee so why waste a whole pot? To use instant coffee, make sure you make a strong cup and follow the directions on the container.
You can also use espresso powder. Use a teaspoon of espresso powder and 1 cup of water in place of the 1 cup of coffee. You can even use day old coffee or cold brew that you have sitting in the fridge.
WHAT CAN I SUBSTITUTE FOR BUTTERMILK?
If you don’t have buttermilk or just want a substitute, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup. Then, add milk to the 1-cup line and stir.
Feel free to use either bottled or fresh-squeezed lemon juice.
HOW SHOULD I STORE CHOCOLATE CAKE?
You can store your frosted black magic cake at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerate your cake in a covered container if you’d like it to last longer. It can keep in the fridge for 5-7 days.
CAN I FREEZE CHOCOLATE CAKE?
Absolutely! In fact, I find the flavor to be even better after the freezing and thawing process. However, I would recommend freezing the cake, unfrosted.
After the cake has cooled completely, cover it in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight freezer-proof container. Cakes are good in the freezer for up to 3 months.
LOOKING FOR MORE SPOOKY HALLOWEEN TREATS?
- Candy Corn Cupcakes
- Halloween Swirl Brownies
- Halloween Veggie Pizza
- Witch Cauldron Mug Cake
- Spooky Halloween Punch
- Easy Wicked Witch Cupcakes
- Halloween Pretzel Treats
Black Magic Cake
A spooky homemade chocolate cake with witchy green buttercream frosting and Halloween-themed sprinkles.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Neon green food coloring
- Buttercream frosting (homemade or store-bought)
- Halloween sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit.
- Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Make a well in the center.
- Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
- Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin.
- Pour into prepared pans.
- Bake for 32 to 36 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then remove cakes from pans and move them to a wire cooling rack.
- Once cooled, prepare frosting by mixing it with 6-8 drops of neon green food coloring.
- Fill and frost with buttercream frosting.
- Add sprinkles on top.
