Description
Black Cat Cake brings Halloween magic right to your dessert table with a playful chocolate treat that’s purr-fect for spooky celebrations. Dark chocolate layers decorated to look like an adorable feline create a festive dessert your friends and family will absolutely adore.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cake Wet Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting Ingredients:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- Black gel food coloring
Instructions
- Heat your oven to precisely 350°F (175°C). Coat two 9-inch round pans with butter or cooking spray, then line bottoms with parchment paper.
- Sift 1 ¾ cups flour, ¾ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt into a medium mixing bowl.
- Whisk 1 cup granulated sugar and ½ cup brown sugar with 2 room temperature eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Pour ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup buttermilk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into the sugar mixture. Blend until smooth.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Stop mixing when no flour streaks remain.
- Divide batter equally between prepared pans, smoothing tops with a spatula to create even layers.
- Bake at 350°F for 32-35 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick – it should emerge clean with no wet batter.
- Remove cakes and let rest in pans for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling racks for complete cooling, approximately 1 hour.
- Blend 8 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup softened butter, and black gel food coloring for frosting.
- Apply frosting between cake layers and around entire exterior, creating a sleek black cat-inspired design.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth batter and even cake texture.
- Sift cocoa powder and flour together to prevent lumps and create a more delicate crumb.
- Check cake doneness early to avoid overbaking, which can make the cake dry and dense.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend and add xanthan gum for better structure.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 319 kcal
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 174 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg