You've never seen such an impressive cake before
When you think of classic cakes, golden-brown layers, light creams, and colorful fruit decorations probably come to mind. A completely black cake breaks with these expectations and immediately draws all eyes to it on the table.
- 180 g soft butter
- 180 g sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 eggs (size M)
- 220 g wheat flour (type 405)
- 30g black cocoa powder 🛒
- 20 g baking cocoa
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 TL Natron
- 1 TL Instant-Espressopulver
- 200 ml buttermilk
- 1 TL Vanilleextrakt 🛒
- black food coloring 🛒
- 250 g Mascarpone
- 300g cream cheese
- 80 g icing sugar
- 1 TL Vanilleextrakt 🛒
- 100g cherry jam
- 20 g dark chocolate
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F) using conventional oven settings (top and bottom heat). Grease a springform pan and lightly dust it with flour.
- Place the softened butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Beat everything until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the eggs one at a time. Wait until each egg is fully incorporated.
- Mix the wheat flour with black cocoa powder, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and instant espresso powder.
- Gradually stir the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately into the butter-egg mixture. Finally, add the vanilla extract and mix until a smooth batter is formed.
- Color the dough with food coloring until it is jet black. Then pour it into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake the cake for about 40-45 minutes. Check with a wooden skewer to see if it's baked through. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it and let it cool completely.
- Put the mascarpone and cream cheese in a bowl and briefly mix them together to form a smooth cream.
- Sift in the powdered sugar and stir it in together with the vanilla extract and additional black food coloring until a creamy, spreadable, dark mixture is formed.
- Cut the completely cooled cake in half horizontally twice, creating three layers.
- Place the bottom layer on a cake plate and spread about a third of the cream on it.
- Drop small dollops of cherry jam onto the cream and carefully smooth it into a thin layer.
- Place the second layer on top and repeat the layering with cream and cherry jam. Then place the last layer on top.
- Spread the remaining cream over the cake.
- Roughly chop the dark chocolate and spread it decoratively on the surface.
- Refrigerate the Black Velvet cake for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. Remove it about 15 minutes before serving.
When you think of classic cakes, golden-brown layers, light creams, and colorful fruit decorations probably come to mind. A completely black cake breaks with these expectations and immediately draws all eyes to it on the table. The deep black appearance not only looks incredibly elegant but also promises an intense taste experience. Anyone who loves dark chocolate will be absolutely thrilled with this cake.
Recipe for Black Velvet Cake
The term "velvet" originates from American baking traditions and is probably best known for the famous Red Velvet Cake. The word itself describes the texture of the cake perfectly. Unlike a dense sponge cake, a velvet cake is characterized by an extremely fine and delicate crumb. This unique structure often results from the interplay of acidic ingredients and leavening agents in the batter. The result is a wonderfully moist cake that practically melts in your mouth. In this version, we've swapped the classic red for a dramatic black.
Plenty of cocoa ensures an intense color and rich flavor. If you want a particularly dark result, it's best to use strongly defatted cocoa powder or special black cocoa. These bring with them robust roasted aromas. A little trick from the bakery further enhances the chocolate flavor: a little instant espresso powder in the batter greatly intensifies the cocoa notes. You don't have to worry that the cake will end up tasting like coffee. The espresso simply acts as a natural flavor enhancer for the chocolate and gives the batter more depth.
Such a rich cake base calls for a fresh counterpart. Between the dark layers lies a sumptuous cream made from mascarpone and cream cheese. The creamy mascarpone provides structure and body, while the cream cheese adds a touch of acidity that beautifully balances the rich chocolate notes. To prevent the cake from becoming too heavy, a fruity element is introduced. A layer of cherries brings a pleasant sweetness and additional freshness to the cake. The combination of dark chocolate, rich cream, and fruity cherries is reminiscent of a modern interpretation of Black Forest cherry cake.
To ensure your cake turns out perfectly, both visually and in terms of taste, there are a few simple rules to follow. Make sure all the ingredients for the cake batter are at room temperature. This allows the butter and eggs to combine into a smooth mixture that incorporates plenty of air, resulting in a beautifully light and airy cake base. Before assembling the cake, the baked layers must cool completely. If the cake is still slightly warm, the mascarpone cream will melt, and the layers will shift. It also helps to briefly chill the cake in the refrigerator after spreading the first layer of cream. This binds any loose crumbs, ensuring the final outer layer remains perfectly white. The striking color contrast when you slice the cake is definitely worth the extra effort.