Rainbow Velvet Cakes – Black

This Black velvet Halloween cake is a gothy two layer rich chocolate cake with a moist, velvety texture. It’s filled with sweet blackberry compote, and frosted with black cocoa buttercream. Fresh blackberries, and decadent chocolate skulls top this luscious cake, making it perfectly balanced, and incredibly over the top.

Ingredients:
Black Velvet Cake:
2 cups White granulated sugar
2 cups All purpose flour, sifted
¾ cup Black cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs, room temperature
1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup Coffee hot
½ cup Canola oil
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Blackberry Compote Filling:
2 cups Fresh blackberries
2 tablespoon White granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Lemon zest
1 Cinnamon stick
¼ cup Water
1 tablespoon Cornstarch

Black Cocoa Frosting:
8 oz Cream cheese, softened
½ cup Unsalted butter, softened
3 cups Powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup Black cocoa powder, sifted
¼ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Decorations:
Chocolate skulls, optional
Fresh blackberries
Dried rose petals

INSTRUCTIONS
Black Velvet Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Then, spray two-8 inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and the sides with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together flour, black cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix until completely combined. Lastly, mix in the hot coffee. Divide the batter evenly into the two cake pans. Bake the cakes for 30 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Once the cakes come out of the oven, let them cool completely before removing them from the pans.

Blackberry Compote:
Place the blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick and lemon zest inside a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5-6 minutes. Then, stir water and cornstarch together. Add to blackberries and cook until thickened. Remove cinnamon stick and pour into a small bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Black Cocoa Frosting:
Inside a bowl, add softened cream cheese and butter. Sift powdered sugar, black cocoa powder, and salt. Then, use a hand mixer to beat the ingredients together until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Next, add vanilla and mix one more time to combine.

Assembly:
Remove the cooled cakes from the pan. Use a cake leveler or serrated knife to level them if needed.
Spread a small amount of frosting onto your cake plate. Place the first layer of cake down. Pipe a circle of frosting just inside the outer edge of your layer to form a “dam” to keep the filling inside. Then, spread an even layer of the blackberry compote inside.
Place the second layer of cake on top with the bottom of the cake facing up. This will give you a flat base when decorating.
Add frosting on the top of the cake and sides. Cover the cake with as little frosting as possible, but ensure that it’s covered. Once your cake is crumb coated, place it inside the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Frost the cake with the remaining frosting.
Top with chocolate skulls, fresh blackberries and crushed dried rose petals.

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