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black velvet cake with red icing

Black Velvet Cake with Red Icing

InsiderMama.com
This black velvet cake recipe features a rich, dark chocolate cake with a bold red icing, perfect for Halloween. The cake is made from scratch using simple ingredients, and the vibrant red icing adds a dramatic, spooky touch.
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Ingredients
  

Black Velvet Cake

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder use dark or black cocoa for a rich color
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • Black gel food coloring

Red Icing

  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Red gel food coloring use enough to achieve a bold, bright red

Instructions
 

Baking the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract.
  • Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture, stirring until well combined.
  • Slowly mix in the boiling water. The batter will be thin, but don’t worry — that’s how it should be.
  • Add black gel food coloring to the batter, mixing until you achieve a deep black color.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if the cakes are done (it should come out clean).
  • Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Making the Icing

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy.
  • Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed.
  • Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract, then increase the speed and beat for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • Slowly add red gel food coloring until you achieve the desired bright red shade.

Assembling the Cake

  • Place one of the black velvet cake layers on a serving plate or cake board.
  • Spread a generous layer of the red icing on top of the cake.
  • Place the second cake layer on top, pressing down lightly to secure it.
  • Use the remaining red icing to frost the top and sides of the entire cake.