I made my beloved black velvet cake recipe even easier for spooky gatherings with this sheet cake version that’s perfect for serving a crowd! It’s completely dye-free (aka ZERO food coloring!), and instead uses extra dark black cocoa powder to achieve the black color for the frosting and the cake. And since black cocoa powder is the main ingredient in Oreo cookie shells, this cake tastes like Oreos and is absolutely delicious. It’s also supremely moist, so easy to make, and fun to decorate!
Why You’ll Love this Black Velvet Sheet Cake
- Completely dye-free. Instead of using black food color gel, this recipe uses extra dark black cocoa powder to achieve the rich black color in the frosting and cake!
- Won’t turn anyone’s mouth black. Even though this entire cake is black, it won’t turn anyone’s mouth black or turn anything else crazy colors (iykyk!) because it doesn’t contain any dye.
- So easy to make. The black velvet cake is a one-bowl recipe that is extremely fail-proof, and the black frosting is simple and straightforward as well. There are no fancy techniques involved and the only thing you’ll need to account for is giving the frosting time to darken in color (it’s best made a day ahead to get the darkest black color).
- Tastes like Oreos. Since black cocoa powder is the main ingredient in Oreo cookie shells, this cake basically tastes like the cake version of an Oreo! So delicious and a total crowd pleaser.
- Fun and quick to decorate. Without any layers to fill and stack, this black velvet sheet cake ends up super quick to decorate. You can easily replicate the design pictured by frosting the cake with a rustic finish, adding a shell border, and placing googly eye sprinkles on top. Or, simply pile all the frosting on and call it a day.
- Ideal for a crowd. This cake can be sliced into 24 squares, or can serve even more people if you cut smaller pieces.
What Kind of Black Cocoa Powder Should I Use?
Black cocoa powder is basically an ultra-Dutched cocoa powder, meaning it’s been treated with an alkaline solution to reduce its acidity. Over the years I’ve discovered that not all black cocoa powders are created equal! The amount of alkalization varies between brands, which can affect both the color and the way black cocoa performs in baked goods.
For this Black Velvet Sheet Cake recipe, I recommend using a black cocoa powder that is moderately alkalized. More heavily alkalized black cocoas tend to produce a deeper black color, but they can behave differently in cake recipes when used as a 1:1 substitute in this recipe. Here are my recommendations for best results:
- My Favorite Black Cocoa Powder for the CAKE LAYERS: OliveNation Jet Black Cocoa Powder or another moderately alkalized black cocoa powder.
- My Favorite Black Cocoa Powder for the FROSTING: The Cocoa Trader Black Cocoa Powder. It’s the darkest black cocoa powder on the market and makes a beautifully black frosting without needing any black food coloring.
- If You Only Want to Purchase ONE Black Cocoa Powder (Understandable!), Either:
- Use The Cocoa Trader for the frosting and cake layers, but for the cake layers you’ll need to reduce the amount and add a little Dutch-processed or regular cocoa powder to make up the difference — just see the substitution note in the recipe card below, OR
- Use OliveNation (or another moderately Dutched black cocoa powder) for the cake layers and frosting, but add a little squirt of black food coloring to the frosting to make it dark black.
How to Make Black Velvet Sheet Cake
This black velvet cake batter comes together in one bowl and you can choose to whisk the whole thing by hand or use an electric mixer. Here’s how to make it:
Mix Together All the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and black cocoa powder.
Add Most of the Wet Ingredients
To the dry ingredients, add the eggs, oil, vanilla, and buttermilk (or whole milk mixed with vinegar). Mix together until it resembles thick brownie batter.
Add the Hot Coffee (or Hot Water)
Add the hot liquid (coffee or water) and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.
Bake in a 9×13 Pan
Pour the black velvet cake batter into a well-greased 9×13 metal baking pan. Bake at 325ºF for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool and Decorate
Once the cake is baked, cool until it’s completely room temperature. Then, frost and decorate with the black frosting. To create the look pictured, frost a rustic buttercream finish with about ⅔ of the black buttercream, then add the rest into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B. Pipe a shell border around the edges, then strategically place googly eye sprinkles on the cake.
Recipe FAQs
- Can I find black cocoa powder at the grocery store? I haven’t been able to find black cocoa powder at any local grocery store, but you can certainly try. I like to use this specific brand to get the darkest black color in the frosting and cake.
- What happens if I use other brands of black cocoa powder or regular cocoa powder? This recipe turns out a super rich black color because I use this extra dark black cocoa powder. Other brands of black cocoa powder will likely turn the cake nearly black and frosting super dark brown. Regular cocoa powder will yield a regular chocolate cake recipe with brown cake and brown frosting.
- How tall is the sheet cake layer? The cake layer ends up about 1.5 inches tall, and with frosting on top it ends up about 2 inches tall.
- What if I want to make two sheet cake layers with frosting in between? Double both the cake and the frosting recipes. I recommend baking the sheet cake in two separate 9×13 pans, or bake one layer at a time.
- Can I remove the sheet cake from the pan to decorate it? Yes! The easiest way to do this is to line the baking pan with parchment paper and leave a slight overhang. This way, you can easily lift the cake layer out of the pan once it’s baked and slightly cooled.
- Can I make this black velvet cake vegan? I have a recipe for vegan black velvet cake here!
- Can I make this recipe a layer cake or cupcakes? I have dedicated recipes for black velvet layer cake, black velvet cupcakes, and even a small batch black velvet cake.
More Sheet Cake Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re into making sheet cakes, here are some other recipes from my blog to add to your baking list:
- The Best Vanilla Sheet Cake
- Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Red Velvet Sheet Cake
- Spiced Apple Sheet Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Funfetti Sheet Cake
I hope you love this black velvet sheet cake recipe as much as I do! Let me know if you make it in the comments below (be sure to leave a star rating!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me if you post a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Black Velvet Sheet Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Black Velvet Sheet Cake
- 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
- 1 2/3 Cups (340g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 Cup (80g) black cocoa powder* see notes
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 Cup (240ml) full-fat buttermilk*, room temperature DIY recipe in notes
- 1 Cup (240ml) hot coffee or hot water
Dye-Free Black Buttercream
- 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 3/4 Cups (450g) powdered sugar
- 3/4 Cup (84g) extra-dark black cocoa powder* Use The Cocoa Trader brand for best results here
- 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Garnish (optional)
Instructions
Make the Black Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (163ºC)and prepare a 9×13 metal baking pan by spraying the sides and bottom with baking spray. Or if you plan on removing the cake from the pan after baking, I recommend spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang for easy release.
- Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low until just combined. With the mixer still on low speed, add the hot coffee (or hot water) in a slow stream, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Make the Black Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, then add half of the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until just incorporated, then add the rest of the powdered sugar. With the mixer still in the off position, sift in the black cocoa powder and add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix on low until all ingredients are thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
- The buttercream will look dark brown at this point, but the color will darken significantly over the next several hours. See the recipe notes for storage instructions if you're not planning on frosting the cake the same day.
Assembly
- Once the black velvet sheet cake is cooled completely, frost with the black buttercream. To create the look pictured, use 2/3 of the black buttercream to frost the cake surface with rustic texture. Add the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B and pipe a shell border around the edges of the cake. Garnish with googly eye sprinkles.
Notes
- The Black Velvet Sheet Cake can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, in the pan covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can remove the sheet cake from the pan, cover well with plastic wrap, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing to room temperature.
- The Black Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and rewhip with your stand mixer to bring back to frosting consistency.
The dye-free angle is brilliant — black gel coloring stains everything, so I’m really glad to hear the black cocoa keeps mouths clean too. Quick question: since the frosting needs several hours to darken to its deepest black, would it work to frost the cake with a day-ahead batch and use a freshly-made batch for the piped shell border, or would the two shades clash noticeably? The googly eyes are such a fun touch — this is going on my Halloween shortlist.
Hi there! So excited for you to try this cake! There are a few things you can do about the frosting: 1) Use an immersion blender if you have one to darken the frosting, which takes about 5 minutes, or 2) Make the frosting and leave it out on the counter overnight before remixing on low speed to bring it back to smooth frosting consistency, then frost and decorate the cake, or 3) frost and decorate the cake with the frosting right after you make it, and know that it will darken significantly over the next several hours. Hope that helps!