Whenever I share this black velvet cake recipe I get so excited to say that the cake layers don’t have any food coloring in them. The black cocoa powder turns those layers extra black in the baking process and the result is so striking! I originally paired it with this black buttercream recipe that uses minimal food coloring but I got to wondering if there was a way to make the entire cake dye-free, frosting and all. Well, that wondering turned into a straight up obsession and I tested tons of techniques and ingredients to finally find the perfect dye-free black buttercream recipe. Turns out it’s easier and less complicated than I thought!
One Reader, Erica, says: “This buttercream is FLAWLESS. I have made it three times and it’s always perfect consistency and BLACK BLACK every time. And as promised, doesn’t turn people’s teeth black, which is always appreciated.” ★★★★★
Why You’ll Love this Black Buttercream
- It DOESN’T turn your mouth black (or anything else 💩).
- It uses ZERO food color gel
- There’s NO charcoal involved
- It’s super EASY to make
- It tastes like OREO COOKIE BUTTER
Since I’m such a big fan of Oreos, I enjoyed quite a few spoonfuls and kept checking my mouth to see if my tongue would turn black but guess what? It didn’t! If you’ve been looking for a natural way to make dark black buttercream, this is it.
The Secret Ingredient for Dye-Free Black Buttercream
To get the blackest black buttercream naturally, you’ll need one special ingredient: EXTRA DARK black cocoa powder. During all of my recipe testing and experiments, I realized that not all black cocoa powders will get your frosting as dark as this kind. Just look at the difference between the brands below:
All black cocoa powder is essentially raw cacao powder that’s been Dutch-processed, or treated with an alkaline solution to reduce its acidity. The result of that chemical reaction is a darker colored cocoa powder and richer chocolate flavor. It’s what Oreo cookie shells are made with, so that’s the main note you get when you bake with black cocoa powder.
The Experiments
I was thoroughly obsessed with finding the perfect recipe for this black buttercream. So much that I went lots of directions with it. After realizing that black cocoa gets darker when heated or cooked, I understood why my cake layers got so dark without food coloring. So I tried lots of experiments with heat: blooming the black cocoa powder in melted butter, making an Ermine frosting with it, and cooking it into an inky black syrup with sugar and water (like this Sugarologie method), to name just a few. These experiments either resulted in a super dark brown buttercream or just didn’t have the right consistency in the end.
I wanted to come up with a recipe that was straightforward and easy enough for anyone to make, and it wasn’t until I started researching different brands of black cocoa powder that I found this extra dark version. It is a game changer. It’s so much darker in color than any of the other brands I’ve tried, so I was able to sift it into my favorite buttercream recipe and the results were perfect. No cooking, no complicated steps, just a super straightforward method and the right product.
It’s ready to use right away but look at how much darker it gets after 24 hours:
My New Favorite Black Buttercream Recipe
After seeing that I can make black buttercream without dye, it’s all I want to do going forward. I love not worrying about it coloring the teeth and tongues of party guests or hearing stories about startling bathroom experiences afterwards (iykyk). Plus, it’s silky smooth and tastes just like Oreo cookie butter so I was legitimately eating it by the spoonful! It pairs perfectly with my black velvet cake recipe or any cake that would pair well with dark chocolate frosting. Here’s a quick video I whipped up to show you how it’s made:
If you want more videos like this one, you’ll find more on my YouTube page! Be sure to hit the Subscribe button while you’re there so you never miss a new one.
Dye-Free Black Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 Cups (300g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 Cup (56g) extra dark black cocoa powder*
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about 4 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.
- Place the buttercream in an airtight container and allow the color to deepen for 24 hours or more. You can keep it at room temperature for one day or store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you're ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed until the consistency is smooth.
Notes
- Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
- Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.
Did you make this dye-free black buttercream? I want to know what you paired it with and what you think! Let me know in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!
Hello, I made a double batch of this frosting as I needed extra for decorating. However, I think because I added a 1 cup of the black cocoa powder the flavor was too rich for my taste. What can I do to reduce the strong cocoa powder flavor? Should I add more vanilla extract?
Hi Alicia! You can add more vanilla extract and salt to balance out the flavor. I’d start with an extra 1/2 tsp of vanilla and a small pinch of salt and go from there. Hope that helps!
Have you ever made this without the milk, or used water instead of milk? I assume the liquid is to loosen it up a bit. I usually use a little hot water to do this in my regular buttercream. I’ll probably try it regardless but want to know ahead of time if I’m going to ruin it haha
Hi Donna! I’ve never tried this recipe with water as the liquid. The fat in the milk helps the overall consistency be more rich and velvety, so that’s what I would recommend.
Love your recipes, but do you have you a black whipped cream frosting recipe? And one using freeze dried fruit? The butter cream way to sweet for me.
Used this recipe to make a sushi themed cake. Didn’t want to use black dye because it would stain everything. This was PERFECT!!! Very delicious! Tasted like Oreos. Highly recommend!
Yay, Nina! I’m so happy you loved this recipe and a sushi themed cake sounds SO CUTE! If you post a photo on Instagram tag @sugarandsparrowco so I can see!
Do you think this would work with pre-made vanilla buttercream as the base? i need to ice 25 cupcakes im not sure how much i should make or use for the black cocoa as your recipe calls for 1/2 cup – Thank you!
Hi Katie! How much pre-made buttercream do you have? This recipe makes about 2.5 Cups of buttercream, so if it’s around that much I would just add 1/2 Cup of the black cocoa powder. Hope that helps!
I made this icing using Unpretentious Baker Black Cocoa powder and it turned out perfectly black after sitting for 24 hours just like the recipe states! Cannot believe how delicious it is and it is such a relief knowing it won’t stain counters clothing or teeth. Used it to pipe all the black parts for a homemade strawberry flavored Minnie Mouse cake and it is a slam dunk combo! Will never make another black icing recipe. Just flawless!
Yay, Jess! I’m so happy you loved this recipe and it’s so great to know that the Unpretentious Baker brand works just as well!
Hi Whitney! Do you think using an immersion blender could speed up the darkening process of the buttercream? I’d love to try it, but I’m worried about ruining the texture Sometimes waiting 24 hours isn’t an option. Thanks!
Hi Haydee! It would totally work to use an immersion blender with this. I’d recommend blooming up a little bit of the buttercream (microwave it in 5 second increments until melted but not hot), then adding it into the rest of the buttercream and using the immersion blender to blend it all together. Hope that helps!
This buttercream is FLAWLESS. I have made it three times and it’s always perfect. I sub 1/2 shortening for the butter so it’s even more stable, and it literally is perfect consistency and BLACK BLACK every time. And as promised, doesn’t turn people’s teeth black, which is always appreciated. 🙂
Hi, why does my buttercream doesn’t turn black and is just a grayish color?
Hi Melissa! It is usually a greyish brown right after making it and should darken after 24 hours.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will be making a galaxy wedding cake. the bride wants one Black Forest tier and one carrot cake tier. I’m wondering how the chocolate in this recipe will go with carrot cake. Is the chocolate flavor very pronounced?
Hi Karen! What a fun wedding cake design! This frosting tastes just like Oreos. That said, I think it will still go well with carrot cake as an outer frosting. You could fill and stack the carrot cake with a different frosting (cream cheese, vanilla, brown butter, etc) and then do the outer frosting with this black buttercream. Hope that helps!
5 Star Recipe
This black buttercream is AMAZING!!! Easy to make and does not disappoint. Thank you for sharing!
Yay, Sha Sha! So happy to hear that you loved this recipe!
Hello! I only need a small amount of black frosting to make a cow print on a cake. Do you think I could make this buttercream and leave it white to frost and fill the cake and then add in the cocoa powder to the leftovers to make the black cow spots? not sure if I would need to alter milk or sugar ratios if I’m leaving out the cocoa until the very end!
Hi Karina! Yes, you can absolutely use the white buttercream for the base of the cake and then tint a small amount with black cocoa powder until you reach the desired shade. That sounds fun!
Hi!
I was thinking of using this recipe to decorate my son’s birthday cake. It’ll be a galaxy theme so my question is: does this buttercream crust like a normal ABC does? I need to be able to paint the galaxy design on the surface with a sponge and a paint brush, delicately of course!
Thanks!
Hi Steph! Yes, this buttercream crusts like normal ABC. It will work great as a painting surface!