Vegan Black Velvet Cake
The perfect plant-based Halloween cake, made without a single drop of food coloring! This vegan black velvet cake is moist and fudgy, features naturally colored black cake layers and black buttercream, and it tastes like the cake version of Oreo cookies.
Servings 15 slices
Ingredients
Vegan Black Velvet Cake
- 2 Cups (265g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup (60g) black cocoa powder*
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 Cup (130g) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Cup (240ml) soy milk, room temperature or any non-dairy milk
- 3/4 Cups (180ml) hot coffee or hot water
Vegan Black Buttercream
- 2 Cups (453g) unsalted vegan butter, room temperature any brand of vegan butter sticks (not the spread)
- 5 Cups (600g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 Cup (60ml) non-dairy milk, room temperature I like soy or coconut
- 1 Cup (112g) black cocoa powder
Instructions
Make the Vegan Black Velvet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and fitting the bottoms with a parchment cake circle.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the vegetable oil, applesauce, vanilla, vinegar, and soy milk. Whisk together until combined, then carefully whisk in the hot coffee (or hot water). The batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
Make the Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the vegan butter sticks 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, vanilla, and non-dairy milk. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
- If you're planning on making the ghost design pictured, reserve about 1/4 Cup of the buttercream at this point and set it aside. Then, with the mixer still in the off position, sift the black cocoa powder into the main batch of buttercream. Mix on low speed until fully combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Note that the buttercream will darken in color over the next 24 hours.
Assembly
- Once the cake layers have cooled completely, level them to your desired height. Fill and stack the layers with the black buttercream, then crumb coat the cake with more black buttercream. Refrigerate the crumb coated cake for 20-30 minutes to let the frosting firm up. Then, decorate the cake with the rest of the buttercream.
- To create the design pictured, use the black buttercream to create a smooth finish on the cake, then refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. When the frosting finish is firm to the touch, use a small icing spatula to swipe the reserved white buttercream onto the cake to look like ghosts. Place about 2 Tablespoons of the black buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 2, then use it to pipe eyes and a mouth on each ghost. Add the rest of the black buttercream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B and pipe shell borders on the top and bottom edges of the cake.
Notes
*Black Cocoa Powder: It’s important to use the darkest black cocoa powder possible to achieve a black color. Here’s the brand I used in this recipe. You can technically use any Dutch-process cocoa powder, but the color of the cake and buttercream won't be black in color unless you add a few drops of black food color gel (which is an option if you don't mind dye).
Make Ahead Tips:
- The vegan black velvet cake layers can be made ahead and stored at room temperature, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for up to two days. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months before thawing to room temperature.
- The buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two 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.