January 8, 2024
Review RecipeBlack Magic Cake
This black magic cake is a chocolate lover’s dream—a luscious chocolate flavor in a spongy and soft two-layer cake covered in a smooth ganache frosting.
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This divine black magic cake is bursting with decadent and rich chocolate flavor and it is absolutely sublime and SO moist. The coffee undertones enhance the deep chocolate taste for a sinful treat you will want to make again and again.
Black Magic Cake Ingredients
You’ll need:
For The Cake:
- 1¾ cups of all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup buttermilk or milk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup of black coffee (or 2 shots of espresso with water added to make 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ cup of vegetable oil
For The Ganache:
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 12 ounces of dark chocolate chips
Substitutions And Additions
BUTTERMILK: You can make your own buttermilk using whole or 2% milk and lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. For every 1 cup of regular milk, stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
CAKE FROSTING: While this cake is traditionally iced with chocolate ganache frosting, you could choose your favorite frosting flavor to frost the cake. Vanilla frosting or even a cream cheese frosting would work well. Add a few drops of food coloring to a white frosting for a fun color if this cake is for a child’s birthday.
DRIED CHERRIES: Cherry is such a fantastic combination with chocolate. Add 1 cup of dried cherries to the cake batter for a hint of cherry in every bite.
How To Make This Black Magic Cake Recipe
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
STEP TWO: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
STEP THREE: Add the milk, eggs, coffee, vanilla extract, and oil into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Turn the electric mixer on to medium speed and beat for two minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through mixing.
STEP FOUR: Divide the batter between the two 8-inch round cake pans lined on the bottom with parchment paper and sprayed around the sides with non-stick cooking spray.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
Ideally, you should use shiny pans rather than dark pans for this recipe, as the dark pans can cause your chocolate cake to brown too early around the edges.
You can buy pre-cut parchment paper rounds to make lining the pans easier.
STEP FIVE: Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs.
PRO TIP:
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cake as the suggested baking time approaches.
STEP SIX: Cool the cakes for 10 to 15 minutes in their pans and then remove them from the pans to cool the rest of the way on wire racks.
STEP SEVEN: When the cake is cooled, prepare the ganache. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan or a microwave-safe container until steaming.
Pour the cream over the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Cover with a plate for two to three minutes to contain the heat and allow the chocolate chips to soften.
Whisk the melted chocolate until the mixture forms a smooth, glossy ganache.
STEP EIGHT: Level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife.
STEP NINE: Pour about ½ cup of the ganache over the top of one cake layer and spread just to the edges to form the filling.
PRO TIP:
Place the cake on a cooling rack over a baking sheet when pouring the ganache so that the drips are caught on the cookie sheet for easy cleanup.
STEP TEN: Stack the second cake layer, top-down, onto the ganache layer. Pour the extra ganache over the top of the cake.
STEP ELEVEN: Use an offset spatula to smooth the ganache down and around the sides.
For an extra smooth ganache, allow the ganache to cool for about 15 minutes and then smooth out with the offset spatula.
How To Serve
Serve this heavenly cake for dessert for a special occasion or for no reason at all.
Top your piece of cake with whipped cream and serve a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Chocolate cake is such an indulgent treat, and we have a few for you to test out.
Try our German chocolate cake or chocolate mayonnaise cake for an easy chocolate cake recipe.
MORE CAKE RECIPES
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Cover this black magic cake with chocolate ganache using plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
IN THE FREEZER: This rich cake freezes well for up to three months. Seal in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap before freezing.
Originally a Hershey’s cake recipe, this is the best chocolate cake recipe ever. The buttermilk gives the cake a moist texture every time, and the inclusion of coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate. Throw this black magic cake recipe together the next time you are looking for a delicious dessert to whip up.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What makes this dense chocolate cake so moist?
The buttermilk and oil make this black magic chocolate cake extra moist.
Can this chocolate cake be frozen?
You can freeze this moist chocolate cake for up to three months.
Can I use a bundt pan for this recipe?
You can use a bundt pan for this recipe; just increase the baking time to 50 to 55 minutes and make sure a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
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Black Magic Cake
This black magic cake is a chocolate lover’s dream—a luscious chocolate flavor in a spongy and soft two-layer cake covered in a smooth ganache frosting.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
Cake
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup black coffee or 2 shots of espresso with water added to make 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Ganache
- 12 ounces dark chocolate chips
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray the bottom and sides with non-stick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer.
- Add the milk, eggs, coffee, vanilla, and oil into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Turn the mixer on to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through mixing.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Cool the cakes for 10 to 15 minutes and then remove from pans to cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack.
- When the cake is cooled, prepare the ganache.
- Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan or a microwave-safe container until steaming. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Cover with a plate for 2 to 3 minutes to contain the heat and allow the chocolate chips to soften.
- Whisk until the mixture forms a smooth, glossy ganache.
- Level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife.
- Pour about ½ cup of the ganache over the top of one cake layer and spread just to the edges to form the filling. Stack the second cake layer, top-down, onto the ganache layer.
- Pour the extra ganache over the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to smooth the ganache down and around the sides. For the extra smooth ganache, allow the ganache to cool for about 15 minutes and then smooth out with the offset spatula.
Video
Notes
- Ideally, you should use shiny pans rather than dark pans for this recipe, as the dark pans can cause your chocolate cake to brown too early around the edges.
- You can buy pre-cut parchment paper rounds to make lining the round pans easier.
- Place the cake on a cooling rack over a baking sheet when pouring the ganache so that the drips are caught on the cookie sheet for easy cleanup.
- Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cake as the suggested baking time approaches.
Nutrition
Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 441mg | Potassium: 386mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 518IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 2mg
Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb
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Comments
Gloria says
So delicious!!!! Very rich and moist.
David Alexander says
Can this be made in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch cake pan? And what will the baking time be? Thank you.
Layne Kangas says
Hi, David – I haven’t tried it in a 9×13 so I’m not sure if it would work or what adjustments you might need to make!
doris says
I bake cakes that ask for 2 8 or 9 in round pans and bake it for 30 mins then check to see if done
Susan Gartin says
This has to be the best chocolate cake ever! I was a little concerned because the batter seemed so thin, no worries! After 6 days the crumbs in the 13×9 pan were still moist. I will never go back to any other chocolate cake recipe. Hubby asked for no frosting it’s so good!
Susan says
This is a really moist cake,
For a change I substitute the coffee for Orange Crush pop or Orange Fanta pop. Orange cream cheese butter icing with orange zest or marmalade is delicious.
Nancy F in NS Can. says
I absolutely love this site, thanks for all the amazing step by step recipes. I love to look at recipes and cook books and watch cooking shows but I do not bake often. I love how the directions are set up step by step with photos making it so easy to follow, and all the tips too. Thanks for all the work you do.