Black Magic Cake

5 from 4 votes

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 Time20

Cook Time35

Cool Time1

Total Time1 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Black Magic Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 567kcal

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