This soft, velvety, and moist Gluten Free Black Velvet Cake tastes JUST LIKE an Oreo cookie and has no food dyes whatsoever. Spooky good!
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Ever since I made my gluten free chocolate sugar cookies with black cocoa, I've been wanting to try more recipes using the deep, dark cocoa that tastes like an Oreo cookie. It's amazing to me that they can get this cocoa so black without a drop of any kind of food dyes.
This black velvet cake basically has the same taste as an Oreo cookie, but with a moist, fluffy, and velvety texture. While you can fill it with the same black buttercream as on the outside, I love filling it with a creamy, dreamy white marshmallow cream filling. The combination takes me directly back to biting into a double stuff Oreo.
What is black cocoa powder?
Black cocoa powder is cocoa powder resulting from when the cacao beans are treated with a highly alkalizing solution to remove all of the acidic qualities of the chocolate. It has a milder chocolate flavor and is THE flavor of an Oreo. So if you've ever had an Oreo in your life (who hasn't?), you've had black cocoa and already know the flavor.
Ingredients you'll need
The cake
- Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend - you may be able to use a store bought gluten free flour blend, but please note that this cake has only been tested with my own recipe.
- Black cocoa - this recipe can actually be made with a dark cocoa, but you won't get quite the same flavor profile.
- Buttermilk - shoot for whole-fat (whole milk) buttermilk as this will give you the best results.
- Neutral oil - this cake is oil based so any neutral oil can be used.
- Coffee - coffee has a way of bringing out the best in chocolate. I always use hot coffee in any of my chocolate cakes, but you can also sub this with just plain hot water.
The buttercream
- Butter - it's in the name, y'all. 'Nuff said.
- Black cocoa - in keeping with the theme of this black velvet cake, I'm using black cocoa in the buttercream as well. That said, you can substitute with a dark (Dutch processed) cocoa or even a natural cocoa powder, but you won't get the true "black" color without adding black food coloring (and a LOT of it).
- Coffee - again with the coffee theme because, see above.
Make the black velvet cake
- Step 1: Add flour blend, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar into a large bowl. Blend briefly to combine.
- Step 2: Add vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk, followed by slowly streaming in hot coffee (or water) and whisk until smooth.
- Step 3: Pour into prepared cake pans and bake at 350 F for 32-36 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with just a few small crumbs attached.
- Step 4: Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting
- Step 1: Combine softened butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until smooth.
- Step 2: Add hot coffee (or water) and vanilla to black cocoa.
- Step 3: Stir to make a thick paste; let cool until room temperature.
- Step 4: Add to butter and powdered sugar and beat on medium high until light and fluffy.
How to decorate for Halloween
- Step 1: Stack and fill cakes as desired (I chose to fill with a marshmallow buttercream, the recipe for which is in the recipe card below) or you can fill the layers with the black buttercream.
- Step 2: Put a crumb coat of the black buttercream on top, let chill, and them add the final coat and smooth the sides. Chill until firm.
- Step 3: Melt marshmallows in microwave and let cool just slightly.
- Step 4: Dip thumb, index, and middle finger of both hands in marshmallow and stretch across and down the sides of the cake to create spiderwebs.
Black velvet cake FAQs
Black cocoa powder is treated with a highly alkalizing solution to remove all of the acidic qualities of the chocolate. It has a milder chocolate flavor.
Yes, by substituting the buttermilk with a dairy-free "buttermilk." Simply whisk 1 ½ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar into ½ cup of dairy-free milk (almond, soy, oat, etc) and let sit for 5 minutes.
If you've ever had an Oreo cookie (who hasn't?!?!), you know the flavor of black cocoa powder. This cake is like an Oreo cookie in cake form!
More gluten free Halloween ideas
- White chocolate popcorn mix - perfect for leftover trick-or-treat candy or to serve at Halloween parties.
- Gluten free skeleton gingerbread men - great to send with kids for school parties. Kids love 'em!
- Easy homemade caramel apples - the BEST caramel apples you'll ever have in your life (seriously!). These aren't just a family favorite. I used to make hundreds at a time and sell them and people would fight over them.
- Gluten free hi hat cupcakes
- Homemade marshmallows (naturally gluten free)
For a spooktacular Halloween, try this Gluten Free Black Velvet Cake Recipe. Without a single drop of food dye, you can enjoy a deep, dark, chocolate cake without worrying about your mouth turning black!
Gluten Free Black Velvet Cake Recipe (No Food Dyes)
Ingredients
Cake
- 1¾ cups (245g) Kim's gluten free all purpose flour blend (a store bought blend may work, but has not been tested)
- 1⅔ cups (340g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (80g) black cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (120g) vegetable oil (or any neutral oil)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240g) whole fat buttermilk, at room temperature (1 cup dairy-free milk plus 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar whisked together and left to sit for 5 minutes may be substituted)
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon (270g) very hot coffee or water (coffee really brings out the chocolate flavor)
Black buttercream
- 1½ cups (340g) butter, at room temperature (a dairy-free butter or shortening may be substituted)
- 2¾ cups (340g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (56g) black cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60g) hot coffee
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Marshmallow filling (optional)
- 5 oz (142) marshmallow cream or fluff
- ¾ cup (94g) powdered sugar
- 6 tbsp (85g) butter, softened (a dairy-free butter may be substituted)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Decoration (optional)
- 25-30 mini marshmallows (or 2-3 large ones)
Instructions
Make cake layers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 6-inch round cake pans (or two 8-inch round cake pans) by coating the bottom and sides with butter or cooking spray and placing a parchment circle in the bottom; set aside.
- Place all the dry ingredients (including the sugar) in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low for about 30 seconds. Add the oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk and mix on low just until fully combined. Either with the mixer running on low or by hand with a whisk, slowly add the hot coffee (or water) in a steady stream. Once all the coffee has been incorporated, vigorously whisk for about 30 seconds. Batter will be quite thin.
- Pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 32-36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a very small amount of crumbs attached.
- Cool in the pans for 5 minutes and then flip out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Make buttercream
- In a small bowl, pour the hot coffee and vanilla into the black cocoa and whisk until smooth. This is called blooming the cocoa and creates a smoother buttercream. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, add the butter and mix on medium until the butter is smooth and light, about 30 seconds.
- Add the powdered sugar on low until fully combined. Add the cooled bloomed cocoa and mix until no white remains. Increase the speed to medium high and beat for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. The color at this point may seem like a dark grey, but it will darken to black after about 24 hours.
Make marshmallow filling (optional)
- You can always fill the cake with the same black buttercream, but I like to add a contrasting flavor and texture in between the layers. Adding this in between the layers reminds me of a complete Oreo cookie experience in cake form.
- Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
Assemble cake
- Place a cake layer on a cardboard round that is equal to the size of the pans you used. I like to smear about a teaspoon of buttercream on top first before putting the first cake layer on it.
- Spread about ½ cup (120g) of marshmallow filling (or black buttercream) all over the top of the first layer and smooth to the edges. Repeat with the remaining layers. Chill until firm, if necessary.
- Add a crumb coat of the black buttercream around the outside and on top of the cake and refrigerate until firm.
- Add a final coat of buttercream on top.
- To make marshmallow spiderweb design, melt marshmallows in the microwave for about 20 seconds and stir. Let cool just long enough so it won't burn your fingers and using both hands, grab a small amount (about a teaspoon or two) of the melted marshmallow between the thumb, index, and middle fingers of both hands and, positioning your hands over the cake, pull apart your hands until the marshmallow stretches across the cake. Wrap it around and let it adhere to the sides of the cake before breaking off. Repeat this until the desired affect is reached.
Notes
Adapted from Sugar & Sparrow's Spooky Black Velvet Cake Recipe
Ashley says
This recipe should be ok to make cupcakes with right? Thinking the marshmallow in the middle and then icing on top? Wanted to make for daughter and friends Halloween
Ashley says
Or maybe not marshmallow in the middle, I forgot you put it on top like a web lol🤦♀️
Kim says
I'm so sorry I didn't see this until now. I usually try to answer all questions once a week. I hope you were able to experiment and make it into cupcakes? I would think it would work just fine as cupcakes, albeit changing the baking time of course.