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The Best Black Magic Cake

October 6, 2014 by Mirlandra 19 Comments

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This Black Magic Cake is rich and chocolaty with velvety chocolate buttercream frosting. When it comes to chocolate cake this one is king.

A beautiful black magic cake sits on a clear cake stand. There is one slice out of the cake on a white plate in front. The top of the cake has a few white zinnias on it.

I needed a cake fix this week so I baked an entire cake for two people. This was a very bad idea. Thankfully I came to my senses and cut one slice for me and one slice for Jonathan. The rest I sent off to the nurses who work the night shift at our downtown hospital. This morning when I saw the empty cake plate there was one brief moment of sadness when I contemplated the chocolate cake that could have been my breakfast. Seriously, it was a close call. Thankfully I sent the cake off last night and I had a healthy breakfast this morning!

Black Magic Cake – An Epic Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Buttercream

I really love a good chocolate cake. There is something about rich, fluffy layers of delicious cake slathered in decadent butter cream that starts my engine. This Black Magic Cake is a solid hit out of the park. It is also the perfect October cake with Halloween around the corner!

The recipe is a family treasure, given to me by my friend Sky A. Historically the inspiration for this recipe may have originated with Betty Crocker or Hershey’s depending on who you ask. Wherever it came from, it has earned a solid place in the chocolate cake fan club.

The first time I read this recipe I was dubious about the coffee. It turns out you can’t taste any coffee in the cake but it brings out the chocolate flavor powerfully. I guess the coffee must be the magic in the cake. I updated the frosting with some almond extract to relieve the chocolate on chocolate intensity. The bottom line is that this cake is pretty darn amazing. It has become one of my staple recipes and I hope you will enjoy every single bite as much as I do!

How to Get Cake to Rise Flat

I use a good quality cake pan and then I wrap my cake pans cake strips! This method helps insulate the outside of the batter so that the outside and inside cook at the same time. The cake comes out more moist, even and without any hill on top! You can get the full tutorial How to Bake a Flat Cake Every Time here.

More Chocolate Cakes to Love

  • Best Chocolate Cake With Vanilla Buttercream
  • Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Vanilla Mousse Filling 
  • Better Than Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix
  • Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes
  • Wacky Cake (Depression Cake – No Milk or Eggs)
A beautiful black magic cake sits on a clear cake stand. There is one slice out of the cake on a white plate in front. The top of the cake has a few white zinnias on it.
Print Pin
3.77 from 13 votes

Black Magic Cake

This Black Magic Cake is rich and chocolaty with velvety chocolate buttercream frosting. When it comes to chocolate cake this one is king.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword chocolate cake, best chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream, black magic cake, easy chocolate cake, layer cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 795kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup coffee cooled to room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

  • 1 cup salted butter softened
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 oz heavy whipping cream I prefer 40% fat
  • 1-2 Tablespoon almond extract

Instructions

A great cake is baked in such a way that it rises flat and doesn't need to be leveled! The sides and bottom will be more tender and the entire cake is taller and more fluffy. See the full tutorial here.

    For The Cake

    • Preheat your oven to 350 F.
    • Line two, 9" round cake pans with parchment paper. Butter the sides of the pan and use a smear of butter to tack the parchment to the bottom of the pans.
    • In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients. If your baking cocoa is lumpy, put it through a sieve before adding it. Stir until dry ingredients are mixed.
    • In a second mixing bowl combine all the wet ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and mix until smooth. The batter will be runny.
    • Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes. Be careful not to check the cake before 30 minutes. Use the oven light to see how the cake is doing. When you observe it pulling away from the sides it is time to check it. The cake should spring back to the touch.
    • Cool and remove from pans.

    For The Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

    • In a stand mixer beat together everything except the chocolate.
    • Melt the chocolate in a microwave 15-20 seconds at a time, stirring in-between. When the chocolate is melted with no lumps remaining, add to the frosting and beat until fluffy and light.
    • Frost the first layer of cake, then stack the second layer on top and cover with frosting.
    • Serve with vanilla or amaretto ice cream for the perfect dessert.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Black Magic Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 795 Calories from Fat 315
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 35g54%
    Saturated Fat 23g115%
    Cholesterol 81mg27%
    Sodium 578mg24%
    Potassium 285mg8%
    Carbohydrates 120g40%
    Fiber 3g12%
    Sugar 99g110%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 657IU13%
    Calcium 73mg7%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    PIN FOR LATER

    black magic cake promo image

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jean

      October 08, 2014 at 9:16 am

      This cake was delicious! I could have sworn it was made with a can of Dr. Pepper. It had a very “cherry” taste to it. Must have been the coffee! The night shift nurses were thrilled to share your leftovers! Thanks for thinking of us!

      Reply
      • Mirlandra

        October 08, 2014 at 9:18 am

        Thanks! The “cherry” flavor comes from the almond extract in the frosting. Sometimes I do use a flavored cherry-chocolate coffee for the cake but this time I just used normal beans.

        Reply
    2. Connie

      April 03, 2015 at 8:08 am

      I’ve been making this cake for over 40 years. I can say definitely it is from Hershey’s Cocoa. Used to be on the back of the cocoa can in the 70’s. This has been many a birthday cake in our house over the years, usually turned into a Black Forest Cake. My son calls it Mom’s Kick A– Chocolate Cake.

      Reply
      • Mirlandra

        April 03, 2015 at 12:35 pm

        Thank you for sharing, Connie! I love the history and stories behind favorite family treats. This one has certainly become a new favorite of ours and I imagine will be the basis for many birthday cakes to come!

        Reply
    3. Mary Pittell

      April 05, 2015 at 9:59 am

      Haven’t tasted the cake yet, looks delicious. But I had an icing fail. Turned thick and fudge like, impossible to spread. Tasted good though. What happened?

      Reply
      • Mirlandra

        April 05, 2015 at 10:23 am

        Hi Mary, I’m really sorry to hear you had a problem. Cooking is science and something even as simple as the weather can change the results. It could be a measurement issue or the temperature of the butter? Thankfully icing is pretty flexible. When I have one get stiff I just add a few Tablespoons of cream and whip it up. I keep adding until I have something spreadable. In a pinch I will use milk too. I hope that helps rescue your cake in time! Good luck. If you have any further problems let me know 🙂

        Reply
    4. Jessica

      April 05, 2015 at 2:28 pm

      I love the frosting, but 2 tablespoons of almond extract is just a little too strong for me. It overpowers the chocolate. Next time I’m only going to use 1 tablespoon. But even with 2 tablespoons, I still can’t resist licking the bowl!

      Reply
      • Mirlandra

        April 06, 2015 at 5:06 pm

        Jessica, Thanks for that feedback! I think I have a smallish obsession with almond extract. I have updated the recipe to call for 1-2 Tbsp. of Almond Extract. Hopefully in the future people can try 1 and decide if they want to add more.

        Reply
    5. sandy

      October 03, 2015 at 8:36 pm

      I really don’t care for the taste of coffee,what can I use as a substitute?

      Reply
      • Mirlandra

        October 04, 2015 at 11:45 am

        Hi Sandy, I can’t tell there is coffee in this cake and I think you would be surprised to find that it really does just taste like rich chocolate. I was hesitant the first time because I did not want any coffee flavor and it was excellent. Nobody is ever able to tell me there is coffee in it. However, if you do want to make a substitution the bit concern would be to keep the liquid the same. I would simply use water in the place of coffee. Let me know what you think!

        Reply
    6. Amylaurie Terry

      December 30, 2015 at 12:46 pm

      Have a Question can you make this using splenda??

      Reply
      • Mirlandra

        January 01, 2016 at 12:05 pm

        I have not done so before so I can’t give you any experience on my end. If you want to try it I would just use the substitution directions on the back of the splenda bag. Good luck!

        Reply
      • Gigi

        August 29, 2017 at 1:38 pm

        Splenda is very easy to use as it is measured exactly the same as sugar p.o.

        Reply
        • Mirlandra

          September 01, 2017 at 7:45 am

          I didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing.

          Reply
          • Gigi

            September 01, 2017 at 6:36 pm

            Anytime. It measures the same as sugar so there’s no guess work.

            Reply
    7. Heather

      April 09, 2018 at 8:32 pm

      I do no plan on usin coffee at all in anything
      Especially a cake recipe. Hopefully the coffee
      Ingredient is optional. I think I will use hot water
      Instead. I do not like coffee at all neither do I keep
      any on hand.

      Reply
      • Mirlandra

        April 10, 2018 at 11:16 am

        You can certainly use hot water instead. Everybody has their own preferences and you should make it the way you like it! In this case the coffee is just to bring out the flavor of the chocolate – it enhances the flavor but you can’t tell there is coffee in the cake. But when you don’t have any on hand it is too much hassle to go pick some up. I’ve tried it with water and it is very good. Enjoy!

        Reply

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