Servings
Font
Back
0 from 0 votes

Black Chocolate Skull Cake for Halloween

My Black Chocolate Skull Cake recipe is a spooky halloween dessert made with black cocoa and kahlua, with black mocha buttercream frosting. The perfect centerpiece for any Halloween celebration!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Cool Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 701 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup black cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa
  • ½ cup unsalted butter hot
  • ½ cup vegetable oil hot
  • ½ cup instant espresso hot
  • ½ cup coffee liqueur I used Kahlua
  • 2 cups all purpose flour sifted
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ cup full fat buttermilk room temperature
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 12 ounces white candy melts for decoration
  • shimmering sugar for decoration
Black Mocha Buttercream
  • ⅔ lb powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp black cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp instant espresso powder
  • a hearty pinch of kosher salt
  • ⅔ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

Make the Cake
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease your skull pan with magic cake goop or spray it with nonstick baking spray.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the espresso, Kahlua, melted butter, oil, and cocoa powder. The hot oil enhances the chocolate flavor, while the coffee adds depth. Let sit for 5 minutes to bloom the cocoa.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until well combined.
  4. Gradually whisk the chocolate-oil-coffee mixture into the dry ingredients. Then mix in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared skull pan (it will be liquidy!). Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake the cake for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For best results, use an instant-read thermometer; the cake should reach an internal temperature of 205-210°F.
  6. Remove the skull cake from the oven; allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the skull halves from the pans and transfer them to a wire rack, cooling completely face-side up.
Make the Buttercream
  1. Sift the sugar, cocoa, instant espresso powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  3. Gradually add the powdered sugar and the sifted dry ingredients, ⅓ at a time, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition.
  4. Add vanilla extract and drizzle in the cream while continuing to beat the mixture until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
Cake Decorating and Serving
  1. Once the cakes are cooled, cut any domed pieces in the back of the cake halves so you have two flat surfaces to press together.
  2. Smooth the buttercream onto the flat sides of the skull halves using an offset spatula or spoon.
  3. Sandwich the two halves together with the buttercream between them. Grab a skewer or two and stab them through the top of the head to keep it secure. You can stop and serve here with a sprinkle of powdered sugar for easy serving.
  4. Optional Decoration: Melt the white candy melts per product instructions, then smooth the melted candy over the skull, section by section. After you finish a section of the skull, cover the wet candy in white shimmering sugar. Continue until the entire skull is covered.
  5. To serve, remove the skewers and replace them with a long, thin knife that you'll use for slicing the cake.

Notes

  • You don't need to refrigerate any leftover cake! Our skull friend does best in an airtight container (like a cake dome) at room temperature for up to 2 days.
  • You can use red food coloring or red candy melts to make a bloody stab wound in the skull (would a skull make a bloody wound?) or have 'blood' coming from the eye sockets to make it really scary.
  • Make an easy chocolate ganache glaze or powdered sugar glaze to just pour over top of the skull.
  • Turn this into a Sugar Skull Cake by decorating the cake with brightly colored buttercream and candy melts.
  • Did the cakes dome up while baking? No problem! Carefully use a serrated knife to cut the domed parts off (and eat 'em!)
  • Using dark cocoa powder, like Dutch process cocoa, will work in this recipe, the cake just won't be black in color.
  • Tap the pan a few times (lifting it up into the air an inch or two and dropping it) to get rid of any air bubbles in the cake batter.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice Calories 701kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 96g (32%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 33g (51%) Saturated Fat 17g (85%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 77mg (26%) Sodium 328mg (14%) Potassium 449mg (13%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 71g (142%) Vitamin A 626IU (13%) Vitamin C 0.01mg (0%) Calcium 43mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 701

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice
Calories 701kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 96g 32%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 33g 51%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 77mg 26%
Sodium 328mg 14%
Potassium 449mg 10%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 71g 142%
Vitamin A 626IU 13%
Vitamin C 0.01mg 0%
Calcium 43mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.