Black Magic Cake
User Reviews
4.7
Black Magic Cake
Description
Black Magic Cake brings together cocoa, coffee, and buttermilk to create deeply flavored, moist chocolate layers with a tender crumb. The coffee in the batter complements the cocoa powder, intensifying the chocolate taste without bitterness. The batter is runny and bakes into soft cake layers that can be made in three 6-inch pans or two 8-inch pans. Once cooled, the cake is layered with mascarpone frosting enriched with melted dark chocolate, cinnamon, and espresso powder for added depth and a smooth finish.
The completed cake is topped with a warm dark chocolate sauce made from cream, butter, honey, and chopped dark chocolate, poured over before serving to add a glossy sheen and extra chocolate richness. Optional decorations such as chocolate shavings or sprinkles provide texture contrast. This cake works well as a showstopper dessert after meals or for special gatherings.
For convenience, you can bake the cake layers up to three days in advance, keeping them wrapped separately at room temperature to retain moisture. The frosted cake stores well for 2-3 days refrigerated—bring to room temperature before serving to soften the frosting and enhance flavors. If buttermilk is unavailable, soured milk with lemon juice is a suitable substitute. Coffee can be replaced with coffee essence or omitted if preferred, especially in the frosting.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 200 g all-purpose flour 7oz
- 340 g sugar 12oz
- 75 g cocoa powder 3oz
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 egg large
- 225 ml coffee strong black, 8 fl oz
- 225 ml buttermilk or milk soured with 1 tsp lemon juice, 8 fl oz
- 100 ml vegetable oil or coconut oil, 4 fl oz
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
For the frosting
- 450 g mascarpone full fat, 1lb
- 100 g icing sugar 3 1/2 oz
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp instant espresso coffee powder
- 200 g dark chocolate melted, 7 oz
For the chocolate sauce
- 60 g dark chocolate chopped, 2oz
- 80 ml cream double / heavy cream, ⅓ cup
- 1 tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 tbsp honey runny
To decorate
- Sprinkles chocolate shavings (optional)
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spray 3x15cm (6in) tins with cake release and line the bottoms with baking paper. Alternatively use 2x20cm (8in) tins.
- Mix the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla together in a large bowl or a measuring jug.
- Sift all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, raising agents and salt) over the wet ingredients in the bowl or pour the wet ingredients over the dry if you have used a measuring jug.
- Mix well, scraping over the bottom and sides of the bowl and making sure no dry pockets of flour remain. The batter will be quite runny – this is normal.
- Divide the batter between greased and lined tins and bake for 35 minutes
- Cool in the tins for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting. You might need to level the tops slightly before assembling the layer cake.
Chocolate mascarpone frosting
- Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl and microwave for 30 second bursts, stirring, until melted and smooth. Set aside.
- Whisk icing sugar, mascarpone, ground cinnamon and instant espresso powder together in a large bowl using a hand mixer (or in your stand mixer) on low speed to combine. Increase the speed so that the frosting is well mixed.
- Add the melted chocolate and whisk together until the frosting is glossy, smooth and holds peaks.
Chocolate sauce
- Make this just before you assemble the cake. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and set it over a bowl of barely simmering water (double boiler method). Stir until completely melted and smooth.
Assemble the cake
- Transfer the frosting into a piping bag. Pipe a generous amount of frosting over the bottom cake layer and top with the second. Repeat and top with the final layer, smooth side up.
- Pipe more frosting over the top of the cake and drizzle with chocolate sauce.
- Add sprinkles or chocolate shavings to decorate and serve immediately.
Notes
- Substitute buttermilk with milk soured by 1 teaspoon of lemon juice if needed.
- Use coffee essence or hot water as a coffee substitute, especially in frosting, if you prefer no coffee flavor.
- The unfrosted cake layers can be baked up to three days ahead and stored wrapped and separated by greaseproof paper at room temperature.
- Refrigerated frosted cake can last 2-3 days; bring to room temperature before serving for best texture and flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 972 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 972kcal | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 100g | 33% |
| Protein | 13g | 26% |
| Fat | 60g | 92% |
| Saturated Fat | 38g | 190% |
| Cholesterol | 118mg | 39% |
| Sodium | 695mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 530mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 7g | 28% |
| Sugar | 66g | 132% |
| Vitamin A | 1095IU | 22% |
| Calcium | 194mg | 19% |
| Iron | 6.6mg | 37% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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