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Home » Chocolate Cakes

All Time Favorite Black Magic Cake

Last updated on April 29, 2023 By Anna 4 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

There are two chocolate cake recipes everyone should know. The first is Black Magic Cake, a dump in the bowl and mix cake that calls for a cup of buttermilk and hot coffee. The second is Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake, which is similar, but calls for an adjusted amount of leavening agents and regular milk instead of buttermilk.

Hershey's Black Magic Cake
Hershey's Black Magic Cake

Black Magic Cake is Everywhere

The reason I'm mentioning this is both cakes appeared on my radar this week. First, my sister-in-law sent me a link to Sally's Baking Addiction, where she calls Black Magic Cake the best cake in the world (she throws in some black cocoa). And recently, a lady in Pennsylvania used the Perfectly Chocolate recipe to make The Best Chocolate Cake in Pennsylvania. Hers calls for a rich peanut butter frosting and looks SO good.

Black Cocoa Version

So here's how I made the cake this week. I used the original recipe, but took out 2 tablespoons of the cocoa and substituted with 2 tablespoons of black cocoa powder. That step is totally unnecessary, but if you happen to have some black cocoa around, it adds flavor. I also used my all-time favorite frosting, but put in a little buttermilk to play off the buttermilk flavor in the cake. Enjoy!

  • Magic Blondies
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Recipe

Black Magic Cake

Black Magic Cake

Anna
Black Magic Cake is a classic American cake recipe from Hershey's cocoa.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ¾ cups flour stir very well before measuring (220 grams)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (390 grams)
  • ¾ cup extra dark unsweetened baking cocoa or Dutch processed
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup hot brewed coffee
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Favorite Chocolate Frosting

  • 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter softened
  • 4 ½ cups confectioners' sugar sift or aerate before using.
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons natural style cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons of buttermilk or sour cream
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons of half and half or a mixture of cream and whole milk

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans and line with circles of wax paper or parchment. Grease again and dust with flour.
  • In a large mixing bowl bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Make a well in the center and add eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. With a heavy duty scraper, stir mixture, scraping up dry mixture from the bottom to ensure that it is incorporated. Add the hot coffee and stir until thick and well blended. With an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until well blended.
  • Divide evenly between 2 cake pans and bake on center rack for 35 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched. Allow the cakes to cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then carefully invert and let cool completely.
  • To make the frosting, combine the softened butter, half of the sugar and the cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir until mixed, it will be thick and pasty. Stir in the vanilla, then continue adding the sugar, stirring until it’s very thick. Add the buttermilk and stir, then continue adding milk and stirring, scraping bowl often, until it’s slightly creamy. Now begin beating, adding more milk as necessary, until it is smooth and creamy.
  • Level the cake if you need to (though this one bakes up fairly evenly), then spread cakes with frosting and stack.
Keyword Black Magic
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Maria @ kitchenathoskins

    January 18, 2017 at 12:59 am

    Looks incredibly moist!!! Sure its delicious too...

  2. Sonya

    January 17, 2017 at 3:16 pm

    Mmmmm, sounds and looks delicious!

  3. Anna

    January 16, 2017 at 6:40 pm

    Well, I'm glad you ask. For cake, I guess I like both, but I do love the drama of a dark cake so it's fun to use the Hershey's Dark once in a while. I also like other brands of Dutch that aren't so dark. However, I really like natural cocoa as well. For frosting, I never use Hershey's Dark. I like regular Hershey's natural, Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger natural.

  4. Gloria

    January 16, 2017 at 6:31 pm

    5 stars
    This cake looks rich and delicious!!! My sister in law makes the Hershey's chocolate cake with the extra dark cocoa and it looks a bit like this. We all love it. Which do you prefer?

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