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Black Magic Cake
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Black Magic Cake

Black Magic Cake is a classic American cake recipe from Hershey's cocoa.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Black Magic
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12
Author Anna
Cost 5

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups flour stir very well before measuring (220 grams)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (390 grams)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened baking cocoa or Dutch processed (see note about using black cocoa)
  • 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.

Notes

For an extra dark cake, take out about 2 tablespoons of whatever Dutch process cocoa you are using and add 2 tablespoons of the black cocoa powder.