Chocolate Blackout Cake

8 hours ago 1

Democracy Dies successful Darkness

Chef Karen Urie offers this adapted look that tastes conscionable similar the layers she made for her ain wedding cake. To make their almost-black hue, she calls for an adjacent substance of achromatic cocoa and fractional regular Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, positive the beardown coffee. (She warns against utilizing each achromatic cocoa, due to the fact that that would beryllium excessively acidic.) You tin usage each regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but don't skip the coffee.

The baked layers are steadfast and tin beryllium chopped horizontally into 2 layers each. This was tested successful a convection oven; spot NOTE for accepted oven times.

Black cocoa is disposable done King Arthur Flour's online catalog.

From cook Karen Urie astatine the Town House edifice successful Chilhowie, Va.

Ingredients

measuring cup

Servings: 16 Makes 2 8-inch layers (16 servings; 7 1/2 cups batter total)

For the cake

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably a 50-50 substance of Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa pulverization and achromatic cocoa (see headnote)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 3/4 cups sugar
3 ample eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, positive much for greasing the baking pans
1 1/2 cups beardown blistery coffee

For the frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 ample ovum whites, pasturized if desired (see NOTE)
1/2 spoon pick of tartar
1/2 spoon salt
24 ounces (6 sticks) unsalted butter, astatine country temperature, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoonful brandy
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoonful people flavored extracts (optional)

Nutritional Facts

Per serving

Calories
329
Fat
10 g
Saturated Fat
7 g
Carbohydrates
54 g
Sodium
412 mg
Cholesterol
64 mg
Protein
6 g
Fiber
2 g
Sugar
36 g

This investigation is an estimation based connected disposable ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s oregon nutritionist’s advice.

From cook Karen Urie astatine the Town House edifice successful Chilhowie, Va.

Tested by Vanessa Williams and Karen Urie.

Published March 13, 2026