This wickedly decadent Black Velvet Cake with Marshmallow Spiderweb is made with rich black cocoa and smooth black cocoa buttercream. A frightful tangle of sticky marshmallow spiderweb, fosters the eerie candy spider egg sacks that top this stunning and deliciously spooky black velvet cake!
If you are planning to have a Halloween party with friends or simply looking for desserts and treats to make at home for your family, these are some of our favorite recipes Halloween No-Bake Cheesecake and Bats Oreo Cupcakes!
“This post was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! as always opinions are 100% mine.”
For my boys, Halloween mostly means spooky and eerie and this black velvet cake with spiderweb marshmallow was created with them in mind.
This Halloween layered cake covered in spiders may look creepy but it is tender, moist, fluffy and absolutely delicious!
This black cocoa spiderweb cake is the perfect centerpiece for any Halloween gathering.
To be honest, this stylishly scary cake was very easy to make. The only tricky part was pulling the marshmallow web all around the cake. Melted marshmallow is sticky and at times I felt like I was stuck in a sugary web of sweetness.
Black Velvet Cake Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Black cocoa powder
- Baking soda, baking powder and salt
- Eggs
- Cold coffee
- Buttermilk
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla extract
- Black gel food color (optional). I use Americolor Super Black
Black Cocoa Powder Frosting Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Black cocoa powder
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Black gel food color
Marshmallow Spiderweb and Decorations
- Jumbo marshmallows
- Sixlets
- Spiders (edible or plastic)
How To Make Black Velvet Cake with Black Cocoa Buttercream Frosting
- Prep: Preheat the oven and grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. The batter will be thin.
- Add Food Color: Add the food coloring and mix well until well blended.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pans, run a knife around the edges of the cake and invert. Place the cakes on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before assembling.
How To Make Black Cocoa Frosting:
- In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter and black cocoa powder.
- Alternately add powdered sugar and milk and mix until the mixture reaches a frosting consistency.
- Stir in the vanilla and food coloring. Mix well.
- Assemble the cake, make the spider web and add the Halloween decorations!
How To Make The Marshmallow Spiderweb
- Place the marshmallows in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Melt the marshmallows in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until they start to lose their shape. Stir with a spatula. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Using gloves for easy clean up, dip your fingers into the warm melted marshmallow mixture and stretch to create thin web-like webs.
- Wrap the marshmallow around the cake. Let stand until firm, about 10 minutes.
Now that you have spun a sugary sweet spiderweb on your Halloween cake, decorate it with some spooky spiders and spider eggs (sixlets)! You can even make some eggs hatch although that may be a bit too eerie. Unless you, like my boys, love a real spooky Halloween!
What Is Black Velvet Cake Made Of?
Black velvet cake is a moist, tender and silky cake that gets its distinct deep dark color from black cocoa powder. Although similar to red velvet cake, black cocoa gives this easy buttermilk cake a unique chocolate flavor.
Where Can I Find Black Cocoa Powder?
You can purchase black cocoa powder online. I used this one from Amazon. Unfortunately, I have not found this ingredient in any of my local supermarkets. Alternatively, you can use Dutch processed cocoa powder or dark cocoa powder which will give this cake the same texture as black cocoa powder.
What’s The Difference Between Red Velvet and Black Velvet Cake
Soft and buttery Red Velvet Cake is made with buttermilk and a small amount of cocoa powder which gives the cake a very mild chocolate flavor. Red food coloring is added for effect although it doesn’t contribute to the taste of the cake.
Black velvet cake on the other hand uses a good amount of black cocoa powder which has a deeper and richer chocolate flavor. This cake also uses buttermilk which keeps the cake moist while giving it a light tangy flavor.
Halloween Black Velvet Cake Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients which mix better and bake more evenly.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it or decorating it.
- Making the marshmallow web is as much fun as it is messy. Cover your counter with some parchment paper if you have some handy and if possible wear gloves. The melted marshmallow cream will be warm and super sticky.
- I purchased white sixlets online; however, you can top this showstopper Halloween cake with yogurt covered blueberries, raisins or nuts, white chocolate covered almonds, white chocolate covered raisins, yogurt malt balls or malted milk balls.
Black Velvet Cake with Marshmallow Spiderweb
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup black cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cold coffee
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons black gel food color optional. (I use Americolor Super Black)
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 1⁄3 cups black cocoa powder
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon black gel food color
Marshmallow Web
- 10-12 jumbo marshmallows
Decorations:
- Any round candy that resembles spider’s eggs I used sixlets
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Mix the Cake:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
- Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. The batter will be thin. Add the black food color gel and mix well until well blended.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pans, run a knife around the edges of the cake and invert. Place the cakes on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before assembling.
Make the Frosting:
- In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter and black cocoa powder. Alternately, add powdered sugar and milk and mix until the mixture reaches a frosting consistency. Stir in the vanilla and food coloring. Mix well.
Assemble, Make Marshmallow Web and Decorate:
- To assemble the cake, with the help of a serrated knife or cake leveler, remove the domes from the top of the cool cakes so that they’re flat. Place one layer on a plate or cake stand and cover the top with some of the frosting. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add the second layer of cake and top with frosting. Spread evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Prepare the marshmallow web.
- Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Melt the marshmallows in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until they start to lose their shape. Stir with a spatula. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Using gloves for easy clean up, dip your fingers into the warm melted marshmallow mixture and stretch until thin and web-like. Wrap the marshmallow around the cake. Let stand until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Decorate the cake by placing a pile of candy (sixlets or malt balls) on the top. You can add more marshmallow web if desired. Decorate with a few spiders.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. They mix better and bake more evenly.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely before assembling, frosting or decorating.
- Making the marshmallow web is as much fun as it is messy. Cover your counter with some parchment paper if you have some handy and if possible wear gloves. The melted marshmallow cream will be warm and super sticky.
- I purchased white sixlets online; however, you can top your Halloween cake with yogurt covered blueberries, raisins or nuts, white chocolate covered almonds, white chocolate covered raisins, yogurt malt balls or malted milk balls.
- The Spiderweb recipe used in this cake was inspired by this cake from The Cake Blog.
Nutrition
Check out all of these great #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipes for today
- Disney Villain Charcuterie Board from Big Bear’s Wife
- Grave Yard Snack Mix from Semi Homemade Recipes
- Jelly Filled Ghost Donuts from Jen Around the World
- Cake Top Forward Halloween Cake from Pint Sized Baker
- Witch Finger Pretzels from Fresh April Flours
- Caramel Apples from Devour Dinner
- Easy Frankenstein Cupcakes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Halloween Haunted Fault Line Cake from The Redhead Baker
- Blood & Guts Cinnamon Rolls from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us
- Bloody Vampire Cherry Floats from Cookaholic Wife
- Candy Corn Cookies from Eat Move Make
- Halloween Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods from House of Nash Eats
- Friday the 13th Pancakes from Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Spider Donuts from The Flour Handprint
- Haunted House Cake from Sweet ReciPEAs
- Peanut Butter Ghost Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Apple Spice Cake Donuts from It’s Shanaka
- Pumpkin Patch Cookie Cups from Sweet Beginnings
- Candy Corn Butterfinger Bark from Pastry Chef Online
- Spiderweb Cheesecake from The Spiffy Cookie
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Mummy Cookies from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Oozing Red Velvet Cake from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Monster Burgers from An Affair from the Heart
- Spider Web Soup (Roasted Pumpkin Tomato Soup) from I am a Honey Bee
- Candy Corn Fudge from Back To My Southern Roots
- Dark Chocolate Black Cat Cookies from Savory Moments
- Three Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies from Our Good Life
- Binx Marshmallow Fudge Brownies from For the Love of Food
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