Black Velvet Cake

A rich and decadent Black Velvet Cake with a naturally deep, dark colour and a distinctive cocoa flavour that sets it apart from a classic chocolate cake. Wonderfully moist, soft and tender, it’s packed with intense chocolate notes. Finished with a smooth Philadelphia cream cheese frosting, it makes a deliciously indulgent dessert – and a perfect centrepiece for Halloween.

Ingredients for the chocolate cake:

• 1 and 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1.5 cups caster sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1,5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup (125 ml) rapeseed or sunflower oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Pour the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and sugar into a large bowl. Whisk gently just to combine — there’s no need to use an electric mixer. Sift in the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt) and fold together with a spatula until just combined. Gradually pour in the hot coffee, stirring gently until smooth.

Pour the batter into a 23 cm springform tin lined with baking paper.

Bake at 170°C for 40 – 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Level the top if needed, then slice the cake horizontally into three layers.

Ingredients for the Philadelphia cheese cream:

• 420 g Philadelphia cream cheese, at room temperature
• 140 g butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese in three additions, beating continuously until smooth.

Also:

• fresh blackberries

Sandwich the cake layers with the frosting, then spread the remaining cream over the sides and top. Decorate with fresh blackberries and chill in the fridge until set.

Enjoy!