Sort ingredients
unclekarls
QR Code
Listen
Pdf
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C).
Prepare the pans by buttering or spraying with oil the insides of two 8" cake pans and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
Chop the chocolate into mini-chip sizes and add to a large mixing bowl with black cocoa and boiling water. Whisk until melted.
Add brown sugar and sour cream, let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk.
Add canola oil, salt, and eggs, whisk until combined.
Add flour and baking powder, whisk until no traces of flour remain.
Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 43-50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center has a few moist crumbs.
Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack.
Remove cakes from pans while still slightly warm.
Prepare the black buttercream by softening butter and heavy cream.
Make the black cocoa syrup by combining cream and boiling water, then whisk in cocoa powders and milk powder.
Cool the cocoa syrup, then whisk in vanilla extract.
Add softened butter to a food processor and pulse until creamy.
Add the cocoa syrup in three additions, pulsing to combine.
Add powdered sugar (1) and mix until thick, then add remaining powdered sugar, cream of tartar, and salt.
Taste and adjust with powdered sugar (2) as needed.
Assemble the cake by layering with frosting and applying a crumb coat.
Finish with a top coat of frosting and decorate as desired.