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–+ servings
A slice cut from a Black and Gold Drip Cake showing rich dark chocolate layers and gold sprinkles.

Black and Gold Drip Cake

Create a stunning Black and Gold Drip Cake for your next celebration. This recipe features rich black cocoa cake layers, dark chocolate buttercream, and an elegant chocolate ganache drip.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Black Cocoa Cake Layers
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 260g
  • 2 cups granulated sugar 400g
  • 3/4 cup black cocoa powder 75g
  • 2 tsp baking powder 8g
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 9g
  • 1 tsp fine salt 6g
  • 1 cup warm water 240g
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature, 240g
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil 110g
  • 2 large eggs room temperature, 112g
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
Black Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
  • 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature, 454g
  • 1 cup black cocoa powder 100g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
  • 4 cups powdered sugar 500g
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream room temperature, 120g
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted and cooled, 180g
Black Chocolate Drip
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 95g
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream room temperature, 80g
  • 1 squirt black gel food coloring

Equipment

  • 8-inch cake pans
  • Spinning cake stand
  • 10-inch greaseproof cake board
  • Large offset spatula
  • Bench scraper
  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Small piping bag
  • Open star frosting tip

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Line and grease three, eight-inch cake pans, or four, seven-inch pans.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
  3. In a separate, large bowl, add warm water, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
  4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be thin.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for 24-27 minutes. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the pans for even layers.
  6. Remove cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges with an offset spatula and flip onto wire racks to finish cooling.
  7. Once cooled, level the top of each cake layer with a serrated knife. Wrap and freeze if making in advance.
  8. Beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until smooth.
  9. Add sifted black cocoa, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low until incorporated.
  10. Slowly mix in powdered sugar and heavy cream on low speed until combined.
  11. Mix in cooled, melted semi-sweet chocolate on low speed until desired consistency is reached.
  12. Add black gel food coloring for a deeper black shade. Cover frosting flush with plastic wrap to prevent crusting.
  13. Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.
  14. Heat heavy cream in a heatproof bowl until steaming and just starting to bubble. Pour over chocolate chips.
  15. Let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes. Add black gel food coloring, then stir slowly until smooth.
  16. Set aside and cool for about 10 minutes, until slightly warm to the touch.
  17. Stack and frost the cake layers on a cake board using a dab of frosting to secure the first layer.
  18. Add an even layer of buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.
  19. Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake, covering the layers. Smooth with a bench scraper.
  20. Chill the cake until the frosting is firm to the touch (30 minutes in the fridge or 10 minutes in the freezer).
  21. Add a second, thicker layer of frosting and smooth with a bench scraper.
  22. Chill the cake again until the buttercream is firm (20 minutes in the fridge or 10 minutes in the freezer).
  23. Test the ganache consistency. Gently heat in the microwave for a few seconds if needed.
  24. Add drips to the chilled cake using a squirt bottle or spoon.
  25. Decorate as desired. Pipe swirls on top with an open star tip, and add gold and black sprinkles. Paint swirls with edible gold paint or a mixture of gold luster dust and clear liquor.

Notes

This cake is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or any special occasion where you want to impress. Feel free to adjust the amount of black gel food coloring to achieve your desired shade of black.

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