Black Magic Cake Recipe

A piece of chocolate cake on a plate, with Icing and Cookie

Print Recipe

4.52 from 243 votes

A twist on the classic Hershey's cake, moist, fluffy and delicious!

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
2 8-inch Round Cake Pan OR
9x13 Baking Pan OR
12-cup Bundt Pan
Stand Mixer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour 210 grams
2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 63 grams
2 teaspoons baking soda 12 grams
1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
1 cup buttermilk 227 grams, room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil 100 grams
2 large eggs 100 grams, room temperature
1 egg white 35 grams, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee 227 grams (or 2 teaspoons powdered espresso powder mixed with 1 cup boiling water)
White Icing Click for our favorite recipe

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Spray your chosen baking pan(s) with nonstick baking spray.
Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment, on low speed, just until combined.
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
In a different bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 egg white
Return the mixer to low speed and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix about 15-20 seconds just until ingredients are incorporated.
Add the coffee and stir, on low speed, just until combined.
1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
Pour the cake batter (it will very thin) into the cake pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time for the 8-inch cake pans is 35-40 minutes, for the Bundt pan 50-55 minutes, and for the 13x9 pan about 35-45 minutes.
Top with your favorite icing. (Find our favorite HERE)
White Icing

Video

Notes

Original cake recipe: Hershey Black Magic Cake

Yield: Two (8-inch) round cake pans or one 13x9x2 or one 12-cup Bundt pan

Want Chocolate Icing instead? Check out our recipe for Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Ideally use high-quality cocoa powder. The darker the hue of the cocoa, the more satisfying the chocolate flavor will be.
Ideally use shiny pans instead of dark pans. Dark can cause your chocolate cake to brown too early around the edges and create a hard crust on the surface and general dryness.
When baking cake, you want your eggs and dairy ingredients to be at room temp so they can create an emulsion that traps air that eventually expands with the oven's heat, for a lighter texture.
Don't overmix. Heavy mixing hand leads to tough cake textures. Instead, mix only until dry ingredients are 99.8 percent incorporated.

Storage: Store chocolate cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition