Black Velvet Cake with Pumpkin-Pecan Cream Cheese Filling

I was lying in bed the other night trying to decide what kind of cake would work with the theme of a Halloween coffee I was hosting (it seems like I think about sweets an awful lot when I’m lying in bed. Maybe that’s why I don’t sleep much?). Pumpkin was out, since I just did the PSL cake. An orange colored cake was out, since I didn’t want to do a typical cheesy black-and-orange color scheme for the party. I briefly considered a dark chocolate orange cake—think Grand Marnier, not actually orange in color—but then I decided I wanted to stick to a more Southern vibe (a Grand Marnier chocolate orange cake does sound fab, by the way. That may be what I fantasize about in bed tonight). I thought about doing a red velvet cake, since red mimics blood and what-have-you. But this party was more “Classy Witch” than “Michael Meyers,” so I wasn’t too eager to serve a crime scene on a plate. A red velvet cake is the quintessential Southern cake, though, so I continued down that path in my head and decided to do a black velvet cake instead of red.

It wasn’t until I started baking more and more that I actually realized that red velvet cake is not simply a regular cake dyed red. Velvet cakes typically have cocoa, buttermilk, vinegar, and baking soda in common, plus whatever food coloring you are adding. So they aren’t just “regular” cakes. A good velvet cake should be moist, a tad sour with an undertone of chocolate, and not exceptionally sweet. You typically have to add the extra sweetness in with fillings and frostings, cream cheese being the best and most popular accouterment. Now normally I pair a red velvet cake with a bourbon pecan cream cheese filling, and it is ah-mazing, but I was wanting something a little more seasonal. So I decided to whip up a pumpkin pecan cream cheese filling instead. And it’s good. It’s got some spice to it, and a definite pumpkin flair, but it isn’t overpowering. Alternately, it would be great as a filling in a butter cake. Now if you aren’t into pecans, you can leave them out. But that would make you a freak.

Velvet cakes are great frosted in cream cheese, as well, but I decided to cover this one in a traditional American buttercream. It added that bit of good, old-fashioned birthday-cake-sweetness that the cake needs, plus I was aiming for a frosting that would hold up well (cream cheese frostings tend to droop in the humidity. And damn if it isn’t still pathetically humid in Florida on Halloween). To add that extra bit of creepy, I topped the cake in a chocolate ganache. 

Side note- I *could* have made it a whole lot prettier had I not had a toddler clinging to my leg during the ganache-ing process. But that's just the way the dice rolled.

This cake is a nice, seasonal alternative to the traditional red velvet cake, and it was a fun addition to our dessert table at the Witches’ Brew party. More on that to come!

 Black Velvet Cake

* 2 c sugar
* 1 c butter, at room temperature
* 2 eggs
* 2 tbsp cocoa powder
* 2 oz black food coloring (or as much as it takes to get it BLACK!)
* 2 ½ c cake flour, sifted
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 c buttermilk
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* ½ tsp baking soda
* 1 tbsp vinegar

* In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.  

* Mix cocoa and food coloring together in a small bowl and then add to sugar mixture; mix well.

* Sift together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla.  

* In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.  

* Pour batter into 2 (8 in) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely

Pumpkin-Pecan Cream Cheese Filling

* 8 oz cream cheese, softened

* ½ c butter, softened

* 2/3 c pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

* 3 ½ c confectioner’s sugar, sifted

* ½ c Pecans chopped 

* 1 tsp cinnamon

* 1 tsp ground nutmeg.

*Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in pumpkin and mix until full incorporated. Add in cinnamon and nutmeg. Add powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, allowing each prior amount to fully mix into the frosting before adding more. 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

* 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

* 3 - 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

* 2 teaspoons vanilla

* pinch salt

* 2-3 tablespoons milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half

*Place softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on a medium setting and cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.

*Add confectioner's sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
*Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.
* Add heavy cream until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency. For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner's sugar, a ¼ cup at a time. For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.

Chocolate Ganache

* 1 2/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips

* ½ c heavy cream

*In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips, cream, and heat on high power to melt, about 2 minutes total. Stop to check and stir after 1 minute. Heat in 15-second increments until chocolate has mostly melted and mixture can be whisked smooth

Assembly

* Because you baked the cake in two cake pans, you will need to split it in order to make it four layers. This isn't as terrifying as it sounds. Simply use a cake leveler (or a large bread knife will also work), and slice the cakes in half horizontally, making it into 4 layers)
* Place the bottom later on a cake board or cake plate. With a bit of the buttercream frosting in a piping bag, pipe a large open circle around the circumference of the cake (this will create a dam for your filling so it won't spill out).

* Scoop out roughly 3/4 c filling into the center and spread outward to your icing dam. Gently place the next cake layer atop.

* Pipe another large open circle around the circumference of the cake. Scoop out roughly 3/4 c filling into the center and spread outward to your icing dam. Gently place the next cake layer atop.

* Pipe another large open circle around the circumference of the cake. Scoop out roughly 3/4 c filling into the center and spread outward to your icing dam. Gently place the final cake layer atop.

* Now it's time for a quick crumb coat. Using an angled, flat spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting all over your cake. As thin and smooth as you can get it. It's okay if there are crumbs in this coat if frosting. That's why it's called a crumb coat!

* Put your crumb-coated cake in the fridge for 15-20 minutes until the frosting is somewhat dry and firm. 

* Bring cake back to your counter. With a clean, angled, flat spatula, spread a much thicker layer of frosting all over your cake. You will probably use every last bit of your frosting for this.

* Place your frosted cake back in the fridge for a few more minutes for it to firm up. 

* In the meantime, make the chocolate ganache and let it sit to cool a bit once the chocolate is melted, combined, and smooth.

* Once the ganache has cooled some, bring your cake back to the counter. Spoon ganache on top of cake, and then use your spatula to smooth it out on top, letting it run down the sides to create an oozing effect.

* Enjoy!

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette