Originally I had not planned on blogging this cake, but after the rave reviews from co-workers, I figured it was a must! I made this late Sunday evening and could not get around to photographing it because the ganache had not thoroughly set up before I went to bed. The next morning, it was boxed up and taken to feed the co-workers. I managed to cut one reserve piece before I dashed out of house, just in case it needed to be photographed. Typically when I make cakes, I like to post a photo of the whole cake and then a piece of the sliced cake; however, my snooze hitting ways did not allow me to do this today. However, this cake was so good I had to post it despite the absent photographs. Apparently this is a very old cake recipe and from what I have read online, it seems to have originated from Hershey’s. I was introduced to this cake via a cooking/baking forum; it was receiving rave reviews, so of course I had to hop on the bandwagon and give it a try. I was a little concerned about the cup of coffee in the ingredient list, but my anxiety was relieved once I read the finished cake has very little coffee flavor. Apparently the coffee is used to bring out the flavor of the chocolate- making it more prominent as opposed to flat and one dimensional. This cake is super easy, essentially you dump it all into the mixer and plop it into your pan(s) of choice. The result is the most decadent, moist, delicious cake that will ever cross your lips! It is full of luscious, rich chocolate flavor that blends harmoniously with a smooth semi-sweet chocolate ganache. The next time you are looking to impress a crowd or just your significant other, whip up this amazing cake…and be prepared to bask in all the compliments you will receiving. Looking for some more Black Magic Cake photos? Click here to see The Repressed Pastry Chef’s droolworthy Black Magic Cake!
Black Magic Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired.
Yields 10 to 12 servings.
* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.
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{ 82 comments… read them below or add one }
mmm, this sounds and looks delicious!
That looks like a magic cake! Yum!
Man, no wonder they call this black magic cake…it totally looks like it has magical powers…to make me hungry! It looks so moist and chocolatey and delicious!! I cannont wait to try it; how could I not after such an amazing description?
I can’t wait to try this. Coffee and chocolate really compliment each other so expect it is delicious.
Your cake looks so moist and chocolaty! My husband would love this so I’m definitely adding it to my list!
I’m making it — you’ve convinced me. And I am on a mission to use up my buttermilk, which makes this all the more perfect. Can’t wait!
Glad you posted this! Do you think the recipe would make good cupcakes?
The best and only chocolate cake recipe I use now
Oh yay! I’m so glad you made it… and loved it. As you know I’m not a fan of chocolate but this cake? It’s one I actually want to EAT as much as I want to BAKE it LOL!
Your cake does look darn good and I don’t even like chocolate cake! I’m printing out the recipe to bake for my chocolate loving babysitter!
~ingrid
I’ve been seeing this cake a lot lately – I’m thinking I need to give it a try! Your picture looks so moist and yummy!
-Amy
http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com
Yes – coffee really enhances chocolate. So I am always willing to try a chocolate recipe that also calls for chocolate. And this one looks wonderful.
I would love a nice big slice!
Looks great! Bookmarking this one.
That cake looks so good!
thanks for the cake queenie
Wow. And wow.
Michelle
did u follow the exactly what it says on the recipe ? BTW, i want to try baking this one .
A thousand thanks for the resurrection of this fine rich treat – originally found on a Hersey’s cocoa tin, I lost this recipe decades ago, so very glad to find it again… can resume concocting deep chocolate deliciousness as a shared indulgence on special family days.
This cake is amazing. I've been craving a tasty moist chocolate cake for a few weeks, so I decided to make this one. It was perfect. I used cake flour instead of all-purpose, but I don't know how much of a difference it made. I used a vanilla bean frosting that balanced it amazingly. I took it to work and it was gone in less than 5 minutes. Here's the recipe for the frosting if anyone is interested. It's doesn't make a whole lot, so you should double it at least:
* 1 1/2 C confectioners' sugar (add more until it reaches your preferred consistency)
* 1/2 C butter (room temperature)
* 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (add more to taste)
* 1 tablespoon milk
Mix together sugar and butter until they are blended and creamy. Add vanilla bean paste and milk and continue to beat for another minute. If desired, add more vanilla bean paste to taste, or more confectioners' sugar to make it stiffer.
I used this recipe to make Alyssa's b-day cake. It was delicious! Thanks for being my go to for recipes!
It is a lovely cake, I used to bake a similar one but this reipe is better.
Hi there – I first found this cake in a magazine dedicated to coffee. I’ll be darned if I can remember the name but it is my go to chocolate cake recipe. I often make a 7 minute frosting and put strawberry or raspberry jam between the layers. It is so rich and delicious I’ve included it in my personal recipe book.
holy moly wowee…
I’ve had it and…Wow!!!! It is so good! My sister brought one to our family get together and everyone wanted the recipe =) she told us to look it up. Thank you so much for sharing. With something this good it is tempting to keep it a secret .’ )
Yesterday was my middle son’s fourth birthday. He asked for a chocolate cake for the occasion, and after checking out this recipe, it seemed that it would more than fit the bill. Anyway, we made it a day ahead and unveiled it to our party guests with lots of enthusiasm–and I must tell you that it was super! This cake is ridiculously moist and chocolatey. I bake for my family quite a bit and I heard several times that this was my best home-made cake to date. Just as a note, I did not use ganache to cover the cake, but instead used my tried and true chocolate buttercream frosting (I thought that might be more appealing to young kids). Definitely give this recipe a try–you will definitely get amazing rewards for a modest bit of work!
O.K. now. I am printing this out and I’m going to bake it before too long. Your cake and ganache are gorgeous. I love a rich moist chocolate cake and this one looks like just the perfect recipe. Thanks for posting.
I am going to try this recipe this week for a birthday cake I’m making. It will be 2 tiers covered with grey buttercream for a batman theme. I was planning on using my go to buttercream recipe:
(can’t remember exact measurements, but you get the idea)
1 cup shortening
1 cup butter
1 tsp popcorn salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter flavoring
1 tsp almond extract
2 lb conf sugar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup coffee creamer
So what I was wondering was will this chocolate cake be ok with the buttercream frosting on it instead of chocolate?
OMG…that looks soooo good. Gonna have to try it out. Do you think this is OK for kids to eat? I’m not sure with the coffee in there.
Great for kids! I grew up with my grandmother making this for family gatherings.
In your opinion, which would yield better results, a cup of strong black coffee or the powdered instant coffee?
AJ-
I have made this cake with both options and preferred it with freshly brewed, strong, black coffee. Thanks for stopping by!
-Jamie
This looks like a must do! …and must eat. I’m wondering what you used to frost this lovely cake. Is it just ganache or did you frost it first and then drizzle the ganache over the frosting? Thanks for the great recipes, and I’m delighted to find your sight.
Cheers!
Mary
I just made this cake and it is gorgeous! Even at high altitude (5,700 ft) it turned out well. I used the 9 x 13 pan and it was done after about 31 minutes. I glazed it with the chocolate frosting at Hershey’s website but I added a 1 1/2 tsp almond extract and topped with toasted, sliced almonds. MmmmMMMM. The only thing this lacks is a tall glass of milk!
Would you share the ganache/frosting recipe you used ont he cake in the above photo. It looks divine!
I’m using your recipe in Feb.’s Crazy Cooking Challenge! It will be linked back to you. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
This is one KICK-ASS chocolate cake. You won’t be disappointed.
do you have the recipe for the frosting?
Sheila-
I used a basic chocolate ganache. I’m fairly certain that I used this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ganache-recipe/index.html Hope this helps.
-Jamie
I have made this cake several times! Its awesome, However all the sudden it has not been turning out for me. I do not know why I have not changed anything and even got new soda and powder and it is still giving me problems….
im definitely making this soon… but what about the frosting?
Diana-
I used a basic chocolate ganache. Here is a recipe, thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
How bouts the choc frosting recipe that’s on your cake?
This cake was absolutely amazing!! I’m making another one today so the girls I work with can try it!
If you cant have coffee could you substitute just extra cocoa and hot water???? I so want to try it but cant have the coffee.
Christine-
I would recommend using decaf, if you are able to consume decaf coffee, otherwise, I don’t have a great substitution for you, but I am thinking hot water might work too. Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
This looks delicious, is there a way to make it without the coffee?
Jean-
I have not tried this recipe with a substitution for the coffee, so I am not much help with this particular question. Hopefully, someone else will chime in.
-Jamie
Hi Jamie,
This cake looks amazing! Thank you for sharing!
I want to make this cake for my birthday but I’m from Holland and I’m not sure I will be able to find Hersey’s Cocoa here.. Do you think it will work with other cocoa??
Anna-
Hi! Any unsweetened cocoa should be just fine. Enjoy the cake and thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
I used this recipe to make a birthday cake for someone at work. It is the best chocolate cake I have ever had. Extremely moist and you can’t taste the coffee at all. Instead of buttermilk I used 1 cup skim milk and 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Tasted great! Thanks for the recipe!
i make for my daughters bday this Saturday…my friend will decorate it with fondant…it will be delicious…ty and happy baking…
I just made this cake and it is fantastic!! This is my first time using Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa and oh my sooooo much better! Thanks for sharing!
Chantelle-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
Did you just make 1 batch of the ganache or did you need more to fill and cover the cake? Thanks!
Kelly-
One batch of ganache should work just fine to fill and cover this cake. Good luck and have a great day!
-Jamie
I have made this cake with the ganache recipe found here. http://www.marthastewart.com/336094/dark-chocolate-ganache
It is by far the very best chocolate cake I have ever had. Making it for Christmas
I bake alot of chocolate cakes and have done so for years, and I must say that it may be the best looking slice of cake I have ever seen. congratulations
Thank you so much for this recipe it has become a family favorite since I found it a month ago I’ve made 4 of these I used a homemade fudge icing 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup cocoa and 1tsp vanilla on low heat mix sugar and cocoa add milk and butter stir and heat till rapid boil cook 3 more min then remove from heat add vanilla and place pan in cold ice water and stir till it starts to thicken I refrigerate over night to thicken to a spreadable thickness but can be poured directly onto flat cake
Hi, this looks good; however, I don’t use ‘vegetable’ oil (palm oil) for anything because it is wiping out oranguatans. Would you please advise of a different acceptable oil, and please don’t say margarine or shortening as it is palm oil too. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Looks really good!
I don’t know what I did wrong with this but I poured the batter into two round pans and put them in the oven. They both overflowed. I have one giant stinky mess to clean up. My entire house smells like burnt chocolate. Add oven cleaning to my never ending list of things to do today. After they overflowed, they both fell also so the cakes are about an inch thick is all.
Jessie-
I am sorry to hear that you had an issue with the recipe. If you have specific questions about what could have went wrong, feel free to email me at questions@mybakingaddiction.com. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your valuable feedback. Have a great day.
-Jamie
The best chocolate cake ever. The espresso really adds to the flavor. I was worried the batter seemed too thin, but the cake was very moist and delicious. Today I will be making it for the second time, I’m sure there will be many more.
Thank You
Cheryl K
So, I know some people were asking about a substitue for coffee. I stumbled across a recipe that is almost identical to this one but it uses no coffee, just the boiling water and it uses 1/4 c dark cocoa and 1/2 cup regular cocoa instead of 3/4 c regular cocoa, I think to intensify the flavor that the coffee would add. Thought I would pass this on.
I have made this cake and it IS absolutely delicious. Some cocoa is so over-rated! Hershey’s is the best for cakes like this.
thanks for reminding me of this cake – I used to make it all the time, but haven’t in years. Hubby will be happy to see it back in the rotation.
Just wondering what I should change if I wanted to use this recipe for cupcakes? I’ve made the cake a few times now (it’s incredible and now officially my hubby’s fave) and he has a party at the office tomorrow for which he’d like to share it’s deliciousness, but without having to worry about plates and forks… suggestions? Thanks!!
Brianna-
Typically, the recipe itself does not need to change, other than the baking time, when changing to cupcakes. Good luck and have a great day!
-Jamie
Yes, this recipe comes out of the Hershey’s 100th Anniversary cookbook. This cake is to die for. A woman I knew who had a small bakeshop baked this for my daughter’s wedding. She made a French buttercream frosting to use on it. We ended up using her again for my son’s wedding and the black magic cake was one of his cake layers. I’m salivating right now. Oh my G-D, it was heavenly.
This looks so delicious! Thanks for posting the recipe. Looking forward to trying it.
Unfortunately,some people in my family are allergic to eggs. Do you have an easy substitute for the 2 eggs mentioned in the recipe?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you again for posting
I made this cake about 2 months ago with a maple glaze that I grew up with on top….and my hubby and I ate it all by ourselves in a day. Thats right…24 hours. How bad is that!? So bad and yet so good. Anyways, question: Ive never made a bundt cake before, but would love to do this recipe for his birthday as a bundt because it would look really nice with the Maple glaze. I know I need to decrease the temp to 325 and grease/powder the pan like crazy and all those other tricks that make a cake successful, but should I decrease the amount of liquids in the recipe? Also, about how much do you think I need to increase cooking time by? Thanks for the FABulous recipe!!
Probably the best chocolate cake, I’ve ever had!! It was so moist and chocolateyl without bring too sweet!! Yummy!!
Does the coffee give it a coffee flavor or is it masked by the chocolate? Looking to make a yummy chocolate cake for an upcoming family gathering, but a few of my family members do not like coffee…even in cake form! Either way, I’ll be trying this recipe out eventually, because I am a coffee lover.
Thanks for posting! Looks delicious!
Jennifer-
There is a hint of coffee taste in this cake; however, it is not overpowering. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
-Jamie
Love it!
Saving the recipe 
And, I have to point out that it doesn’t use any chocolate or butter. It’s very budget-friendly 
Has anyone made this in a Bundt cake pan? Looks delicious!!
I found your recipe here: http://www.recipefirst.info/2012/11/black-magic-cake.html
I do not know if you agree, but I wanted to let you know, just in case.
Although they quoted, also copied the whole text, and that could make people, instead of entering your blog,see there the recipes.
Paula-
Thank you so much for giving me that information. It is greatly appreciated! Have a great day!
-Jamie
This makes me think of Ms. Trunchbulls cake from Matilda!
Hi Jamie, I live in India. I love this blog of yours a lot. I made this cake. It came out very dry. I’m not able to nail the problem. Is it the oil? I should double it? Can you reply to me please as I want this cake to come out fine.
Anu-
I have never had an issue with this cake being dry, so I am unable to problem solve with you without further info on the ingredients you used.
-Jamie
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