This Hocus Pocus cake is the perfect Halloween cake! It’s moist, decorated with buttercream, and naturally colored with dark cocoa powder!!

How to Make This Hocus Pocus Cake

To make sure this hocus pocus-themed cake turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together!

I’ve also included a video tutorial of the process below.

Step 1: Bake the Black Cocoa Cake Layers

The first step is to make the black cocoa cake batter following the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.

Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them into wire racks to finish cooling.

Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer.

If you’re making these in advance, you can wrap and freeze them at this point.

Step 2: Make the Buttercream Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the colorful vanilla frosting and the black cocoa buttercream.

I love this recipe because it uses one frosting base to make both flavors of frosting!

I like to use American buttercream because I think it’s the easiest to make and I love eating it. However, it is quite sweet!

If you want to use a less sweet frosting, I’d recommend making a batch of my Swiss meringue buttercream or my hybrid buttercream.

This frosting can also be made in advance if needed and kept in the fridge for up to a month!

If you’re struggling to get your frosting a deep shade of black, here are all of my tips and tricks for making super dark black frosting.

Step 3: Stack and Fill the Cake Layers

Then stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board. Use a dab of black cocoa buttercream to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

Add an even layer of black cocoa buttercream between each cake layer with a large offset spatula.

Repeat with the remaining cake layers and place the top cake layer upside down to make it easier to frost.

Step 4: Crumb Coat the Cake

Spread a thin coat of black cocoa frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers.

Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (10 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Step 5: Add the Second Layer of Frosting & Decorate

Next, add a second, thicker layer of black cocoa frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper.

If you’re having a hard time getting smooth sides on your cake, check out my post on how to frost a cake smoothly or watch my tutorial on YouTube.

Chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) one more time until the buttercream is firm to the touch.

Then use a toothpick or scribe to outline the silhouette of the Sanderson sisters and to write your favorite quote from the movie.

I chose to write “It’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus” but “I smell children” would be fun too!

Use the yellow, orange, and purple frosting to pipe the hair like in the picture below.

Smooth the frosting with a small offset spatula and/or acetate sheet. Pipe the quote in white buttercream.

Use the remaining colorful buttercream to pipe dots around the cake, then enjoy!

Substitutions & Swaps: Black Cocoa Cake Layers

While I love this cake recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.

• All Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with all purpose flour. However, you can swap in a good gluten free flour blend (like this) if needed. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the cake proper structure, and let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking it if you opt to make a gluten free version.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• Black Cocoa – I like to order a big tub of Wincrest black cocoa powder on Amazon. If you can’t find black cocoa, you can also use dark baking cocoa (Ghirardelli or Hershey’s both will work) or unsweetened cocoa powder plus some black gel food coloring.
• Buttermilk – You can also use full fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat).
• Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil can be used in this recipe. Canola, vegetable, or even sunflower oil would all work great. I don’t recommend olive oil though, as it has a strong flavor and will change the taste of the cake.
• Eggs – This recipe uses 2 large eggs. If you have an egg allergy you can try using a vegan egg replacer.

Substitutions & Swaps: Buttercream Frosting

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this buttercream recipe.

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
• Black Cocoa – I like to order a big tub of Wincrest black cocoa powder on Amazon. If you can’t find black cocoa, you can also use dark baking cocoa (Ghirardelli or Hershey’s both will work) or unsweetened cocoa powder plus some black gel food coloring.
• Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) can also be used to make the frosting.
• Dark Chocolate Chips – You can use chocolate chips, baking chocolate, or good-quality chocolate bars to melt and add into the frosting. I like to use dark chocolate, but you can also use milk or semi-sweet chocolate if you have a strong preference.
• Gel Food Coloring – To get super vibrant colored buttercream, I highly recommend using gel food coloring! Liquid food coloring can also be used but the colors won’t be quite the same.

Making This Hocus Pocus Cake in Different Sizes

I used four 7″ cake pans to make this cake, but this recipe can be used to make different sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!

You can also make three 8″ or four 6″ cake layers with one batch of batter.

To make three 8″ cake layers, bake them at 350 F / 175 C for 21-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. The cake will be a bit shorter than mine.

To make four 6″ cake layers, bake them at 350 F / 175 C for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. The cake will be a bit taller than mine.

One batch of batter can also be used to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 350 F / 175 C for 35-45 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly. It should end up being about 2 inches tall.

If you want to make cupcakes, I highly recommend using my black velvet cupcake recipe!

Making this Hocus Pocus Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your cake layers up to a month in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or sit out at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!

Tips for Making the Best Hocus Pocus Cake

• Try to get your hands on some black cocoa for this recipe– it’s delicious and totally worth it!
• Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
• Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!

Let Me Know What You Think

If you try this hocus pocus cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating below and comment below.

Don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so I can see your amazing creations!

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