This chocolate blackout cake is a recreation of the famous cake from Ebinger's bakery in Brooklyn.
Ingredients:
For the Pudding:
-
1¼
cupsgranulated sugar
-
¼
cupcornstarch
-
½
teaspoonsalt
-
2
cupshalf-and-half
-
1
cupwhole milk
-
6
ouncesunsweetened chocolate(finely chopped)
-
2
teaspoonsvanilla extract
For the Cake:
-
½
cupunsalted butter
-
1½
cupsall-purpose flour
-
2
teaspoonsbaking powder
-
½
teaspoonbaking soda
-
½
teaspoonsalt
-
¾
cupDutch-processed cocoa powder
-
1
cupbrewed coffee
-
1
cupbuttermilk
-
1
cupgranulated sugar
-
1
cuplight brown sugar
-
2
eggs
-
1
teaspoonvanilla extract
Directions:
-
Make the Pudding: In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-half, and milk. Set the pan over medium heat. Add the chocolate and whisk constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture begins to thicken, look glossy and large bubbles break on the surface. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Transfer the pudding to a large bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or up to 1 day.
-
Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans.
-
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
-
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in flour mixture.
-
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
-
Assemble the Cake: Cut each cake in half horizontally so that you have four layers. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on a serving platter or plate. Spread 1 cup of the pudding over the cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and last cake layer. Spread the remaining pudding evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the cake crumbs evenly over the top and sides of the cake, pressing lightly to adhere. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes:
Note: You cannot taste the coffee in this cake - it is used to enhance the chocolate flavor. If you cannot use coffee, you can substitute water, but be advised that it will alter the flavor of the cake.
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Nutrition:
Calories: 629kcal
Fat: 27g
Saturated fat: 16g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Sodium: 370mg
Potassium: 520mg
Carbohydrates: 97g
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 69g
Protein: 9g
Vitamin A: 580%
Vitamin C: 0.4%
Calcium: 195%
Iron: 5.1%
I’m excited to try this! I only have 9” cake pans. Will I likely still be able to cut them in half, or will they be too thin?
Hi Claire, Yes, you should. But know that you should decrease baking time a bit!
This cake will be one of the best chocolate cakes you’ve ever eaten.
Planning to make this cake for my husband birthday . It is his Favorite cake . Thank you for the Recipe
hi,
yesterday i tried it came out well.thanku
I made this cake today. Wow! It is very moist and delicious. I made sure the pudding was already thick when I took it off the heat. I refrigerated the pudding overnight and did the cake layers today. Totally fantastic! Thanks Cooks Country and Brown Eyed Baker!
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe, I plan to bake it over the week, but I need to stretch the baking for two days.
Is it possible to bake the cake on one day, and add the pudding only a day after?
If so, where can I meanwhile keep the cake so it will not dry?
Hi Dan, Yes, you can split it up into a couple of days. I would wrap the cake in a double layer of plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.
Made this staying true to the recipe. Turned out amazing! Everyone loved it. The cake itself was very moist. And the buttermilk adds a nice tang. Don’t get impatient when you’re making the pudding – give it time. I thought for sure I was going to be left with a pot of chocolate soup – but all of a sudden it thickened up into gorgeous pudding. Thanks for the recipe; it’s a keeper.
What is half-and-half???
It is an American product that is essentially 50% whole milk, 50% heavy cream.
i made it this weekend & it turned out great, thank you! :)
I made this for my mother’s 60th birthday yesterday. I didn’t do the crumbs, but tried to have four layers. Unfortunately, the chocolate pudding hadn’t set quite enough after 4.5 hours in the fridge, so I had to throw a layer of marzipan over it to stop all the pudding from sliding out on the side and the layers to slide in different directions.
It ended up looking very odd, as the layers were very crumbly and disintegrated as I was assembling.
However, the taste was AMAZING. I got a lot of credit both from guests at the party and my colleagues as I brought leftovers to work with me today.
If I am to make it again I will:
Probably let the pudding stand overnight.
Assemble the cake in the ring from a cake form to stop it from sliding too much. (Bottom layer in, add the pudding, next layer, add pudding, etc. and then cool before decorating.)
I wouldn’t alter anything else as the consistency and taste of the finish product was much better than anything I could order at a bakery.
Thank you so much for the amazing experience.
Even though the bakery is no longer open, this cake is a nice tribute! It’s delicious and moist, and it completely melts in your mouth. I like to decorate mine with chocolate shavings to give it a bigger boost.
I made this last weekend to rave reviews – the pudding frosting in particular was a huge hit (and, honestly, I might just make the pudding alone for, uh, science?). I was a little weirded out when the cake batter was suuuuper liquidy, but it rose great and tasted better.
Ooh, this cake sounds so unique. I can’t wait to give it a try. I don’t think I’ve ever made cake batter in a saucepan before.
Looks great! You can never have too much chocolate!
Saw this post and made it this weekend for a loved one’s birthday. It was easy and so chocolatey and delicious! Thank you! For those worried about the coffee flavor, there is no flavor from the coffee. Coffee greatly enhances the flavor of chocolate in any chocolate recipe.
I can easily see why this cake is so popular–it looks incredible!! Love the chocolate pudding frosting, so much better than a boring buttercream :P
Michelle, do you think this would not freeze well because of the pudding layers?
I grew up in Queens and remember Ebingers Bakery and this cake. Thank you for posting this recipe. I bake often and will make this in the next few weeks. Thanks again for sharing.
I like this amazing chocolate blackout cake, baker is pro ;)
This looks awesome! Is there a substitute for the coffee?
Coffee is for flavor, so the chemistry of the cake will not be affected if you leave it out. Just make sure to keep the liquid amount the same (you can just substitute water).
O.M.G. This cake. Where has it been all my life?
My mom would LOVE this. She is a chocolate fanatic. I will have to share the recipe with her or maybe surprise here with it one day.
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Does the cake have a distinct coffee flavor from the brewed coffee in the batter? If so, do you think it could effectively be replaced with anything else? Thanks!
That probably depends on the amount of coffee granules used. I made this with 2 tablespoons of coffee for the 1 cup of water and I did slightly taste the coffee flavor through the chocolate. You could try just making a weaker coffee.
Hi Katie, No, there is no coffee flavor at all. Coffee is a very common ingredient used in chocolate recipes – it enhances the chocolate flavor, but you cannot taste the coffee.
This is definitely a NYC thing- I grew up on it! This recipe sounds like the real deal!
Dingbat’s, which used to be located in One Oxford Centre in Downtown Pittsburgh, used to make a mean “Blackout Cake”, and it was so decadent. I did happen to see a recipe for it at one time, but I seem to remember that they used Oreo cookie crumbs in both their filling, as well as in their frosting. I never tried to make it, because it looked like it could have been a zillion calories per slice, and I would never trust myself with a whole cake __ LOL!
I made this cake and froze it unfrosted. It was easy to split and assemble. I must admit it is soooooo delis
This looks so yummy and fool proof! Yummo!
I have never heard of this cake. But I love chocolate, and your pictures have convinced me to make this cake ASAP.
How have I never eaten this cake before? It looks amaaaaaaazing!
the chocoholics in my house will FLIP for this cake!!
Can you make this cake with instant pudding to save a step?
No, and it will not be the same with any packaged pudding.
Hi Debbie, I did not try it, but I think you probably could. The taste will not be nearly as rich as the homemade version, though.
Is there a special technique to placing the crumbs on the cake? I love the look of the crumb layer but I’m already a messy cook. I can’t figure out how I would apply handfuls of crumbs to a sticky frosting without trashing my kitchen and myself. How do you remove the excess crumbs from the serving dish once you’ve applied all that will adhere? Any hints you have would be really appreciated.
Hi Heather, I started using an offset spatula, but eventually found that just using my hands/fingers was easier. I just picked them up with my fingers, but you could place some wax paper under your bottom layer and then slide it out once you’re finished to keep your serving plate clean. There is a good illustration of how to do this here: http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/white-cake-with-seven-minute-frosting/
I do love chocolate, so this must be a cake for me! I love how the crumbs dust the outside of the cake!
It´s a beautiful cake, congratulations . but I dontI understand what this :2 cups half-and-half, Can you explain to me
Thank’s
Half and half is a dairy item, I think particular to the U.S. It’s the mid point between whole milk and non fat milk, basically. If you can’t find half and half substituting with whole milk that’s cut with a bit of non fat would work.
Half and half is indeed a dairy product that it common in the U.S. However, it is actually the midpoint between whole milk and heavy cream. So if you can’t find half and half, you can substitute 1/2 whole milk and 1/2 heavy cream.
I am pinning this recipe and making it for the birthday of my chocolate lovers. Wow!! I sounds and looks amazing. I am not an everyday “sweets” eater. None of my Italian family was but every now and then we would eat a dessert for a holiday or birthday. This recipe certainly is special!!
I needed extra cash so I worked partime on the weekends back in the summer of 1991 with the one of the bosses of Ebingers cakes. I remember every once in a while he would give me a few cakes to take home for free. He was such a nice guy! The BLACK OUT CAKE was my favorite!!! I OMG I must’ve put on 10lbs just eating those free cakes. I don’t know why they went out of business. I mean I know they were in competition with Entamins cakes, I just just wish they were still around, They really did have amazing cakes!!
Wow, I am so fascinated with the way the cake is frosted! It’s such a decadent cake! I can’t wait to try!
Oh My!! This looks beyond fabulous. Kid over my shoulder saying,”Make that!” Thanks! :)