This chocolate Brooklyn blackout cake is made with chocolate cake filled with chocolate pudding, covered in chocolate frosting, and coated in chocolate cake crumbs.
Originating in Brooklyn during World War II, this classic dessert pairs a moist, oil-based cocoa sponge with a silky cooked stovetop chocolate pudding and a fudgy chocolate frosting.
Trimming the cake domes gives you perfectly flat layers for stacking and creates the crumbs needed to coat the outside.
Because it relies on real dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and cooked pudding, the flavor is deeply rich rather than overly sweet. It is my go-to cake for birthdays, holidays, or any crowd of chocolate lovers.
For more delicious chocolate cake recipes, check out my chocolate caramel cake, Matilda's chocolate cake, and chocolate coffee cake.
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Why this recipe works
- Triple Chocolate Experience: Combines tender cocoa sponge layers, a thick cooked chocolate pudding center, and dark chocolate frosting.
- Silky Pudding Center: A quick stovetop chocolate pudding adds a rich, custard-like texture that keeps the cake soft for days.
- Built-in Decorating: Trimming the cake domes gives you flat, even layers for easy assembly while providing the exact crumbs needed to coat the outside.
- The Perfect Crumb: I use a mix of Dutch-process cocoa and hot coffee to bloom the chocolate, giving the sponge a deep color and smooth flavor with zero bitterness.
Ingredients
Before starting, measure and prepare your ingredients so the baking process goes smoothly. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For the Chocolate Cake
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the core structure for the cake layers. You can also use cake flour or self-rising flour for a tender crumb.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake and retains moisture for a soft crumb.
Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder: I prefer Dutch-process cocoa powder for my chocolate cakes because it gives them a deep, intense chocolate flavor and dark color. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder works too.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder: The leavening agents that react with the buttermilk to help the cake rise evenly.
Fine Sea Salt: Enhances the cocoa flavor and balances the sweetness.
Eggs: Large and at room temperature so they emulsify smoothly into the batter.
Buttermilk: Gives the cake extra moisture and tenderness. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, mix 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes before using.
Vegetable Oil: Keeps the cake layers perfectly moist and soft, even when stored in the fridge. Canola oil works perfectly too.
Vanilla Extract: Deepens and enhances the natural chocolate flavor.
Hot Coffee: Blooms the cocoa powder to maximize the chocolate flavor without leaving a coffee taste. You can use strong brewed coffee or instant espresso.
For the Chocolate Pudding Filling
Whole Milk: Forms the creamy base of the cooked stovetop pudding.
Cornstarch & Water Slurry: Thicken the pudding so it sets properly between the cake layers.
Dark Chocolate (60–70% Cocoa): Melted directly into the milk mixture for a glossy, decadent finish.
Unsalted Butter: Whisked in at the end to add richness and shine to the pudding.
Granulated Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Vanilla & Salt: Balance the dark chocolate and build a deep flavor profile.
For the Chocolate Frosting
Unsalted Butter: Softened to room temperature to whip up light and creamy.
Dark Chocolate: Melted and cooled high-quality chocolate gives the frosting structure and a deep fudge taste.
Powdered Sugar & Cocoa Powder: Sifted to create a smooth, streak-free buttercream.
Instructions
1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to prevent lumps.
3. Wet Ingredients: Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until just combined.
4. Bloom: Pour the hot coffee directly into the batter. Whisk gently until smooth. Note: The batter will be thin and liquid.
5. Bake & Level: Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
Trim off the domed tops with a serrated knife to create flat layers, and crumble the trimmings into fine crumbs for decorating.
Make the chocolate pudding
1. In a saucepan, whisk whole milk, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, dark chocolate, and the cornstarch slurry. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 10 minutes until thick and bubbling.
2. Remove from heat, whisk in the butter until melted, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding surface and chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours until set.
Make the Chocolate Frosting
1. Beat softened butter, sifted powdered sugar, sifted cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt with an electric hand mixer for 1–2 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Pour in the melted, cooled dark chocolate and whip on high speed until smooth and spreadable.
Assembly
1. Place the first leveled cake layer on a turntable. Pipe a thick border of chocolate frosting around the top edge to create a secure dam.
2. Fill the center of the dam with the chilled chocolate pudding, smoothing it level with an offset spatula.
3. Top with the second cake layer. Spread the remaining chocolate frosting smoothly over the top and sides of the cake.
4. Gently press the reserved cake crumbs all over the sides and top of the frosted cake until fully coated.
Expert Tips
- Bloom the Cocoa: Always use hot coffee or boiling water. The heat dissolves the cocoa solids instantly, releasing their full flavor potential.
- Use a Kitchen Scale: Weighing dry ingredients like flour and cocoa powder—and weighing batter into the pans—is the only way to ensure a consistent, moist cake texture instead of a dense or dry crumb.
- Strain the Pudding: Always pass your cooked pudding through a fine-mesh sieve. This removes any cornstarch lumps or film so the filling stays silky smooth.
- Always Pipe a Frosting Dam: Piping a thick ring of buttercream around the outer edge of the bottom layer locks the soft pudding center inside so it doesn't squeeze out.
- Chill Before Assembly: Never assemble the cake with warm pudding. It must be completely cold and set, or it will melt the frosting and cause the top layer to slide off.
Troubleshooting
Why is my chocolate pudding too runny?
The cornstarch mixture needs to reach a full simmer while whisking continuously to activate its thickening power. If it remains liquid after chilling, it was removed from the heat too early.
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
The oven door was likely opened too early during baking, or your leavening agents are expired. Ensure your leavening agents are under 6 months old for the best rise.
Why did the pudding spill out the sides when stacking?
Your frosting dam wasn't stiff or high enough, or the pudding was still slightly warm when you assembled the cake.
Why is my chocolate frosting grainy?
Ensure your powdered sugar and cocoa powder are thoroughly sifted before mixing, and make sure your melted dark chocolate has cooled to room temperature so it doesn't seize the butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
It was created by Ebinger's Bakery in Brooklyn during World War II and named after the protective blackout drills mandated for the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Not at all. The coffee simply deepens and intensifies the natural flavor of the cocoa powder.
Because of the fresh milk and butter in the cooked pudding, do not leave this cake out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Storing
Because the pudding filling is made with fresh milk and butter, this cake must be kept in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container or a covered cake dome for up to 4 days.
Freezing
You can freeze the assembled cake (or individual slices) in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
If freezing individual slices, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Make it ahead of time
Bake the Cake Layers Early: Save time by baking the chocolate layers up to 2 days in advance. Once they are completely cool, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature (or freeze them for up to 3 months).
Prep the Pudding in Advance: You can make the chocolate pudding up to 2 days ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge with plastic wrap touching the surface so a skin doesn't form.
Substitutions
Gluten-Free: Swap the all-purpose flour for a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
Dairy-Free Cake: Substitute the buttermilk and whole milk with 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and use plant-based butter.
Egg-Free: Replace the eggs with flax eggs (mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken) or ⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce.
Variations
Mocha: Mix 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder directly into the pudding while cooking.
Salted Caramel: Drizzle 2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce into the center of the pudding filling before stacking.
Ganache Swap: Replace stovetop pudding with a 1:1 dark chocolate ganache filling for a dense center.
Nutty Coating: Mix finely chopped toasted hazelnuts or pecans into the cake crumbs.
How to Scale This Recipe for Different Pans
Two 6-Inch Pans: Multiply recipe by 60% (0.6). Use 2 whole eggs. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 28–32 minutes.
Three 6-Inch Pans: Use 100% of recipe. Divide batter evenly between three pans. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 22–26 minutes.
Two 9-Inch Pans: Multiply recipe by 130% (1.3). Use 4 whole eggs. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 30–35 minutes.
9x13 Inch Sheet Pan: Use 100% of recipe. Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 35–40 minutes.
Equipment
- Two 8-inch cake pans
- Parchment paper rounds
- Large mixing bowl and whisk
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Saucepan
- Electric hand mixer
- Offset spatula and bench scraper
- Cake turntable
- Piping bag
- Fabric cake strips
More Layer Cake Recipes
Vanilla Cake With Strawberry Filling- Soft, tender vanilla cake layers filled with fresh homemade strawberry filling.
Pistachio Cake- Made with real pistachios and pistachio paste, topped and frosted with silky pistachio buttercream.
Butterscotch Cake- Moist brown sugar cake layers filled and topped with rich homemade butterscotch sauce and buttercream.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Brooklyn Blackout Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ¾ cups Flour AP, plain flour
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups Granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ⅔ cup Cocoa powder dutch processed
- ⅔ cup Buttermilk
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- 2 Eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Coffee hot
Chocolate pudding filling
- 1 ¼ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅓ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4 oz Dark chocolate
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon Cocoa powder dutch processed
- 2 tablespoon Butter Unsalted
Chocolate frosting
- 7 oz Butter unsalted
- ⅓ cup Cocoa powder dutch processed
- 1 cup Powder sugar
- 2 oz Dark chocolate melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoon Heavy cream
Instructions
Bake the Cake Layers
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to prevent lumps.
- Wet Ingredients: Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until just combined.
- Bloom: Pour the hot coffee directly into the batter. Whisk gently until smooth. Note: The batter will be thin and liquid.
- Bake & Level: Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Trim off the domed tops with a serrated knife to create flat layers, and crumble the trimmings into fine crumbs for decorating.
Make the chocolate pudding
- In a saucepan, whisk together whole milk, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, dark chocolate, and the cornstarch slurry. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 10 minutes, until thick and bubbling.
- Remove from heat, whisk in the butter until melted, and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding surface and chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours until set.
Make the Chocolate Frosting
- Beat softened butter, sifted powdered sugar, sifted cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt with an electric hand mixer for 1–2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Pour in the melted, cooled dark chocolate and whip on high speed until smooth and spreadable.
Assembly
- Place the first leveled cake layer on a turntable. Pipe a thick border of chocolate frosting around the top edge to create a secure dam.
- Fill the center of the dam with the chilled chocolate pudding, smoothing it level with an offset spatula.
- Top with the second cake layer. Spread the remaining chocolate frosting smoothly over the top and sides of the cake.
- Gently press the reserved cake crumbs all over the sides and top of the frosted cake until fully coated.
Notes
- Kitchen Scale: For the best results, weigh dry ingredients (flour and cocoa powder) in grams. Over-measuring flour with cups will result in a dense, dry cake.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring eggs and buttermilk to room temperature before starting so the batter emulsifies smoothly.
- Hot Coffee: Hot liquid blooms the cocoa powder to unleash its full flavor potential. You can substitute boiling water for hot coffee if needed; the coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee.
- Pudding Prep: Always strain the cooked pudding through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any cornstarch lumps, and press plastic wrap directly against the pudding surface to prevent a skin from forming while chilling.
- Frosting Dam: Pipe a thick ring of buttercream around the outer perimeter of the bottom cake layer before adding the pudding to prevent the soft center from squeezing out the sides.
- Chilling: Ensure the pudding is completely cold and set before assembling. Assembling with warm pudding will melt the buttercream and cause the top cake layer to slide off.
- Make Ahead: Bake cake layers and cook pudding up to 2 days in advance. Store layers wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature and keep pudding refrigerated until ready to assemble.
- Storage: Store the assembled cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days due to the fresh dairy in the pudding center.
Cynthia says
I have to say this is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made! The cake was moist and I almost ate the pudding by itself! That’s how good it is. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. Much love from my family to yours. 🩷
Marcus says
I made this cake in a bundt pan and it was perfectly moist and chocolatey. The ingredients and directions were very straightforward and easy to follow. To make it vegan I did end up substituting the eggs for unsweetened applesauce (1 egg = 1/4 cup applesauce) and the buttermilk for coconut milk. If you are sensitive to caffeine this might not be the best recipe option for you.
Sameen says
No where in the recipe is it mentioned where to use the buttermilk or the heavy cream :/ I prepared buttermilk but now it's going to be wasted bc the recipe doesn't specify when and where to use it
RichandDelish says
Hi, sorry, I just fixed it. You need to add it with the wet ingredients.
Rexanne says
What if you don't drink or use coffee at all. What can I use as a substitute?
RichandDelish says
You can use decaf coffee or hot water instead.
Shamistha says
Hi what is coffee water ratio to make the coffee? Also do you get the coffee flavour in the cake ?