Brooklyn Blackout Cake is an elusive mid-century dessert with a cult following, and a pretty spectacular chocolate cake, no matter how you slice it!
The Brooklyn Blackout Cake is a true New York icon with a history as rich as its chocolatey interior. Legend has it this cake emerged during World War II when blackout drills plunged Brooklyn into darkness. It’s associated with Ebinger’s Bakery, a beloved local institution that closed its doors in 1972 and never officially shared their recipe for this epic cake filled with chocolate pudding and covered in deep rich crumbs.
If you google blackout cake you’ll get a confusing array of complicated recipes, frustrating paywalls, and a collection of photos that range from daunting to downright scary (one unfortunate example uses black food coloring.) But as usual, I’ve got your back on this one…
Let’s dig in:
what makes blackout cake black?
Well, it’s dark chocolate, of course, but there another element: Dutched cocoa powder.
The “Dutching” process treats cocoa powder with an alkaline solution which neutralizes its natural acidity. This not only mellows the taste but also darkens the cocoa powder itself.
When you use it in your baking, this deeper color translates to a more intense, almost black appearance in the finished product. You can see this effect in Oreo cookies, or in my Double Dark Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies.
Find Dutch-process cocoa powder in your supermarket baking aisle, just read the labels. Hershey’s Special Dark is a common one.
blackout cake ingredients
for the devil’s food cake
For the cake layers I used our go-to chocolate cake, from Ina Garten.
- flour
- sugar
- unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
- ‘Dutched’ cocoa is important for this recipe, it makes the cake super dark and rich for that classic blackout effect!
- baking soda, baking powder, salt
- buttermilk
- buttermilk is wonderful but go ahead and substitute regular whole milk if you prefer.
- vegetable oil
- vegetable oil instead of butter makes a super moist cake.
- large eggs
- vanilla
- everybody makes fun of Ina for insisting on ‘good vanilla’ but she’s so right!!
- hot coffee
- I promise this cake does not taste like coffee, it just intensifies the chocolate flavor.
for the filling
- unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
- sugar
- semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate
- cornstarch
- salt
- vanilla
- butter
for the frosting
The frosting is dense and delicious!
- semisweet chocolate
- butter
- hot water
- corn syrup
- vanilla
the pudding filling
The pudding filling is arguably one of the main things that distinguishes a blackout cake from other chocolate cakes. After filling the layers I lightly spread the pudding over the sides of the cake, which holds the crumbs beautifully and aligns with accounts of the original Ebinger’s cake.
If you have trouble with the layers slipping and sliding, insert a long skewer or chopstick down through the center of the cake to stabilize it. You can remove it after chilling the cake (just hide the small hole with the crumbs.)
blackout cake frosting
The frosting is pretty amazing, but a little tricky. It’s like a dairy free ganache and might be my favorite part of this whole project. But here’s the thing: like a ganache it’s runny when you first make it, and has to be refrigerated to firm up to spreadable texture. If you leave it too long in the fridge it will become too firm, so keep an eye on it.
The frosting has a dreamy ganache/fudge-like consistency and is very rich ~ I love it chilled!
the verdict on Brooklyn blackout cake
Don’t expect a super neat cake, this one is shaggy, and decadently sloppy. If you love cakes with sharp edges and geometric slices, this isn’t the recipe for you.
The cake is a bit wobbly. The filling is basically a pudding, and so the cake will be somewhat unstable when sliced…chilling helps.
You’ll notice there is a lot of water in this recipe! This reflects the era of this cake: food scarcity and rationing limited certain ingredients like dairy products, so water (or leftover coffee) served as a readily available and more affordable liquid to use in baking recipes. The effect can be really delicious, as I’ve found in my Chocolate Sheet Cake and Vegan Chocolate Cake.
The main selling point of this cake, besides chocolate, is that it features several different textures between the cake, the pudding filling, the fudgy frosting, and those crumbs. It’s something a little different, with a fascinating backstory, and is definitely worth a try if you love all things chocolate.
Maybe make it for someone special this Valentine’s Day!
tips for making blackout cake
Brooklyn blackout cake doesn’t require any special baking skills or equipment, but it is a multi-step process which takes some time, and makes a bit of a mess, lol. If you want to take a shortcut with this epic recipe I suggest starting with a chocolate cake mix for the cake layers, I recommend Duncan Hines.
If you run short of crumbs, blitz up some Dark Chocolate Oreos in your small food processor.
This cake is best served chilled for stability.
You can double the frosting and omit the pudding filling. Just fill and frost the cake with the frosting.
You can do one or all of the major steps ahead and assemble the cake the next day.
- Make the cake layers, let cool completely, then wrap in plastic and leave on counter overnight.
- Make pudding and keep refrigerated until needed.
- Make frosting and keep refrigerated overnight. Bring out and let sit at room temperature until it softens enough to spread.
want to know more about the Brooklyn blackout cake?
Untapped New York has a fascinating article chronicling the history of this epic cake.
Ebinger’s has a facebook fan page, check it out!
In 2023 Nabisco came out with limited edition Blackout Cake Oreos!
There is no official recipe for the Brooklyn Blackout Cake so I checked out many different versions. I adapted my recipe from one featured in New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants by Molly O’Neill, an expert on the Ebinger’s legend and legacy.
how to order a Brooklyn Blackout Cake
If you don’t feel like baking you can order a Brooklyn Black out Cake from Zabar’s, here.
From Gold Belly, here.
Or from Bake Me A Wish here.
Brooklyn Blackout Cake
Equipment
- Two 8-inch round cake pans Note: make sure your cake pans are at least 2 inches tall to accomodate the batter.
- cupcake pan
Ingredients
dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
wet Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk, half and half or whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee
pudding filling
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 cups boiling water or hot brewed coffee
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp butter
frosting
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (that's 1 1/2 sticks)
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped finely
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper discs.
- Whisk all the dry ingredients together well in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients EXCEPT the coffee.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing as you go. Once incorporated, add the hot coffee, and mix everything until there are no pockets of dry flour left. The batter will be thin.
- Fill 2 cupcake papers, and set the pan aside. This will be used to make the crumbs.
- Then divide the remaining batter between two 8 inch cake pans. and bake for 35 minutes until risen and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out without wet batter clinging to it. When the cake layers come out slide the cupcakes in and bake for 15 minutes, or until the top springs back and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake layers to partially cool in the pans, then turn out onto a cooling rack to completely cool before frosting. The cakes (and cupcakes) can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the refrigerator before filling and frosting.
pudding filling
- While the cake is in the oven make the pudding. Whisk together the boiling water and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, chocolate, and salt. Mix the cornstarch with enough water to make a thin paste and whisk that right into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and then whisk in the vanilla and the butter. Turn the pudding into a bowl and chill.
frosting
- Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, start with one minute, then stir, and add 15 second bursts, stirring in between, until everything is smooth and melted. You can also do this in a saucepan, but I start with the butter and then add the chocolate.
- Whisk in the hot water all at once, and then the corn syrup and vanilla and stir until it is smooth. Put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 20-30 minutes to firm up to a spreadable consistency.
cake assembly
- Make crumbs with the 2 cupcakes. i do this in my food processor. Pulse until you get fine even crumbs. Set aside.
- Make sure you peel off the parchment paper from the bottoms of your cake layers. Put one layer, flattest side facing up, on a plate.
- Top with a layer of pudding, you will not need all of it. Place the second cake layer, flat side up, on top of the pudding.
- Lightly spread more pudding along the sides of the cake and press crumbs onto the sides with your hands. This will be a bit messy.
- Generously frost the top of the cake with the frosting. Add more crumbs to the top, either all over, or just around the edges.
- Chill the cake until ready to serve. The cake should be kept in the refrigerator and will last 3-4 days.
Notes
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Nutrition
I made this for my neighbor’s birthday. Everyone LOVED it and it was gone before I knew it!
Thank you so much for this hit recipe!
Spectacular! My Brooklyn-born and raised mom has been talking about her fond memories of Ebinger’s blackout cake for ages, so it was only fitting that I make her this cake for her birthday. She loved it! I knew it would be delicious because every component o its own was amazing – the cake, the pudding, the frosting. They came together for a rich, super-chocolatey, decadent delight. Thank you for this recipe!!
This looks yummy! I have the cakes made and icing. Icing is super runny even after refrigerated. How can I thicken up?
Beat in powdered sugar to thicken it up.
Try beating in some powdered sugar to thicken it.
Wow! I made this cake today and so yummy! The explanation of the significance of water in this recipe is interesting and appeals to me because I don’t often have dairy on hand. This is the best chocolate cake recipe for the combination of ingredients, textures, and flavors. I used coffee for half the liquid in the pudding and got a coffee forward flavor in the assembled cake. It tastes good and I’ll try making the pudding with all water next time to compare. Great recipe and post. Thank you, Sue!
I made this recipe yesterday for my daughter’s birthday party. It was the best chocolate cake I have ever made. I highly recommend giving this one a go -just outstanding.
Agreed ~ this is a special cake, I want it for my birthday!
Now i am having major cravings seeing this recipe. I will definitely try today.
The individual components were good; the assembled cake was a symphony. Even better the next day.
Wow, thanks for the review Chris, I couldn’t have said it better!
Shoot, my pudding is super thin, what can I do to thicken it? I followed the directions when boiling it…
The pudding thickens upon chilling, and never gets super thick or firm. If you do have an unusually loose pudding you can add a slurry of cornstarch and water and keep cooking until it thickens further.
I haven’t made this yet but wanted to pass along a tip. When assembling the cake, pipe a thick circle of the frosting around the edge of the first layer before adding the pudding filling. It should help hold the filling in and also minimize any sliding.
Nice tip thanks Miriam!