Black Flame Candle Cakes | Hocus Pocus
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Calling all witches and magic lovers! These Black Flame Candle Cakes are a wickedly fun way to bring the iconic Hocus Pocus movie into your kitchen. Inspired by the eerie Black Flame Candle that brings the Sanderson Sisters' return, these tiny cakes are perfect for a spooky Halloween celebration or a Hocus Pocus movie night. With their dark chocolatey goodness and a flickering flame-like decoration, these cakes are a magical addition to your Halloween dessert table.
Why You’ll Love These Hocus Pocus Black Flame Candle Cakes:
These rich and decadent black chocolate cakes are as enchanting as the movie itself. Each cake is designed to look like the infamous Black Flame Candle, with dark frosting, a candle-like shape, and dripping black chocolate ganache wax. Whether you're throwing a Hocus Pocus-themed party or simply want a Halloween treat with a touch of magic, these cakes are the perfect fit.
Perfect for Halloween and Hocus Pocus Watch Parties:
These Black Flame Candle Cakes are not only delicious but also a great conversation starter. They make a perfect centerpiece for your Halloween party or dessert table, and guests will love the spooky, magical vibe they bring to the event. Plus, they’re easy to make and customize to fit your own creative touch.
Gathering Ingredients:
Black Cocoa Powder. Black cocoa powder is what gives these cakes their rich black color! You can sometimes find this in the grocery store, but it is also available online here.
Flour. This recipe uses all-purpose flour.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda.
Salt.
Butter. You will want to make sure your butter is softened to around 60 to 62° F (16° C).
Sugar.
Eggs. Use room temperature eggs.
Vanila.
Buttermilk. Use room temperature buttermilk.
Coffee. Coffee helps bring out the flavor of the chocolate! You can use regular or decaf coffee.
Black Gel Food Coloring. To deeply color your buttercream, I highly suggest using black gel food coloring.
Powdered Sugar.
Black Chocolate Melting Wafers. To make the melting candle wax ganache, I used black chocolate melting wafers. This is much easier than trying to use food coloring as most food colorings cause white chocolate to seize!
Cream.
How to Make Black Flame Candle Cakes:
Step One: Begin by baking your cakes. These cakes are incredibly simple to bake and come together quickly! Mix together your dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then, cream together the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs, and then the vanilla. Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, finishing with some hot coffee. The batter will be very thin at this point!
Step Two: Butter and flour 3 4-inch (10-cm) cake pans. Divide half of the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave the cakes to rest in the pans for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Then, wash and dry your cake pans, butter and flour them again, and bake the remaining cake batter. Finally, chill the cakes for at least 30 minutes before frosting.
Step Three: While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In a standing electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a handheld mixer, begin by creaming the butter on its own for about 4 to 5 minutes. The butter should become light in color and fluffy and creamy.
Then, add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, and vanilla. Continue to beat the buttercream on medium to high speed until the frosting is soft and smooth and looks similar to foamy shaving cream, about 5 to 6 minutes. It should be soft, easily spreadable, and slightly warm. Mix in the black gel food coloring.
Step Four: Finally, before decorating, make the Black Chocolate Ganache. In a double boiler over simmering water, combine the black chocolate melting wafers with the heavy cream. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is fully melted.
Remove the ganache from heat and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes. Then, transfer the ganache to a plastic piping bag or reusable condiment bottle.
Decorating the Cakes:
Step One: First, level your cakes by cutting off any uneven areas on the domes of the cakes with a serrated knife. Then, spread a small amount of black buttercream onto the place where you will be permanently setting your cakes.
Step Two: Begin with a first layer of cake. Spread some of the black buttercream over this layer all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top, then another small scoop of black buttercream. Finish with the final layer of cake, making sure that everything looks even.
Step Three: About one half of the frosting will be used to coat the outside of the cake in a crumb coat. Scoop out a large dollop on top the cake and spread it evenly over the top, making your way down the sides of the cake. Spread it all around the sides and scrape it to the edges of the cake layers. This is made a bit easier by using a tool like a frosting spreader or a bench scraper. Repeat this process with the second cake.
Step Four: Refrigerate the cakes in their crumb coating for at least 20 minutes. Next, put on the outer layer of black frosting by spreading it around the outside and top of the cake. Use a bench scraper to give it a flat surface around the outside of the cake. Chill the cake again for another 10 to 20 minutes to firm up the black frosting.
Step Five: Now the fun part begins: decorating! To decorate these cakes, I chose to give them some frayed/waxy looking edges around the top edge of the cakes. Simply spread the black buttercream up around the cake. If your buttercream is too soft and falls over, you can whip in a bit more powdered sugar to help stiffen it up.
Step Six: Clean your cake spatula and spread the vanilla buttercream around outer edge of the cake. To make some Black Flame Candle inscriptions, use a wooden skewer or small dowel rod to draw some witchy designs into the vanilla frosting. Don't be afraid to press into the black layer of frosting, as this will help the designs show through. Then, with a bench scraper or metal spatula, scrape off most of the vanilla frosting to reveal the designs underneath. This gives the candle a "dipped wax" look, similar to the prop from the movie!
Step Seven: Chill the cakes again, then add the final touch of dripping wax ganache. Drip the ganache down around the edges of the cakes and cover the top, too. Before the ganache hardens, stick a couple of black birthday candles into the centers of the cakes almost all of the way down so that only the wick and a little bit of the candle is visible.
Baking Tips for Perfect Black Flame Candle Cakes:
Use Black Cocoa for Intensity: For the richest, darkest cakes, add black cocoa powder to your batter. This not only deepens the color of the cakes but also adds an intense, velvety chocolate flavor that’s perfect for the spooky theme.
Master the Black Frosting: To get that deep black frosting, mix in black gel food coloring with your black chocolate frosting. Start with a little and add more as needed, allowing the color to develop fully over time for a bold, even hue. Black can be a difficult color to achieve with food coloring! Some food coloring brands have blacks that have different undertones in them, and the black may look a bit green or purple/red. To fix this, you can add drops of green or red or blue food coloring to balance the color. If you feel that your food coloring is not black enough, you may just need to wait. Black food coloring can take a little time to set into the frosting and will show up after resting for about 10 to 30 minutes. It can also be easier to spread the coloring with a silicone spatula and press the color into the frosting.
Add a Dripping Wax Look: To give the cakes an even more authentic candle appearance, use a black chocolate ganache to create a “dripping wax” effect around the edges of the cakes. It’s a simple touch that adds drama to your final presentation. I used black chocolate melting wafers to achieve this color, as adding food coloring to white chocolate can cause it to seize.
Serving Suggestions for a Spellbinding Halloween:
For the ultimate presentation, place your Black Flame Candle Cakes on a small wooden cake stand or even a large pillar candle holder and dim the lights to let your candle cakes shine. Pair these treats with a Hocus Pocus-themed cocktail or a batch of witch's brew punch to keep the magical atmosphere alive. Your guests will be enchanted by the attention to detail and the bewitching flavors of these fun, individual cakes.
Here are some magical Hocus Pocus themed recipes to pair with your cakes!
Final Thoughts:
These Black Flame Candle Cakes are a deliciously spooky way to channel the magical spirit of Hocus Pocus into your Halloween festivities. Rich, dark, and full of chocolate flavor, they capture the essence of the movie while delivering a memorable dessert experience. Whether you're hosting a full-blown Hocus Pocus viewing party or simply want to enjoy a fun Halloween baking project, these cakes will cast a spell over your guests and leave them craving more. So, light the candle, gather your witches, and enjoy some magical bites!
Black Flame Candle Cakes: Hocus Pocus
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (84 g) black cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (174 g) salted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) hot black coffee
- 3/4 cup (174 g) salted butter, about 60-62° F (16° C)
- 4 cups (472 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 cup (42 g) black cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Black gel food coloring
- 1/4 cup (58 g) salted butter, about 60-62° F (16° C)
- 2 cups (236 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz (113 g) black chocolate melting wafers
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350° F (177° C). Butter and flour 3 6-inch (15-cm) round cake pans and set these aside for now.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, black cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
- In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until it becomes light in color and fluffy in texture, about 2 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, fully mixing each egg into the batter before adding the next one, another 3 to 4 minutes. Finally, mix in the vanilla.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. The batter should be of a medium consistency at this point and very black to dark chocolate looking. Finally, add in the hot coffee, whisking until the batter is consistent, about 3 minutes. The batter will be very thin at this point!
- Evenly divide half of the batter amongst the 3 cake pans, filling them about 1/2-way full. Leave the remaining batter on the counter while you bake the first round of cakes.
- Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave the cakes to rest in the pans for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Then, wash and dry your cake pans, butter and flour them again, and bake the remaining cake batter.
- Once all of the cakes are finished, let them cool completely before decorating.*
- While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In a standing electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a handheld mixer, begin by creaming the butter on its own for about 4 to 5 minutes. The butter should become light in color and fluffy and creamy.
- Then, add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, and vanilla. Continue to beat the buttercream on medium to high speed until the frosting is soft and smooth and looks similar to foamy shaving cream, about 5 to 6 minutes. It should be soft, easily spreadable, and slightly warm.**
- At this point, you should color your frosting! The black cocoa powder will get you most of the way there, but for a true black frosting you will want to use some gel food coloring.***
- To make the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, follow the same instructions as above without adding any food coloring. Set both frostings aside for now.
- Finally, before decorating, make the Black Chocolate Ganache. In a double boiler**** over simmering water, combine the black chocolate melting wafers with the heavy cream. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is fully melted.
- Remove the ganache from heat and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes. Then, transfer the ganache to a plastic piping bag or reusable condiment bottle.
- First, level your cakes by cutting off any uneven areas on the domes of the cakes with a serrated knife. Then, spread a small amount of black buttercream onto the place where you will be permanently setting your cakes.
- Begin with a first layer of cake. Spread some of the black buttercream over this layer all the way to the edge of the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top, then another small scoop of black buttercream. Finish with the final layer of cake, making sure that everything looks even.
- About one half of the frosting will be used to coat the outside of the cake in a crumb coat. Scoop out a large dollop on top the cake and spread it evenly over the top, making your way down the sides of the cake. Spread it all around the sides and scrape it to the edges of the cake layers. This is made a bit easier by using a tool like a frosting spreader or a bench scraper. Repeat this process with the second cake.
- Refrigerate the cakes in their crumb coating for at least 20 minutes. Next, put on the outer layer of black frosting by spreading it around the outside and top of the cake. Use a bench scraper to give it a flat surface around the outside of the cake. Chill the cake again for another 10 to 20 minutes to firm up the black frosting.
- Now the fun part begins: decorating! To decorate these cakes, I chose to give them some frayed/waxy looking edges around the top edge of the cakes. Simply spread the black buttercream up around the cake. If your buttercream is too soft and falls over, you can whip in a bit more powdered sugar to help stiffen it up.
- Clean your cake spatula and spread the vanilla buttercream around outer edge of the cake. To make some Black Flame Candle inscriptions, use a wooden skewer or small dowel rod to draw some witchy designs into the vanilla frosting. Don't be afraid to press into the black layer of frosting, as this will help the designs show through. Then, with a bench scraper or metal spatula, scrape off most of the vanilla frosting to reveal the designs underneath. This gives the candle a "dipped wax" look, similar to the prop from the movie!
- Chill the cakes again, then add the final touch of dripping wax ganache. Drip the ganache down around the edges of the cakes and cover the top, too. Before the ganache hardens, stick a couple of black birthday candles into the centers of the cakes almost all of the way down so that only the wick and a little bit of the candle is visible.
- Serve the cakes at room temperature with the birthday candles lit to give the illusion of large black dripping candle!
Notes
*CHILL THE CAKES. This cake recipe is incredibly soft and moist, which is excellent for eating but not the best for decorating. To help prevent the cakes from pulling apart from your buttercream, chill them for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator or 10 to 15 minutes in the freezer before frosting.
**Soft Frosting is Key. If you are having issues with your frosting pulling away hunks of cake, there is a high chance that your buttercream is not soft enough. It should be malleable, easily spreadable, and perhaps even slightly warm. To help adjust this, you can add more cream or some milk to help spread the frosting out.
***Black Food Coloring. Black can be a difficult color to achieve with food coloring! Some food coloring brands have blacks that have different undertones in them, and the black may look a bit green or purple/red. To fix this, you can add drops of green or red or blue food coloring to balance the color. If you feel that your food coloring is not black enough, you may just need to wait. Black food coloring can take a little time to set into the frosting and will show up after resting for about 10 to 30 minutes. It can also be easier to spread the coloring with a silicone spatula and press the color into the frosting.
****Double Boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, you can also microwave the chocolate wafers and cream together, stirring every 15 seconds, until the chocolate is fully melted.
*****STORAGE TIPS: This cake will store well in the refrigerator if you plan to make it ahead of time! Simply place it in the refrigerator and chill for about 3 to 4 days. To serve, leave the cake out at room temperature for about an hour to thaw.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
1198Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
