Black and White Cake

Black and White Cake. An all time kid favourite among our family and friends. A easy one-bowl chocolate cake covered in plenty of fluffy marshmallow frosting is sure to please kids of all ages.

Black and White Cake

Originally published on March 27, 2008

2019 UPDATE

After almost 12 years on Rock Recipes and many dozens of cake recipes later, one of our earliest recipes, this Black and White Cake still remains in the top 5 cake recipes ever.

Take a look at the link at the bottom of the page to see all of our top 25 most baked cakes of the last decade.

It’s still a kid favourite at our house, even though those kids have now grown into hungry teenagers. This recipe also makes outstanding cupcakes for any celebration but are always particularly popular at school parties.

I generally bake this cake in round 8 inch pans or 9 inch Aluminum Cake Pans but the recipe can also be made as a sheet cake in a 9 x 13 baking pan. I’ve found that the 9 inch pans may bake up a little quicker so be sure to check it 5 minutes early.

Depending on whether you use glass or not, the 9×13 size could take a few minutes longer. Just let the toothpick test be the final judge.

Black and White Cake

Get creative with your cake!

 There is probably no counting the number of Black and White Cakes I have made over the years.

Most often these days, as was the case yesterday, my kids like to make them on their own with a little help from dear old dad in preparing the frosting.

This particular one was prepared for dessert at dinner last night by my daughter Olivia, 10 and her cousin Taylor, 11.

The Dice Cake version shown was an idea from the 8 year old mind of my son Noah who let me help him make it a few weeks back as a treat for the staff at his school for Teacher Appreciation Week.

Black and White Cake made as a Dice Cake

As you can imagine, a chocolate scratch cake with a marshmallow type frosting is a BIG kid favourite.

It has been made for countless kid parties where even crumbs are hard to come by afterward. More than a few adults I know love it as much as the kids. When it comes to standard recipes at our house, this one is unquestionably in the top 10.

Consider yourself a cake lover?

We’ve put together a collection of the 25 Most Baked Cakes of the last 12 years on Rock Recipes. You are sure to find several to love.

Like this Black and White Cake recipe?

Find many more delicious recipes in our Cakes & Pies Category  and in our Desserts Category. Also, be sure to check out our very popular Velvet Cake Collection!

It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram.

Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too. 

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Black and White Cake

Yield: 16 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Black and White Cake is an all time kid favorite among our family and friends. A easy one-bowl chocolate cake covered in plenty of fluffy marshmallow frosting is sure to please kids of all ages.

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Ingredients

For the chocolate cake

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• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp . baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup soured milk
• 1 cup brewed black coffee, (or prepare a single cup of instant coffee)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the marshmallow frosting

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• 4 egg whites
• ¼ tsp cream of tarter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• ½ cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

To make the cake batter

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
2. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch cake pans.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the Marshmallow Frosting

1. In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup and water.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer or when a teaspoonful of the mixture dropped into ice water forms a soft ball that holds its shape when cool.
3. Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla extract to soft peaks in a large bowl.
4. With the mixer on medium high speed, slowly begin to pour the sugar syrup down the side of the egg white bowl in a thin continuous stream.
5. Continue to whip the frosting until it forms stiff peaks.
6. Frost your cake immediately with this frosting while it is still slightly warm as it is easier to spread smoothly than if allowed to cool completely.

Notes

October 2017 update: I've updated the recipe with this note because so many people ask about the coffee in this recipe. The recipe calls for a cup of brewed coffee, meaning prepared as you would drink it. It does NOT mean a cup of ground coffee or a cup of instant coffee granules either; although I always smile when someone asks because my late friend Anne did that once, bless her soul. Let's just say her husband wasn't impressed!

A little coffee accentuates the flavour of chocolate but if you like, you can just substitute and additional cup of milk for the coffee. It's not a problem.

Recommended Products

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

• 
  Silicone Spatula Set
• 
  FineDine Premium Various Sizes Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (10 Piece) With Airtight Lids
• 
  KitchenAid KHM512ER 5-Speed Hand Mixer, Empire Red

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

g
Amount Per Serving Calories 336Saturated Fat 6gCholesterol 21mgSodium 187mgCarbohydrates 64gFiber 1gSugar 49gProtein 4g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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