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.
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
Depending on whether you use glass or not, the 9x13 size could take a few minutes longer. Just let the toothpick test be the final judge.
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.
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?
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Black and White Cake
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.
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoon . baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup soured milk
- 1 cup brewed black coffee, (or prepare a single cup of instant coffee)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the marshmallow frosting
- 4 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tarter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
To make the cake batter
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
- Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch cake pans.
- 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
- In a small saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup and water.
- 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.
- Whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla extract to soft peaks in a large bowl.
- 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.
- Continue to whip the frosting until it forms stiff peaks.
- 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.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
gAmount 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.
Hi Barry... Could you explain how to make "sour milk"? Thanks in advance.
Just add a tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar to the milk and stir.
hi barry, i'd like to use this frosting for wedding cupcakes, how does the frosting hold up if i make it a day in advance stored in a tupperware, then piped on the wedding day?
No it's not suitable to make in advance. It is a little warm when made and sort of sets firmer.
Yes i would like to know about the eggwhites being raw.. How long can the cake keep stable and the frosting still be safe?
The syrup that its them is over 200 degrees! This effectively cooks the egg whites. Sugar beaten into eggs also denatures the proteins which means it is quite stable.
Hi Barry, does it gave to be a candy thermometer I use, can I use a meat thermometer?
Sure, as long as it is accurate it should be fine.
What it be OK just to omit the coffee all together?
No you would have to add the same amount of milk.
Another amazing cake! Seriously awesome. Side note: I just baked your Yellow Cake and now this chocolate cake and I want to layer them for a birthday cake for my son. I was googling and came across your site. My husband is from PEI and I am from New Zealand. We were married in New Zealand and a guy from Newfoundland baked our Wedding Cakes! I picked your recipe because it looked amazing, you're from Eastern Canada, and my only other experience with a Newfoundlander baking was delicious! Looking forward to digging into more of your recipes! Thank you so much!
This chocolate cake has become our family favorite! Goes great with vanilla butter cream icing, too!
GREAT RECIPE!!! Not as sweet as some of the other Seven Minute frosting recipes. Makes plenty too
Will this be good for a 3 their wedding cake if we frost it same day?
How long should it take to whip everything during the final stage of the frosting recipe. Mine is looking very watery 🙁
Should the coffee be hot?
No. But if you mix it with the milk first, it can cool down quickly
Does this cake need to be refrigerated ??
I generally refrigerate cakes with meringue type frostings.
Is it possible to turn this icing into a chocolate flavored marshmallow icing? If so, how would this be done?
Made this cake and icing last week--absolutely fantastic. Thanks for providing so many great recipes.
Good question. I should work on that. Maybe by adding cocoa to the syrup.
Hi Barry: Just wondering if I can replace the corn syrup with maple syrup, and have the recipe for the frosting work out. I usually avoid making anything with corn syrup, and have substituted it in many cooked baking, but so far not icing.Also, to double check, how many days will the icing and cake be good in the fridge. is it 2-3 days.
Never tried it but would be interested in your results.
Can I use buttermilk instead of sour milk? Also, how do I store this cake in the fridge or on the counter?