End the year with a BANG! This New Year’s Eve Party Cake is a party on the outside AND the inside! When you slice into the delicious dark chocolate cake, loads of sparkly sprinkles will come tumbling down. This is THE celebration cake!

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New Year’s Eve Party Cake 

Now that Christmas has come and gone, it’s time to prepare for the New Year, and what better way to celebrate than with cake?! 

Not some ordinary ole cake either, no you need to celebrate with something fun and extravagant. A cake that screams “PARTY”, which is exactly what THIS cake does!

What to Love About This New Year’s Cake

What’s there not to love about this New Year’s Cake? I mean LOOK at it! The only downside is that the black frosting leaves a stain on your tongue (until you brush it), but that’s totally worth it for the incredible taste and other amazing qualities like:

• The most moist and fluffy dark chocolate cake layers
• Filled with a tasty champagne buttercream filling
• Black and beautiful dark chocolate buttercream that makes the colourful sprinkles POP!
• And speaking of sprinkles, sitting inside of the cake is a beautiful New Year’s Eve sprinkle mix just waiting to slide out!

The first slice into the cake where those black, silver, white and gold sprinkles come tumbling out will certainly have everyone ooh-ing and awe-ing. Heck, I had to slice the cake for photos, but even though people missed the initial excitement of the sprinkle surprise, they were still amazed by the sight of the sprinkles coming out of the cake! 

Luckily for all of my beginner bakers out there, this cake is a lot easier than it looks! To turn a normal cake into a piñata cake, all you’ll need (aside from a ton of sprinkles) is a round cookie cutter!

I’ll walk you through each step from baking the cake to turning it into a ball of fun and celebration!

Dark Chocolate Cake Layers

This recipe begins with my favourite chocolate cake recipe. Dare I call it the best chocolate cake recipe! The layers are super soft, fluffy and moist and have a super deep chocolate flavour! 

To get the midnight black colour, we replace some of the regular unsweetened cocoa powder with black cocoa powder.  Regular cocoa powder gives the cake a better taste, so we’ll only use ½ cup black cocoa to 1 cup of regular. But that ½ cup of black cocoa is all you need. Look at how dark the cake layers are!

Now the cocoa of course adds the chocolate flavour, but we want it to be deep and intense, so I added a mixture of vanilla and instant coffee to the batter. The vanilla adds more flavour, but the instant coffee kicks up the rich chocolate flavours of the cake. Don’t worry, though, you won’t even taste the coffee!

Speaking of flavour, since this is a New Year’s cake, I snuck in a bit of champagne! I only used ½ cup though because I didn’t want to effect the texture too much, but you can definitely taste it. You can also cook about 2 cups of the champagne down to ½ cup to create a reduction that gives you an even more intense champagne flavour!

I decided not to do that because, well, champagne ain’t cheap. 

Champagne Buttercream Filling

This is a last minute decision that I am so, so, SO glad I made! I was planning on remaking my Pink Champagne Cake this year, and started by making the champagne buttercream filling so I could have it ready by the time I was ready to assemble the cake. 

Fortunately, I did this while I was getting ready to assemble this party cake. So after 5 minutes of looking back and forth between the dark chocolate cake layers and the bubbly champagne filling, I went for it! 

Who knew champagne and chocolate made such a wonderful pairing?? And with the little bit of champagne in the actual cake, this dessert is just oozing New Year’s party vibes! 

Start by making a simple 3 ingredient buttercream: butter, salt and powdered sugar. Then mix in some bubbly champagne and voila! Since the champagne is the main flavour here, it really shines! 

How to Make Super Black Buttercream Frosting 

This is another last minute decision that I’m glad I made. I was originally going to frost the cake in white vanilla buttercream with a black ganache drip, but I love this look so much better! 

Making buttercream the perfect shade of black can be a bit tricky. You should always start off with a chocolate buttercream so the colour is already halfway there. In this case, I started with a dark chocolate buttercream. So bring back some of that black cocoa powder to give our buttercream a super dark appearance. 

However, the cocoa only created a deep dark brown this time, so we still need to use a good quality black gel food colouring. I used Wilton’s black colouring, but I also recommend Americolor and sugarflair. 

If you have time, I suggest adding a little bit of black colouring, so it’s not as black as you want it. Then let the frosting sit overnight to darken even more, then re-whip until it’s smooth and fluffy again. Again, this was a last minute decision so I had to add a lot more colouring than I usually do to get the darkest shade of black I can. 

DIY New Years Eve Sprinkle Mix

This is what turns this New Year’s Eve Cake into a New Year’s Eve PARTY Cake! I created my own sprinkle mix using a variety of white, gold, black and silver sprinkles. Classic new year’s eve colours! 

I used a ton of different sprinkles, and since I’m not selling this sprinkle mix (yet), I suggest trying to find a NYE sprinkle mix online, or a white and gold sprinkle mix that you can mix black and silver sprinkles in. I was able to buy a bunch of small packets of sprinkles from Michaels along with solid coloured sprinkles from my local bulk store. 

Jimmies, pearls, sixlets, dragees, sanding sugar, stars, confetti etc. Add all the sprinkles to a bowl, then use a spoon to mix them all together. 

How to Make a Piñata Cake

Ok we’ve got our cake, filling, frosting and sprinkle mix. Now it’s time to put it all together! Creating a piñata cake is very simple. All you need is a round cutter. I prefer using a biscuit cutter because the handle makes it easier to lift out. 

Cut a hole out of 2 layers of cake. I recommend placing the layers on top of each other, then pushing the cutter through both layers so the holes can line up evenly. 

Start with a whole layer, spread some frosting on top, then place one of the holed layers on top, spread frosting on the rim. Repeat with the second hole layer, spreading frosting on top. Then pour your sprinkles into the hole! Make sure to leave some behind for decorating. 

The Ultimate Celebration Cake!

Frost the cake with a thin layer of champagne buttercream as a crumb coat, then frost with a final thick coat of the black frosting. To decorate the cake, I started by dipping a clean food paintbrush into edible gold paint and splashing it onto the side of the cake. 

Very messy job, so if you do decide to do this, lay some newspapers on the floor, counter and walls because it’ll get all over the place. On top of the cake is a rope border, I created an entire post all about how to pipe different cake borders. Then decorate the top and bottom of the cake with the remaining sprinkles. 

This New Year’s Eve cake is definitely party-ready! There’s only a few days left before the year ends, so gather up your ingredients now! Cut the cake when the 10 second countdown begins, so when the clock hits midnight, the sprinkles mixed with the fireworks outside will make your entrance into the new year so much more special!

More New Year's Eve Recipes

Strawberry Champagne Cheesecake with Pink Champagne Cake Bottom

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New Year’s Eve Party Cake

Yield: 14-16 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

End the year with a BANG! This New Year’s Eve Party Cake is a party on the outside AND the inside! When you slice into the delicious dark chocolate cake, loads of sparkly sprinkles will come tumbling down. This is THE celebration cake!

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Ingredients

Black Chocolate Cake:

• 2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup black cocoa powder
• 1 and ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 and ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 and ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 and ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 and ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 and ½ tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 1 and ¾ cups buttermilk, room temperature
• ½ cup champagne, room temperature

Champagne Buttercream Filling:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 5 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
• ⅓ cup Champagne (or sparkling wine)

Black Buttercream Frosting:

• 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• ½ cup black cocoa powder
• ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
• 4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon black gel food colouring

New Year's Sprinkle Mix:

• 4 cups of white, silver, black and gold sprinkles (see notes)

Gold Splats (Optional):

• Edible gold paint
• Food paintbrush

Instructions

For the Black Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (177°C). Prepare four 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds, and grease the sides. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift flour, both cocoas, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Whisk to combine, set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Lower the speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
5. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla and instant coffee granules. Add the sour cream to the batter along with the vanilla coffee mixture and beat on medium speed until combined.
6. Combine the buttermilk and champagne in a liquid measuring cup or a large bowl. Set aside.
7. Alternately add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then beat on medium-low until just combined. While the mixer is running, pour in ½ of the buttermilk mixture and mix until just combined. Repeat this process with ½ of the remaining dry ingredients, the other ½ of buttermilk, then the final amount of dry ingredients. Mix until completely combined.
8. Divide batter equally between the cake pans, a little over 2 cups per pan.
9. Bake two layers at a time for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back when lightly touched.
10. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting. Or at this point, you can wrap all the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze or refrigerate until ready to assemble.

For the Champagne Buttercream Filling:

1. In a medium mixing bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 5-6 minutes).
2. Turn the mixer to low, and gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
3. Once incorporated, add champagne and beat on low until combined. Mixture will look curdled. That's normal.
4. Add the remaining 2 cups of powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix on low until combined.
5. Once the sugar is combined, increase mixer speed to high and whip until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.

For the Black Chocolate Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5-6 minutes).
2. Turn the mixer to low, and gradually mix in half of the sugar one cup at a time. Mix in both cocoa powders.
3. Once incorporated, add heavy cream, vanilla and salt and beat until combined.
4. Add the remaining powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix on low until combined.
5. Once the sugar is combined, add the black gel food colouring. 2 tablespoons may sound like a lot, but it’ll give your frosting the deepest and darkest shade of black we want!
6. Increase mixer speed to high and whip until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.

For the New Years Eve Sprinkle Mix:

1. Combine your sprinkle variety in a medium bowl, see notes. Set aside.

Assembly of the Party Cake:

1. Take 2 layers of cake and stack them on top of each other. Make sure they’re lined up perfectly.
2. Use a biscuit cutter (or even a tall glass) to cut a hole down the centre of both cakes. Save the excess cake for midnight snacking and set the layers aside.
3. Use an offset spatula to place a dollop of champagne frosting onto a cake board or serving platter that’s on a turntable. Place one whole cake layer on top and spread about 1 cup of the champagne frosting on top.
4. Place one of the cut out layers on top and spread frosting around the hole (not inside). Repeat with the second cut out cake layer and spread frosting on top of that.
5. Pour in your sprinkle mix until it reaches the top. You should have some leftover for decorating.
6. Place the final layer on top, upside down. Frost the entire cake with a thin layer of champagne frosting. Chill the cake for 30 minutes.
7. Remove cake from refrigerator and frost the entire cake with a thick layer of black buttercream. Transfer remaining buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (I used Wilton 8B). Set aside.
8. This part is optional, so feel free to skip it. Dip a small food safe paintbrush into some edible gold paint, then flick it onto the cake to add gold splats. If you do this, cover the floor, counter and walls with something to catch the splats.
9. Pipe a rope border around the top of the cake. Pretty much just pipe in a barrel roll motion.
10. Pour some of the remaining sprinkles into the centre of the cake and around the bottom. Slice and serve!

Notes

• For the sprinkle mix, I used a mixture of white and black jimmies, gold round dragees (medium and small), gold confetti, white sixlets, white and black sugar pearls, silver ball dragees, silver star quinns and silver sanding sugar to make it all shine!
• (1) Chocolate Cake Layers can be made ahead of time and double-wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 1 month. (2) Champagne Buttercream and Black Buttercream can be made ahead of time and stored in in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for 3 months. Before using — allow frosting to come to room temperature, then re-whip in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
• Storage: Store cake in an airtight cake storage at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  RSVP International (BC-4) Round Biscuit Cutters, Stainless Steel
• 
  Wilton Cake Decorating Tools, 5-Piece Brush Set
• 
  Sweet Sticks Edible Art Decorative Cake Paint 0.5 Ounce (15 Milliliters), Metallic Pure Gold
• 
  LEGERM Cake Decorating Angled Icing Spatula Set of 6 8 & 10 Inch Wooden Handle Stainless Steel Offset Frosting Spatulas
• 
  Wilton Decorating Tip, No.8B Star Open Stock (402-8800)
• 
  Ateco Plastic Coated Decorating Bag, 18-Inch
• 
  Ateco 612 Revolving Cake Decorating Stand, 12" Round, Cast Iron Base with ⅛" Aluminum Top

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1266Total Fat: 69gSaturated Fat: 33gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 193mgSodium: 328mgCarbohydrates: 158gFiber: 3gSugar: 135gProtein: 7g

BON APPÉTIT!

Love, Dedra

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