My husband’s fave birthday cake has insanely moist and soft layers plus a super creamy chocolate frosting. It’s everything a birthday cake should be.
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Chocolate Birthday Cake Ingredients
For the Cake:
- Large Eggs: Make sure these are room temp.
- Granulated Sugar: Swap in homemade brown sugar for an even more tender cake.
- Cocoa Powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder. It has a stronger chocolate flavor versus Dutch-processed with is less acidic. But you can do whatever you want here because this recipe contains both leavenings so it will work out.
- Instant Coffee Powder: This intensifies the chocolate flavor. Swap in your fave cup of coffee and just leave out the coffee powder.
- Salt: Just a pinch is all that’s needed.
- Hot Water: Again, you can use coffee here.
- All-Purpose Flour: I don’t recommend using cake flour here since it will make our cake too soft to work with.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Make sure you check the expiration dates on these before using.
- Vegetable Oil: Any neutral oil like canola will also work here.
- Buttermilk: None around? Make some by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes until it thickens.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Don’t use artificial here.
For the Frosting:
- Unsalted Butter: It’s totally fine to use salted butter here instead. Just leave out the salt boos.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: I like to sift this so the frosting turns out smooth.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened is best here.
- Milk: Use any you prefer. It just helps smooth the consistency.
- Salt: You gotta add a pinch to balance the sweetness.
How to Make Chocolate Birthday Cake
Make the Batter
Step 1: Add eggs and sugar to bowl of your stand mixer and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix together cocoa, instant coffee, and a dash of salt with hot water.
Step 3: Pour the hot cocoa mixture into the egg and sugar party happening in your mixer.
Step 4: Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in small bowl.
Step 5: Decrease the speed to low and add to stand mixer. Add in buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla and beat until just combined. Batter will be thin; this is normal.
Bake the Layers
Step 6: Divide that batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Step 7: Bake for 22-25 minutes at 350 F. You’ll know they are ready when a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 8: Cool the cakes in pans for 10 minutes. Then gently remove cakes from the pans and place on a wire rack and allow to cool fully.
Frost the Cake
Step 9: Add butter and confectioner’s sugar to bowl of mixer and mix on high speed until smooth then add in cocoa powder.
Step 10: Lastly add in vanilla extract, milk and salt until frosting is fluffy and smooth.
Step 11: Add frosting between each layer then frost the outsides, add sprinkles if ya want and serve it up.
Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 6 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
- pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 3 9 inch round pans with non-stick baking spray.
- Add eggs and sugar to bowl of your stand mixer and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes.
- While mixture beats, add cocoa powder, and instant coffee powder to hot water in a separate bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the eggs and sugar.
- Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Turn the speed down to low then add in the dry ingredients in intervals. Next, add vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract to the mixer and beat until just combined. Batter will be sort of thin but this is normal.
- Evenly divide cake batter to all three pans and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- Add butter, confectioner's sugar to bowl of mixer and mix on high speed. Then add in cocoa powder and continue mixing until smooth.
- Lastly add in vanilla extract, milk and salt until frosting is fluffy and smooth.
- Add frosting to each layer and stack on each other. Finally frost the sides and top of cake and serve it up.
Notes
How to Store
Wrap your leftovers tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container or cake carrier to keep it fresh and fab for up to 3-4 days at room temp. If you need to keep it longer than that, slide the extra cake into the fridge. Just a little tip: if you’re diving back in for another slice, let it sit out for a bit to get back to room temperature – it’ll taste just like it did on day one!How long will chocolate birthday cake last in the fridge?
It’ll stay scrumptious for up to 6 days.Can I freeze ?
Absolutely boos! I like to chill the cake in the fridge first to get that frosting firmed. Then I cut individual slices and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap then add to freezer bags releasing all the air. Add the date. It should last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge then bring back to room temperature before indulging.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Skip the Coffee: This really does add a richer chocolate flavor to the mixture. You won’t even taste the coffee boos, trust me.
- Don’t Overbake: Make sure you watch that bake time so you don’t dry out your cakes.
- Cool Completely Before Frosting: If you don’t want a super melty cake sliding around everywhere, make sure that the cake layers have cooled completely before frosting.
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I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe Help
I like to grease my round pans with cake release then add parchment to the bottoms so the layers come out super clean y’all.
Absolutely boos. In fact, you can bake the cake layers and freeze them by wrapping them tightly with plastic wrap a few times. When you are ready to serve, pop them in the fridge to defrost. Then make the frosting fresh, ice your cake and serve it up.
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Turned out perfect. Thank you so much for a easy to follow recipe. I made this for my husband’s birthday!
I’m so so happy you loved this Mandy!
My first time making chocolate cake from scratch and it came out scrumptious! Easy to follow recipe and can’t wait to try another cake recipe.
Awe, thanks boo!
helo from ausi land!!..
i need to bake a childs chocolate b/day cake with blue icing yes i know… hes 2 and wants a number 2 cake with diggers / trucks on top.. !!.. the 9′ pans you use how high are the sides? and do you have a stable frosting for the cakes that is not too sweet please .. I will use your chocky cake recipe above looks nice
Hi! Awe, that sounds like it’s going to be so cute! I do have an American Butter Cream Recipe you can try and add some blue to it.
hi again .. how many layers does your vanilla frosting cover please and what size you don’t mention that in the recipe
Could you give te exact receipe in grams?
Thanks!
Hi Paula, I am so sorry I do not bake in weight measurements.
there is a tab on the MEASUREMENTS for the metric scale is that what you are wanting? its converts to grams
My very first ever cake from scratch. I am ao thrilled with it! My husband wanted a good cake for his birthday and i found this and i’m so glad i did!
Woot! Look at you! I can’t wait to see what cake you bake up next!
BEST. Cake. ever. i made it for my brother’s friend’s birthday, they said they loved it. tip:if you dont have buttermilk, just use normal cow milk(2%),and you can just use a bit more cocao powder for the coffee. thanks for making this recipe!
Thanks so much, David!