You will never want to celebrate your birthday without this Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe! Imagine soft, moist chocolate cake covered with creamy, chocolate frosting.
The Heart and Soul of the Best Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe
My husband is responsible for the recipe behind this Chocolate Birthday Cake. It’s his favorite birthday cake and I’ve been making it for more than 15 years for him.
Cuisine Inspiration: A classic American treat, this Chocolate Birthday Layer Cake is pure joy in every slice.
Primary Cooking Method: Baking transforms the chocolatey batter into moist, delightful layers, complemented by creamy American frosting.
Dietary Info: This is a rich and indulgent treat, so it’s perfect for those looking to indulge.
Key Flavor: Chocolate reigns supreme, delivering a rich and satisfying taste in every bite.
Skill Level: Ideal for those with some baking experience, as creating even layers and the perfect frosting consistency will make this cake shine.
Sweet Highlights:
- Rich Layers: Dive into moist, chocolatey goodness with every slice.
- Creamy Frosting: The chocolate American frosting is smooth, velvety, and downright irresistible.
- Celebration Ready: Perfect for birthdays and special occasions, this cake knows how to party.
- Get Creative: Add your own twist with sprinkles, shavings, or a caramel drizzle.
- Prep Ahead: Bake the layers ahead of time and freeze them for party-ready perfection.
I was raised to think that food was the way to a man’s heart, and I think this cake might be the ticket. It is my auntie Rose’s chocolate cake recipe, and it is quite delicious. It is everything a chocolate layer cake should be:
- Filled with chocolate flavor
- Incredibly fudgy
- The perfect texture
- Insanely moist
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- Large Eggs: The foundation of our cake structure, they’re bringing the fluff and holding it all together.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetness central! This is what’s making our cake indulgently sweet.
- Cocoa Powder: Hello chocolatey goodness! This is where the deep, rich chocolate flavor kicks in.
- Instant Coffee Powder: A little secret weapon to enhance and intensify the chocolate flavor.
- Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and elevate the flavors.
- Hot Water: This is going to mix with our cocoa to create a chocolatey oasis.
- All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of our cake, giving it structure and softness.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These guys are the lift providers, ensuring our cake rises to the occasion.
- Vegetable Oil: Bringing in the moisture, for a cake that’s tender and ready to party.
- Buttermilk: Tangy and fabulous, it’s here for moisture and a delicate crumb.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of sweet, aromatic goodness to round out the flavors.
For the Frosting:
- Unsalted Butter: Soft and creamy, it’s the base of our frosting masterpiece.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Powdered perfection, making our frosting sweet and smooth.
- Cocoa Powder: Back at it again with more chocolate love.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Just like in the cake, we’re here for that sweet aroma and flavor.
- Milk: A dash for consistency, making our frosting spreadable and silky.
How to Make Chocolate Birthday Cake
For the Cake:
- Get Set: Preheat that oven to a cozy 350 degrees and show your 9-inch round pans some love with a good spray of non-stick magic.
- Whisk It Up: Eggs and sugar in the stand mixer? Yes, please! Let them dance together on high for a sweet 2-3 minutes.
- Choco Mix: In a separate bowl, mix cocoa, instant coffee, and a dash of salt with hot water. Pour this chocolatey dream into the egg and sugar fiesta happening in your mixer.
- Dry Ingredients, Incoming: Slowly welcome flour, baking soda, and baking powder to the party. Follow it up with the oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until just right – the batter will be on the thin side, and that’s totally cool.
- Bake it Beautiful: Divide that batter evenly between the pans and bake for 22-25 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a toothpick comes out clean. Give it 10 minutes of rest before moving them out of the pans to cool off completely.
For the Frosting:
- Butter, Sugar, and Everything Nice: Into the mixer they go! Butter, confectioner’s sugar, and cocoa powder. Mix until it’s smoother than a jazz tune.
- Vanilla and Milk Magic: Add a splash of vanilla and enough milk to make it fluffy and fabulous.
- Layer and Love: Frost each layer with care, then show the whole cake some frosting love.
The secret to making an outstanding homemade chocolate frosting is to make it fluffy. The key to fluffy frosting is to continue to mix the ingredients (butter, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla extract) on a high speed. This will ensure your chocolate frosting is fluffy.
How to Decorate Your Birthday Cake
Now that you have your chocolate cake and chocolate frosting done, your chocolate birthday cake is not complete without sprinkles, candles and other birthday cake toppers.
If you don’t know what a topper is, a birthday cake topper is any decoration to go on top of a cake. Some other examples of cake toppers are:
- Sparklers
- Edible prints with cartoon and comic book characters
- Flowers
Whatever topper you decide, your cake is complete. Get ready to surprise the birthday boy or girl!
How to Store
Wrap your chocolate birthday masterpiece tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to keep it fresh and fabulous for up to 3-4 days at room temperature. If you’ve got leftovers after the big bash (lucky you!), slide it into the fridge, and it’ll stay scrumptious for up to a week. 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!
Amazing Chocolate Cake Recipes
- Want chocolate cake in cupcake form? These Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes are amazing!
- Want the best chocolate cake recipe that ever existed? This Chocolate Cake with a blackberry buttercream is decadent and insanely delicious.
- Love berries and chocolate like this recipe? Try my Raspberry Chocolate Cake!
- This Coca Cola Cake is necessary as well!
Chocolate Birthday Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter 3 sticks
- 6 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
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, instant coffee powder and salt to hot water. Add to eggs and sugar.
- Next slow down mixer and add flour, baking soda, and baking powder then 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 add 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 and cocoa powder to bowl of mixer and mix on high speed until smooth.
- Lastly add in vanilla extract and milk until frosting is fluffy and smooth.
- Frost each layer of cake with frosting then frost the entire cake and serve.
Rachael says
Do you know what kind of sprinkles you used in the picture, or where you bought them? Love the colors. Thank you! Going to make your recipe for my baby’s first birthday this month.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Actually I don’t! I do however love the sprinkles that come from Sweetapolita.
Mary says
I tried baking it for my client and in fact it’s really delicious. Thanks.
Anna says
Really awesome chocolate cake recipe – I would like to prepare and celebrate with my dearest one.
Here two things we need to understand about your recipe :
1. Looks wise should be excellent – So anyone’s mind will get captured 50%-70%.
2. Roles of our taste buds – they will bring happiness in our mind rest of the percentage
I would like to thank you again -that both of the point are available in your recipe.
Maria T Moussa says
Do you recommend any particular brand of cocoa?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
You can totally use anything you love. This cake tastes amazing even with Hershey’s.
heather says
can I bake using 9X13 rectangle pan instead? Making cake today for my sones birthday! LMK thank you!!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Surely! Now the cake is very very moist so keep that in mind and also you will need to alter your baking time.
Grace says
Do not recommend making with two cake pans. The cake is extremely moist and hard to decorate easily so the bigger the cake the more likely it can break.
Sana M says
I did not find it to be too moist. In fact, it was a bit dry. Perhaps she’s updated the recipe since your comment?!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Hi Sana,
I think you may have either mixed up an ingredient or overbaked or something which we can totally walk through. This cake is indeed beyond MOIST! It is seriously one of the most moist cakes on my website. It literally has a full cup of oil AND buttermilk so not sure how it could ever be dry but I’m so happy to walk you through what may have gone wrong. The reviews on this cake are totally right you will see.
Shelia Perry says
Jocelyn,
I made this chocOlathe cake, I think it was the best chocolate I’ve ever eaten. My husband loves chocolate so I thought I would try it while quarantined. He loved it too! It was so moist. Actually, I also tried your brownie recipe and he said they were the best he ever had. I added extra pecans because they are his fav.
Sana says
Thank you so much! I only have Hershey’s cocoa powder at home. I don’t love it but it will have to do I guess.
Sana says
I’ve been meaning to leave a comment since I made this cake. It came out AMAZING! Not only did my kids love it, but I shared it with friends and family later (cuz quarantine), and everyone loved it! Thank you so much!
Sana says
Hi, I want to make this today but I don’t have butter milk, any substitutions? Can I skip the coffee too? It’s for the kids.
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Yes you can make your own buttermilk. Do you have milk at home and vinegar or lemon juice? https://grandbaby-cakes.com/baking-substitutions/. Also you can omit the coffee or you can still add it because you can’t taste it. It just intensifies the chocolate flavor.
Elan says
Omg, this look so yummy! I’m craving for this right now, need to try this!