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–+ servings
A sliced into chocolate birthday cake on white cake stand
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4.42 from 123 votes

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Soft, moist, decadent chocolate cake covered with creamy, delicious chocolate frosting...that perfectly describes this chocolate birthday cake!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 730kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

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
US Customary - Metric

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.

Notes

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!

Nutrition

Calories: 730kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 322mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 93g | Vitamin A: 790IU | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2.7mg