Homemade Chocolate Birthday Cake
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This homemade chocolate birthday cake is the best chocolate cake you can make. Frosted with chocolate buttercream and chocolate ganache this cake is rich, moist, and chocolaty. Simple and easy recipe and with my step-by-step video and you will be a pro at decorating this cake.
I have been making this cake for years. And, every single time I’ve had people ask me for the recipe.
You will be surprised by how simple and easy the recipe is. Also, frosting the cake may sound intimidating, so I have made a video and shared detailed progress pictures below. And I know you are going to surprise yourself with baking and decorating skills you didn’t know you had. Try it.
Why make this cake
- This is the easiest chocolate cake recipe you can make; with easy-to-find ingredients and a fuss-free method.
- And it’s moist with a soft crumb, not overly sweet with just the right amount of richness. So, if you are, or you know someone that loves chocolate, you must make this for yourself or them.
- Today, I have used chocolate buttercream and chocolate ganache to frost this cake. But the options to frost a birthday cake are ends. Try
Swiss or Italian Meringue Buttercream
French or German Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
I have over 30 plus frosting recipes on this blog. And I highly recommend checking them out.
Recently, I sent this cake as a birthday gift for a friend. And she sent me this picture of the cut cake.
Timeline for baking and decorating this cake.
- Cake batter – 25 minutes
- Bake – 35 minutes
- Chill cake – 4 hours at least (preferably overnight)
- Prepare Buttercream – 20 minutes
- Prepare ganache – 10 minutes (chill time 2 hours)
- Frost the cake – 60 mins
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-purpose flour – When it comes to chocolate cake I prefer plain all-purpose flour. (read more here). Do not use any self-raising as those contain more leavening.
- Cocoa powder – I always use unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder. You can find this in the regular baking aisle.
- Oil – Any cooking oil will work as long as it has no flavor. That way it won’t affect the flavor of the cakes.
- Sour cream – I use homemade sour cream made with 32% fat but storebought works just as well.
Buttermilk – You can make buttermilk at homemade buttermilk in 5 minutes so there is no need to substitute this. - Sugar – Use fine grain or castor sugar for baking such cakes so the sugar dissolves easily in the batter.
- Eggs – Always use large-size eggs when baking unless specified. The size of eggs varies these days significantly, so as a guide, one large egg weighs between 50 to 60 grams.
- Vanilla – A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you bake. You can use vanilla extract, bean paste, or sugar.
Best chocolate cake recipe
Cake
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 325℉/ 165℃ or Gas Mark 3
- Pans – Grease and line 3 x 8-inch round cake pans or 2 x 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and dust with cocoa powder
Pro tip – Dusting with cocoa powder instead of flour gives a darker rather than white crumb.
- Dry ingredients – In a large bowl, sift or combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
- Cocoa paste – In a medium bowl, combine the hot water with cocoa powder and coffee. Set aside to cool.
Pro tip – Adding hot water to the cocoa powder will deepen the chocolate brown color of the baked cake.
- Whip – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, on medium speed, whip the eggs for a minute. Then, gradually add the sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Once all the sugar is in, whip until the eggs are light and foamy or ribbon stage.
Pro tip – Make sure the eggs are at room temperature and adding the sugar gradually will give the whipped eggs a good volume. - Wet ingredients – Next, add the cocoa paste to the whipped egg mixture, followed by the sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Then, gradually add the oil, and do not overmix.
Pro tip – Before adding the sour cream and buttermilk whip them together with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps.
- Wet to dry – Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine well. But, do not overmix.
Pro tip – Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no lumps. - Pans – Divide the batter equally between the prepared cake pans.
Pro tip – If you want flat cakes without domes wrap the cake pans with wet cake strips. - Bake – transfer the pans to preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool – When baked cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool completely before baking.
Pro tip – You must cool the cakes completely before decorating.
Buttercream
- Chocolate – In the microwave-safe bowl or double boiler melt the chocolate – set aside to cool until barely warm.
Pro tip – To prevent grainy chocolate buttercream make sure the chocolate is barely warm or almost cooled but not set. - Cream – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for a minute. Add salt, whipping cream, and vanilla extract – continue to whip for a minute more.
- Sugar – Next, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high. Continue to mix for 2 to 3 minutes more until you have a light and fluffy buttercream that looks similar to a whipped cream consistency.
- Chocolate buttercream – Now, add the melted and cooled chocolate. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides to ensure you have a smooth chocolate buttercream with no white streaks.
Pro tip – If the chocolate is not cooled, it will seize when added to the buttercream and you will end up with small shards of chocolate in the buttercream. So, make sure the chocolate is cooled.
Ganache
- Microwave – In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chopped chocolate and heavy cream. Melt for a minute or two until smooth. Next, add the butter and vanilla extract. Combine well.
Stovetop – Place the cream in a saucepan and bring it to an almost boil. Then, pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate into a large bowl. Combine until smooth. Next, add the butter and vanilla extract. Combine well.
Pro tip – Never boil the cream when making ganache as it can cause the fat in the chocolate to separate. - Rest – Cover with ganache with plastic wrap making sure to cover the surface of the chocolate to prevent any skin from forming. Leave to set in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours or on the counter for 4 to 6 hours until it’s about peanut butter consistency.
Assemble
- Level – Once cooled, cut the domes off the cake layers with a serrated bread knife or cake leveler. Next, brush each layer with simple syrup on both sides.
Pro tip – Simple syrup is just water and sugar boiled and then cooled. This keeps the cake moist. - Stack – Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with about a large dollop of buttercream and spread evenly using a spatula. Then, place the second layer followed by more buttercream and then the last layer.
- Chill – Transfer the stacked cake layers to the fridge and chill for 10 minutes so the buttercream holds the layers together.
Pro tip – If you need to chill the layers for longer make sure to wrap them in plastic to prevent them from drying out. - Frost – Add a large heap of ganache on the top of the cake. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add more ganache on the sides with a straight-edge spatula. Then, use a bench scraper to smooth the sides. Place in the fridge while you make the drip.
Pro tip – Dipping the bench scraper in hot water will give a nice smooth side.
- Drip – Melt about a cup of the leftover ganache in the microwave for 10 seconds until runny and smooth. And let cool until barely warm. Then, place the melted ganache in a piping bag. Make a small hole so you are in control of the bag. Chill until set (30 minutes at least).
Pro tip – It is important that you let the drip cool to a pouring consistency. A small hole will keep you in control of the drip. - Pipe – Place the remaining chocolate buttercream in a piping bag with a large star piping tip. And pipe a border. I made circular swirls as shown in the video.
- Sprinkles – Decorate the top and bottom with sprinkles or similar as desired.
- Happy Birthday!
Storage
- Once decorated, the cake does not need to be refrigerated.
- It can stay at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Once cut, always cover the cut side of the cake with cling/plastic wrap so the cake does not dry out.
Tips for Success
- Make sure to use room-temperature ingredients.
- Dusting the pans with cocoa powder instead of flour gives a darker rather than white crumb.
- Also, sifting the dry ingredients will give a lighter and airer cake. And you must cool the cakes completely before decorating. When in haste, wrap well in plastic and chill in the freezer for 2 hours.
- To ensure you have even layers you can measure the batter using a weighing scale. I like to weigh the empty pans first then make sure they are both the same weight as the batter.
- Simple syrup is just water and sugar boiled and then cooled. This keeps the cake moist.
- You can also frost this cake with only chocolate flavor buttercream. Just double the buttercream recipe and continue to frost with buttercream instead of ganache following the same process.
- Drip – it is important that you let the drip cool to a pouring consistency. A hot drip will melt the frosting on the cake. And if set too much though it will not flow evenly.
- Hold the piping bag straight up at 90 degrees and press over the edges so it drips naturally. You can go over the same spot keeping the bag close to the cake.
- Pour the rest on top of the cake and spread evenly with an offset spatula gently guiding it to where you need it to flow.
More chocolate cakes
Chocolate Espresso Cake
Homemade Chocolate Birthday Cake
Vanilla Cafe Latte Cake with Coffee Buttercream
Letter Cakes Recipe Tutorial
How long will this chocolate cake last?
If properly stored, a chocolate cake will last for 3 to 4 days at room temperature. It can also be kept in the fridge for up to a week.
Can I omit the eggs? How can I replace the eggs to make this an eggless chocolate cake?
No, this recipe works best with eggs. Perhaps try my tried and tested eggless chocolate cake or eggless chocolate Fudge cake recipes which are both very popular with my visitors on this blog.
What other frostings can I use for this chocolate cake?
You know my love for frosting by the variety I have for you on this blog. In fact, there are so many other choices for frosting. Such as:
Swiss or Italian Meringue Buttercream
French or German Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
I have over 30 plus frosting recipes on this blog. And I highly recommend checking them out.
Best Orange Birthday Cake
Easy Rainbow Cake – Seven Layers
8-inch Chocolate Fudge Cake
Moist Strawberry Cream Cake
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Chocolate Birthday Cake
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowCalories: 503kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 9 servings
Description
This homemade chocolate birthday cake is the best chocolate cake you can make to celebrate with the family on a special day. Frosted with chocolate buttercream and chocolate ganache this cake is rich, moist, and chocolaty. Simple and easy recipe with my step by step video and you will be a pro at decorating this cake.
Video
Ingredients
Cake
- 2¾ cup (340 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- 2 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¾ cup (65 g) Cocoa Powder (Dutch-processed )
- 1 cup (240 ml) Hot water
- 3 large (132 g) Eggs (room temperature )
- 2 cups (400 g) White sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) Sour cream
- ½ cup (120 ml) Buttermilk
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Coffee powder (optional)
Chocolate Buttercream
- 8 oz (227 g) Butter (unsalted, room temperature)
- 3 cups (360 g) Powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- ¼ cup (4 tbsp) Heavy cream
- 4 oz (100 g) Chocolate (dark, semi-sweet – chopped )
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups (350 g) Chocolate (Semi-sweet or dark – chopped )
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Heavy cream (32 – 38% fat)
- 1 tbsp Butter (room temperature )
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Extra
- ½ cup (120 ml) Sugar syrup
- ½ cup (80 g) Sprinkles (or similar for decorations)
Instructions
Cake
- Oven – Preheat the oven to 325℉/ 165℃ or Gas Mark 3
- Pans – Grease and line 3 x 8-inch round cake pans or 2 x 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and dust with cocoa powderPro tip – dusting with cocoa powder instead of flour gives a darker rather than white crumb
- Dry ingredients – In a large bowl sift or combine together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside2¾ cup All-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp Baking powder, 2 tsp Baking soda, ½ tsp Salt
- Cocoa paste – In a medium bowl combine the hot water with cocoa powder and coffee. Set aside to coolPro tip – adding hot water to the cocoa powder will deepen the chocolate brown color of the baked cake.¾ cup Cocoa Powder, 1 cup Hot water
- Whip – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on medium speed whip the eggs for a minute. Then, gradually add the sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Once all the sugar is in whip until the eggs are light and foamy or ribbon stage. Pro tip – make sure the eggs are at room temperature and adding the sugar gradually will give the whipped eggs a good volume.3 large Eggs, 2 cups White sugar
- Wet ingredients – Next, add the cocoa paste to the whipped egg mixture, followed by the sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Then, gradually add the oil, and do not overmix. Pro tip – before adding the sour cream and buttermilk whip them together with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps.½ cup Sour cream, ½ cup Buttermilk, ¾ cup Vegetable oil, 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp Coffee powder
- Wet to dry – Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and combine well. But, do not overmix. Pro tip – Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no lumps.
- Pans – Divide the batter equally between the prepared cake pans. Pro tip – if you want flat cakes without domes wrap the cake pans with wet cake strips.
- Bake – transfer the pans to preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool – When baked cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert on a cooling rack and cool completely before baking.Pro tip – you must cool the cakes completely before decorating.
Buttercream
- Chocolate – In the microwave-safe bowl or double boiler melt the chocolate – set aside to cool until barely warm. Pro tip – to prevent grainy chocolate buttercream make sure the chocolate is barely warm or almost cooled but not set.4 oz Chocolate
- Cream – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for a minute. Add salt, whipping cream, and vanilla extract – continue to whip for a minute more.8 oz Butter, ¼ cup Heavy cream, ½ tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Sugar – Next, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium-high. Continue to mix for 2 to 3 minutes more until you have a light and fluffy buttercream that looks similar to a whipped cream consistency.3 cups Powdered sugar
- Chocolate buttercream – Now, add the melted and cooled chocolate. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides to ensure you have a smooth chocolate buttercream with no white streaks. Pro tip– if the chocolate is not cooled, it will seize when added to the buttercream and you will end up with small shards of chocolate in the buttercream. So, make sure the chocolate is cooled.
Ganache
- Microwave – In a microwave-safe bowl add the chopped chocolate and heavy cream. Melt for a minute or two until smooth. Add the butter and vanilla extract. Combine well. Stovetop – Place the cream in a saucepan and bring it to an almost boil. Pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate into a large bowl. Combine until smooth. Add the butter and vanilla extract. Combine well. Pro tip – never boil the cream when making ganache as it can cause the fat in the chocolate to separate.2 cups Chocolate, ¾ cup Heavy cream, 1 tbsp Butter, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Rest – Cover with ganache with plastic wrap making sure to cover the surface of the chocolate to prevent any skin from forming. Leave to set in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours or on the counter for 4 to 6 hours until it’s about peanut butter consistency.
Assemble
- Level – Once cooled, cut the domes off the cake layers with a serrated bread knife or cake leveler. Brush each layer with simple syrup on both sides. Pro tip – Simple syrup is just water and sugar boiled and then cooled. This keeps the cake moist.½ cup Sugar syrup
- Stack – Place a cake layer on the cake board or cake stand. Top with about a large dollop of buttercream and spread evenly using a spatula. Place the second layer followed by more buttercream and then the last layer.
- Chill – Transfer the stacked cake layers to the fridge and chill for 10 minutes so the buttercream holds the layers together. Pro tip – if you need to chill the layers for longer make sure to wrap them in plastic to prevent them from drying out.
- Frost – Add a large heap of ganache on the top of the cake. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add more ganache on the sides with a straight-edge spatula. Use a bench scraper to smooth the sides. Place in the fridge while you make the drip. Pro tip – Dipping the bench scraper in hot water will give a nice smooth side.
- Drip – Melt about a cup of the leftover ganache in the microwave for 10 seconds until runny and smooth. Let cool until barely warm. Place the melted ganache in a piping bag. Make a small hole so you are in control of the bag. Chill until set (30 minutes at least) Pro tip – it is important that you let the drip cool to a pouring consistency. A small hole will keep you in control of the drip.
- Pipe – Place the remaining chocolate buttercream in a piping bag with a large star piping tip. Pipe a border. I made circular swirls as shown in the video.
- Sprinkles – Decorate the top and bottom with sprinkles or similar as desired.½ cup Sprinkles
- Happy Birthday!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Make sure to use room-temperature ingredients.
- Dusting the pans with cocoa powder instead of flour gives a darker rather than white crumb.
- Sifting the dry ingredients will give a lighter and airer cakeYou must cool the cakes completely before decorating. When in haste wrap well in plastic and chill in the freezer for 2 hours.
- To ensure you have even layers you can measure the batter using a weighing scale. I like to weigh the empty pans first then make sure they are both the same weight as the batter.
- Simple syrup is just water and sugar boiled and then cooled. This keeps the cake moist.
- You can also frost this cake with only chocolate flavor buttercream. Just double the buttercream recipe and continue to frost with buttercream instead of ganache following the same process.
- Drip – it is important that you let the drip cool to a pouring consistency. A hot drip will melt the frosting on the cake. If set too much though it will not flow evenly.
- Hold the piping bag straight up at 90 degrees and press over the edges so it drips naturally. You can go over the same spot keeping the bag close to the cake.
- Pour the rest on top of the cake and spread evenly with an off-set spatula gently guiding it to where you need it to flow.
Storage
- Once decorated the cake does not need to be refrigerated.
- It can stay at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Once cut always cover the cut side of the cake with cling/plastic wrap so the cake does not dry out.
Freezing the cake
- Freeze the cake on a tray for an hour or two then wrap well in plastic wrap followed by a sheet of parchment paper and then aluminum foil. The foil prevents smells from other foods in the fridge into the cake.
- Thaw wrapped in the fridge for 24 hours so the condensation will stay on the papers, not the cake.
Other pan suggestions
If you don’t want to make a layer cake like this,- You can bake this into a 9 x 14 sheet pan – a ‘ Chocolate Sheet Cake’.
- You can also pour the batter into a well-greased and dusted 12-cup bundt pan for a ‘Chocolate Bundt Cake’.
- This recipe can also be baked into 24 beautiful homemade chocolate cupcakes
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Nutrition Information
Calories: 503– kcalCarbohydrates: 64– gProtein: 4– gFat: 28– gSaturated Fat: 19– gCholesterol: 59– mgSodium: 313– mgPotassium: 181– mgFiber: 2– gSugar: 49– gVitamin A: 465– IUVitamin C: 1– mgCalcium: 57– mgIron: 2– mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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week 2 day 2 done
hi Veena would this chocolate cake be firm enough to support fondant icing.
Absolutely val – I’ve used it with fondant and ganache many times
hi Veena, I’ve now made the chocolate cake twice for kids birthdays using fondant which had turned out great and all cake was eaten with not a crumb left. another cake for my daughters 40th birthday next month to come. many thanks for all your great recipes.
Thank you so much Val.
Hi
Thanks for the chocolate birthday cake recipe that I would love to try, but when doubling the recipe for a bigger cake it does not change the tin sizes or the baking time. Could you help me on that please.
Thank you
Hey Linda, yes, the recipe card does not change the tin size or baking time. Because these are different for every recipe and cannot be standardized.
If you double this recipe you should be able to make 3 x 10-inch round or 4 x 9-inches round cakes. The baking times will be approximately 55 to 65 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.