Chocolate Birthday Cake

This chocolate birthday cake is simple to make, tastes delicious and is perfect for decorating for a special celebration. 

PLUS – Need a different shape or size of cake? Take a look below the recipe to find the ingredients and instructions you need to bake this in pretty much any size of round, square or rectangular tin.

Skip to the recipe | Recipe FAQs | Calculator

One question I’ve been asked a lot in the past is whether I can recommend a really good chocolate birthday cake recipe, and I couldn’t… until now.

I hate getting questions that I can’t give a helpful answer to, so over the past few weeks I’ve been a busy bee trying to perfect my chocolate cake recipe. Now this couldn’t be just any old chocolate cake, it had to be perfect for a birthday which meant it…

1) Must be simple to make

I get a lot of comments on my all-in-one vanilla sponge birthday cake and the ones that always makes me smile the most are when people say that they never bake and the simplicity of the recipe has given them the confidence to do more in future. I wanted this chocolate cake to be that simple to make… a cake even the novice-est of cooks can make.

This cake is so simple… chuck it all in and mix it up. The only piece of culinary skill you need is a bit of grating!

2) Must be suitable for decorating

When I make birthday cakes for my boys I love to go to town on the decoration. In order for the cake to work as a decorated cake it can’t dome too much on top or sink in the middle and it must be sturdy enough to be carved into various shapes for decorating without crumbling.

3) Be chocolatey

This is actually the big reason I’ve not been able to recommend chocolate cake recipes until now. All the cakes I’d made in the past with the right texture (see point 2) used just cocoa powder and they simply weren’t chocolatey enough. To give this cake some extra chocolate-iness it includes lots of actual chocolate grated into the cake mix alongside the cocoa powder.

Chocolate Birthday Cake Frequently Asked Questions

If it’s your first time making this recipe or you have a question, please take a moment to have a read through my FAQs for some extra tips and allergen information.

• What should I use to decorate this cake?
• How much fondant icing do I need?
• Can I freeze this cake?
• How far in advance can I make this cake?
• How long does this cake last and how should it be stored?
• Can I bake this cake in a single deep tin and then cut it in half?
• Can this cake recipe be used for multiple tiers?
• Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes?
• Is this cake recipe suitable for carving into shapes for novelty cakes?
• Can I make this recipe in a difference size tin or with more or less layers?

Ingredient FAQs

• Can I use butter or oil instead of margarine?
• What can I use if I don’t have self raising flour?
• Can I add other flavours such as orange or mint?
• Can I use dark chocolate or white chocolate instead of milk chocolate?
• Can I use a different flavour buttercream with the cake?
• What is this recipe free from? Who is it suitable for?

What should I use to decorate this cake?

This cake is filled and coated in chocolate buttercream and then covered in fondant.

If you wanted you could also add a layer of jam in the middle either in addition to or instead of the buttercream. I find both raspberry and cherry jam compliment the chocolate sponge well.

I usually use ready-made fondant icing from the supermarket, usually the supermarket own brand or Dr Oetker. I tend to find there’s little variation in the different brands so whatever you can find in your local store should be absolutely fine.

How much fondant icing do I need?

You don’t need to cover this cake with fondant, it tastes amazing with just buttercream.

However, if you’d like to cover it to make a novelty cake then you can use my fondant calculator to work out exactly how much you’ll need.

How far in advance can I make this cake?

I usually bake it a couple of days before I want to serve it and the decorate it the day before.

You can bake it further in advance if you need to, but remember that it won’t last as long after you actually serve it.

How long does this cake last and how should it be stored?

This cake is good to eat for up to a week after baking as long as it’s stored in an airtight container. There’s no need to store it in the fridge unless it’s a very warm day or you live in a hotter climate than the UK.

Can I freeze this cake?

❄️ Suitable for freezing

You can bake the cake in advance and then freeze the undecorated sponges. I recommend wrapping them in clingfilm to protect them while they’re in the freezer.

Make sure you defrost them thoroughly before decorating.

Can I bake this cake in a single deep tin and then cut it in half?

Personally I recommend always baking this cake in sandwich tins as that way you’re most likely to get the perfect sponge, as promised.

I find that results can be mixed if it is baked in a deeper tin. It works perfectly for some people, but others have found the sponge a little more prone to dipping in the middle as it cools.

If you decide to use a deeper tin and this happens then don’t worry, the cake will still be good to eat. Simply add a little extra buttercream to fill the dip.

If you want to cook the mixture for two layers in one deep tin it will take 45-50 minutes to bake rather than the 30-35 specified in the original recipe.

Can this cake recipe be used for multiple tiers?

Yes. I’ve seen plenty of pictures of this sponge being used to make 2 or 3 tier cakes from my readers.

If you want to make a cake with tiers, I recommend using dowels or straws in the lower tiers to add additional support.

Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes?

Yes, I’ve turned this recipe into a chocolate cupcake recipe.

Is this cake recipe suitable for carving into shapes for novelty cakes?

Yes, it’s quite a sturdy sponge so can be carved into some basic shapes (I wouldn’t recommend carving it into anything too intricate or complex).

If you want to carve the cake, I recommend waiting for at least a day after baking as the sponges will be softer when they’re fresh out of the oven. I’d also recommend chilling the sponges before carving as this will help firm them up and make it easier to get the shape you’re after.

Can I make this recipe in a difference size tin or with more or less layers?

Absolutely!

This cake can be made in a variety of tin shapes and sizes. If you look directly beneath the recipe you’ll find my cake calculator that will tell you how to adjust the ingredients for any size of round, square or rectangular tin.

Can I use butter or oil instead of margarine?

You can substitute the margarine for butter, just make sure you leave it out of the fridge for a while before making your mixture so that it is soft and mixes well with the other ingredients.

You cannot substitute in oil as this cake is not designed to be made with oil and would require other adjustments to ensure it turns out sucessfully.

What can I use if I don’t have self raising flour?

You can make your own self-raising flour using plain (all-purpose) flour and baking powder.

You can find the instructions here.

Can I add other flavours such as orange or mint?

You can add other flavours such as orange or mint. I’d add 1½ tsp of a good quality extract into the cake mixture along with the other ingredients.

Can I use dark chocolate or white chocolate instead of milk chocolate?

You can substitute the milk chocolate for dark if that’s what you prefer.

I wouldn’t recommend substituting in white chocolate as it doesn’t bake in the same way. Also the chocolate flavour in the sponge comes from the combination of cocoa powder and actual chocolate. For a white chocolate cake you’d need to substitute the cocoa powder for additional flour and the grated chocolate alone will be insufficient to give a strong white chocolate flavour.

If you’d like to make a white chocolate cake then take a look at the recipe I designed specifically to overcome these two issues and give a cake that’s packed full of white chocolate flavour.

Can I use a different flavour buttercream with the cake?

Absolutely! You can use whatever flavour you like. Take a look at all of my buttercream recipes for some inspiration.

I think it goes particularly well with my white chocolate buttercream, classic vanilla buttercream or coffee buttercream.

What is this recipe free from? Who is it suitable for?

The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary, and product recipes can change over time.

• Suitable for Vegetarians
• Tree Nut-Free
• Peanut-Free
• Sesame-Free
• Sulphur Dioxide and Sulphite-Free
• Lupin-Free

What are the ingredients for a different size of tin?

The ingredients are calculated so that the depth of each cake is the same as in the original recipe. This means that the cooking time and temperature don’t need to change.

Round Cake

Square or Rectangular Cake