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
FREE GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION CHARTS
Subscribe to the Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen mailing list to get your FREE printable grams to cups and cups to grams conversion charts for twelve popular baking ingredients
Chocolate Birthday Cake
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 230 g caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 230 g soft margarine - you can also use softened unsalted butter too
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g milk chocolate - choose something from the baking aisle in the supermarket as it will cope well with the heat in the oven without going grainy.
- 2 tsp milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan.
- Line your tins (2x 20cm sandwich tins) with liners or greaseproof paper.
- Grate the milk chocolate (100g).
- Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl (200g self-raising flour, 40g cocoa powder, 230g caster sugar, 4 large eggs, 230g soft margarine, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp milk and the grated chocolate) mix on a low speed until fully combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and spread it out so it’s pretty even (it doesn’t have to be perfect as it’ll even out in the oven, but roughly flat is good).
- Put the tins in the oven and cook for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes put a skewer in the middle and check if it comes out clean. If it does it’s done, if not pop it back in for a couple more minutes and check again.
- Once cooked, remove the cakes from the oven and leave them to cool in the tins for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the cakes from their tins and pop them onto a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
NOTES
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.
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
Cake Ingredients
- 0 g self-raising flour
- 0 egg(s)
- 0 g soft margarine or butter
- 0 g caster sugar
- 0 tsp vanilla extract
- 0 tsp milk
- 0 g cocoa powder
- 0 g milk chocolate
Buttercream Ingredients
- 0 g butter
- 0 g icing sugar
- 0 g milk chocolate
- 0 g cocoa powder
- 0 tsp vanilla extract
Square or Rectangular Cake
Cake Ingredients
- 0 g self-raising flour
- 0 egg(s)
- 0 g soft margarine or butter
- 0 g caster sugar
- 0 tsp vanilla extract
- 0 tsp milk
- 0 g cocoa powder
- 0 g milk chocolate
Buttercream Ingredients
- 0 g butter
- 0 g icing sugar
- 0 g milk chocolate
- 0 g cocoa powder
- 0 tsp vanilla extract
Chris says
Hi , I haven’t made a sponge cake for years but my Grand daughters want to make one for their Dads birthday.
Can I cover it will fondant icing easily ?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. It’s the cake I use most often for family cakes covered in fondant. I use a thin layer of chocolate buttercream all over the cake (and a decent layer in the middle) to help get the fondant smooth and stick to the cake. I’d recommend chilling the butter creamed cake before adding the fondant the make sure it’s firm.
Emily says
Hi, will using wholemeal flour affect the bake time/taste? Thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried it so I’m not sure – sorry.
I expect it will be denser and moister with a slightly different flavour. You’ll also need to add some raising agent if you’re using plain flour as it’s not already added. If you take a look at my. I’d add 2.5 tsp.
Wilma says
I’m just attempting this recipe and just realised I forgot to add the milk. Will this make a difference to my cake and will I need to start again.
Charlotte Oates says
The mixture will be a little stiffer but it’ll be absolutely fine.
Sapphire Bolt says
This cake is amazing and simple to make! Thank you very much for the recipe!
Could this cake and the vanilla birthday cake be made ahead and frozen?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, both the chocolate and vanilla sponges can be made ahead and frozen. Wrap them in clingfilm or store them in an airtight container to protect them and defrost them thoroughly before decorating.
Jade says
If I want to make this a day before a birthday party. How would I store it? Thanks!
Charlotte Oates says
Just in an airtight container in fine, unless it’s covered in fondant in which case the fondant will protect it so you’ll just need to lovely cover it to protect it from dust. If your house isn’t too warm then it’ll be fine stored out of the fridge, just keep it away from the radiators.
Chloe says
Hi, is there any reason you don’t use melted chocolate for the cake mix? I find grating near impossible, not to mention time consuming. Just wondered if there was an easier way…
Charlotte Oates says
I find it tastes ever so slightly different with grated rather than melted chocolate (when it’s grated you get little bursts of chocolate whereas the chocolate flavour is more even when it’s melted). However, the cake will bake well either way.
Jayne says
My whole family love this cake, particularly the grandchildren. Their faces light up when they see it.
Jen says
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve just made this for my twins birthday cake and it was indeed easy and chocolately, I doubled the quantities and was a bit nervous that I had made too much but it was perfect for 2 cakes. I was unsure of the baking time as I thought 30mins would not be any where near long enough but it was perfect and the cakes slid so easily out of the tins. They did not dome or sink at all. I can’t wait for them to cool and I get to decorate them!
Will definitely be using this recipe again!
Kathrine Inkley says
Hello there,
Can you change the chocolate for white chocolate at all?
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t tried it so I’m not 100% sure how it would turn out. If you wanted to try it the replace the cocoa powder with additional self-raising flour.
Chloe says
Thank you for this! I did a 6 inch test bake today and other than over baking slightly it came out great. How much do you expect this to rise?
The converter is so helpful, thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
The cakes are usually about 3cm tall per layer. This can vary a bit if you use the calculator for a different size of tin as the ingredients are always rounded to the nearest whole egg so sometime it may be a little taller and sometimes a little shorter.
Jackalind Heather says
I made your recipe for my grandaughters 2 tier birthday cake, I substituted milk chocolate for 74% cocoa chocolate. It was absolutely lush! Thankyou so much for the recipe
Zoe says
Absolutely love this cake to make for a celebration. Can you make the same batter but use for cupcakes? If so how long would you cook it for?
Charlotte Oates says
You can. I’ve actually got the cupcake version written up here.
Susan Barr says
Hi Charlotte, I have used your recipe a few times and it is delicious! My query is how long does it last? I am making one for a friend but have a busy week, will it last till next weekend if I make it tomorrow? Needless to say it has never lasted long enough to know haha
Charlotte Oates says
I think that would be pushing it (although the sponges could be frozen and defrosted to decorate later to save time). I’d say it usually lasts about 6 days after baking.
Kate says
I made this at the weekend for my son’s birthday. It was so spectacularly successful and easy. So helpful to use the calculator to upscale the quantity – I had a 9×12 inch cake tin. I cooked one big layer, so it took a while in the oven. Can I recomend doing it with an orange flavour icing? I wanted orange colour, so thought the flavour would be good.
Thanks a million for this recipe. Genius.
Em says
Made this several times .. once I used several to build a complex cake and it was brilliant. Everyone who eats it loves it. Making a 4 layer cake again right now – all with Aldi ingredients and the first two have come out perfect as always.
I am freezing them ready for next weekend so all I’ll have to do is decorate them.
you know a good cake when the mixture is delicious!
Elizabeth magill says
Followed this and used your choc buttercream too, turned out perfect and is now a new family fav !! Thank you
Hannah McDonnell says
Hello! I have made this recipe for my daughters birthday cake, and I have found that there are lots of bubbles / hole in the cake. I haven’t found this with previous recipes (which used baking powder or bicarb). Am I able to salvage the cakes (still in oven?) Thank you so much.
Charlotte Oates says
How did it turn out? (sorry I tend to reply to comments in a batch once a day so I’ve only just seen this).
What you’re seeing sounds strange. It should behave in a similar way to cakes you’ve made with baking powder or baking soda as using self-raising flour in place of those just has the raising agent ready mixed in, nothing particularly different. My only theory is if the mixture was over-mixed or mixed on too high a speed, this could have created pockets of air in the cake which the expand as the cake is in the oven.
Hannah says
Thanks for your reply – really well so far! The bubbles haven’t affected cake too much, and I think having read a bit it must have been over mixing. I have used the mixture for a 6” to go on top (which I did not overmix and look perfect) and just buttercreamed the cakes before doing fondant! Xx
Charlotte Oates says
I’m glad to hear it. It always amazes me the difference seemingly tiny things can make to the texture/taste of a cake.
GG says
Hi Charlotte, I’m planning on making a 12inch round cake but, I’ve only one cake tin. Would you recommend making one cake and the halving it or making 2 cakes separately. I’ve never made this large size cake and am a bit nervous halving it. Also, if I decide to make 2 cakes how do I use your calculator? Should I make one lot of mixture and the divide it into two. Thanks in advance for your advice.
Charlotte Oates says
Personally I’d make two cake separately. You can bake the cake in one deep tin, but I find that results can be more mixed with some people finding the middle doesn’t cook through as quick as it needs to.
If you’re going to bake two cakes the use the calculator for one layer, make that and bake it and then repeat.
Kathryn says
This worked so well. Big, flat cakes, easy to carve and decorate for my son’s birthday, and got lots of compliments on the taste. Thanks!
sonia says
Ahhhh I’m nervous! This is in the oven as I type and I am not a baker! I used your tin calculator as I only had two 22cm tins (brilliant idea by the way as I have never seen other websites do this). Was a bit wary due to the converting of grams to cups (I’m in OZ) and also about the amount of butter required and then how thick the batter was but they are rising beautifully. Now I’m worried as not ready after the 38min mark! Will let you know how it goes…
Charlotte Oates says
How did they turn out?