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
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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
Hannah says
Hi Charlotte , I made the all- in – one vanilla sponge and loved it .
Now going to do the chocolate one and just double checking there is no baking powder in the recipe ?
Also , without fondant , could i stack 4 layers ( with buttercream then stick Maltesers on etc?
Thankyou Hannah
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, no baking powder. I tested the cake with added baking powder but found that it made the cake more likely to sink in the middle. I use larger eggs instead as this helps the cake to rise.
Yes, you can stack 4 layers.
Bethany says
I regularly make this (and the cupcake version) and can’t rate it highly enough – the recipe is amazing and all my friends and family are always requesting my ‘famous’ chocolate cake! I have one question, would this work with white chocolate and no cocoa powder?
Charlotte Oates says
It should do, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t be 100% sure. If you do decide to give it a try make sure you replace and cocoa powder with additional flour (same weight).
Michaela Caren says
Hi Charlott,
Would you have any idea how long an uncut, fondant covered version of your cake would keep for?
Thanks
Michaela
Charlotte Oates says
It should be fine for about a week.
Kelly says
I’m not good with cakes but this recipe has inspired me to try and make one for my sons birthday. Before I ice it though with roll out icing, what do I put on the cake to make the icing stick?! Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I usually use a thin layer of chocolate buttercream.
Sarah says
Hi, I really want to make this but have no chocolate powder. Would this work as well without it and add a little more chocolate maybe?
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried it without the cocoa, but you should still get a good chocolate flavour replacing the cocoa with additional flour. I would suggest melting the chocolate rather than grating it as this will ensure the chocolate is more even. If you grate it then you’ll end up with a chocolate flecked plain sponge rather than a chocolate one.
Sara says
Hi, could this cake be made ahead of time and frozen?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. Wrap the sponges in clingfilm to protect them in the freezer and defrost them thoroughly before decorating.
Lou says
Made this dairy free as a large square cake, With vegan buttercream, and used dark chocolate. It was so delicious and moist, and stayed fresh for a few days after. My daughter loved it and so many guests commented on it, even though they had no idea it was dairy free! Thankyou so much for helping to make my daughter’s 3rd birthday Special x
Angela Heys says
Hi , do you think this recipe will hold up just as well for decorating for birthdays if I made this with gluten free flour and also added xantham gum and made it dairy free please?
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t made a gluten-free version of this cake, but I’ve had comments from others who have tried it and they all said it worked just as well as the non-GF version.
Lesley says
I made this recipe for my grandsons 16th birthday and it did not disappoint! It was really chocolatey and all 20 guests at the birthday party finished every last crumb. Thankyou for this recipe. I will make it again and again.
Joan says
Hi Charlotte
Was wondering what gas mark it is for the 20cm chocolate cake as one of the comments was saying that the gas was not the right for the cake she made it took longer to bake please advise as I want to make today/tomorrow for my grandsons birthday. And if I baked a different size cake what adjustment do I need for the correct gas mark so I bake the cake for the right length of time.
Kind Regards, Joan
Charlotte Oates says
I don’t have a gas oven so have only tested it on electric, but based on the standard C to gas mark conversions it should be gas mark 3.
If you use the calculator for different tin sizes then gas mark and cooking time should remain the same.
Tiffany Sellers says
Brilliant recipe. 1st time doing a chocolate cake and it came out fantastic will defiantly using this recipe again.The cake taste lovely too.
Kay Syson says
Hi I was wondering whether this could be made dairy free? Substituting the margarine should be fine I imagine but would it work with dairy free milk?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. I have a dairy-free cupcake recipe that is based on this cake. I use a dairy-free margarine and either a dairy-free milk alternative or just leave that bit out. For the buttercream use my dairy-free chocolate buttercream recipe.
Fiona says
Wonderful cake! Was worried as it felt ‘heavy’ after baking but tasted amazingly light and moist. Definitely one I will make again!
Annarella says
I love this recipe and use it a lot! I just wondered if you can melt the chocolate instead of grating it? That would be much easier for me and easier on the washing up!
Charlotte Oates says
You can 🙂
Maria clune says
This is a firm favourite in our house for birthdays, comes out perfect everytime. The chocolate buttercream to go with it is absolutely gorgeous too.
Tiffany Sellers says
Hello
I was just wondering why you dont have to put in baking powder on this recipe but do in the vanilla sponge birthday cake.
Many Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I tested it with additional baking powder and found that that the addition of chocolate into the mixture made it more likely to sink when it came out of the oven. To compensate for leaving out the baking powder I used large eggs instead of medium which gives a bit of extra rise and also some extra structure so you get a perfectly risen cake.
Karen says
Hi made this yesterday but didn’t rise that much. Put skewer i. Which came out clear, but still seems a little moist. Should it be like this?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
It should be roughly the same height as the cakes in the pictures. If not then it doesn’t sound quite right. Was your flour a little on the old side? If it was then the raising agent may not have been as effective as it should be which would cause what you’ve described.
Ste says
Time for cooking is totally wrong for gas ovens had mine in 45 mins and still isn’t ready.
Charlotte Oates says
Can I check what temperature you’re using and whether you’re baking in sandwich tins or one deep tin? Also, are you using the original recipe, or have you used the calculator for a different size?
Thanks
Alison says
Thanks so much for this recipe. I have a quick question – I made it last night (3 x 23cm) based on the conversions, and have frozen it for use next week.
The batter was quite stiff though and definitely not runny, and once baked, the cakes were quite heavy. Do you think this sounds ok / how it should be? Wanted to check as if not I may do then again.
Thanks
Alison
Charlotte Oates says
The batter is soft, but not runny. Unfortunately I don’t have a video for this cake, but if you watch the one for my vanilla cake and see the consistency of the batter, the chocolate one should have been similar (maybe a tiny bit stiffer).
How much did your cakes rise? If they’re about 1.5-2x higher than when you put the batter in the tin then that sounds right. The are quite heavy (weight wise rather than taste wise 🙂 ) which makes them nice and sturdy for decorating.
Nicky says
Hello, Can you use gluten free flour to make this cake?
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t tried it, but I believe others have and it’s turned out fine.