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
anwitasinha says
nice recipe to try.
Donna says
Hi, you are my go to page for recipes.
Could you use oil instead of butter? I have found previously that oil makes chocolate sponge moist? (Never tried the chocolate cake but planning to make whilst off over Easter)
Charlotte Oates says
This cake has been designed to be made with butter/margarine rather than oil. Switching to oil is likely to result in your cake becoming more claggy rather than moister.
This is a moist sponge. The only thing to be careful of is not to overbake it as chocolate cakes can dry out quickly if you do.
Kate says
Hi This looks great, looking forward to baking it for my son’s birthday. Do you know if it would hold up to freezing before I decorate it? I’m trying to plan ahead as much as possible. thanks!
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. You’re absolutely fine to freeze it until you’re ready to decorate it. I’d recommend wrapping each layer in clingfilm to protect it in the freezer.
Jane Heaney says
Hi Charlotte
How long will cake keep?
Thanks
Jane
Charlotte Oates says
It keeps for about a week when stored in an airtight container.
Michelle says
Hi what size cake tins do u use for this recipe.x
Charlotte Oates says
I use 2x 20cm sandwich tins. If you’d like to use a different size of tin, you can find a link to a calculator below the recipe which will tell you the quantities you need.
Sue tyszkowski says
Hi Charlotte
I plan to make two no 23cm cakes one chocolate and one vanilla can you give a guide to how much more ingredient I should use. If I increase all the ingredients by a quarter would that be enough of should I go for and extra 1/2?
Thanks
Sue
Charlotte Oates says
If you have a look below the recipe for both the chocolate cake and vanilla cake you’ll find a link to a calculator that’ll tell you the ingredients you need for a larger tin.
Brian says
Hi ya I have made this chocolate cake a few times very nice, I’m looking at making a three layer round cake using this receipe I was wondering if it would hold or would collapse, do you suggest to use a different chocolate receipe for the bottom and this receipe for the top two layers, thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
Three layers is absolutely fine. I often make this as a three layer cake so that I have more height to add design on the side.
Robert Ross says
Hi Charlotte
I notice in this chocolate cake recipe you don’t have any baking powder like you do in your vanilla sponge is there enough in the flour to give a good rise
Charlotte Oates says
There is. The weight of the chocolate in this recipe means that if you add extra baking powder it rises too much and then sinks after baking. To replace some of the rise from the baking powder I’ve used large eggs rather than medium.
Yvonne adkins says
Could you please tell me how big I need to grate the chocolate? THANKYOU. Eve
Charlotte Oates says
I use the large side of my grater, but finer is OK too.
Ellie says
I’ve just made this for my boyfriend’s birthday – planning to sculpt the cake into a mountain 🙂 So I made three different sized cakes (like wedding tiers) and a load of fairy cakes separately to squish around the place to try to shape it into something…
I tried one of the fairy cakes (obviously) and it seemed rather dry, though it was tasty. Might have been a bit overbaked… one the plus side, the cake seems very solid, so it should hold the enormous number of decorations I’m planning for it 🙂
Will try again another time and just not leave in the oven quite so long – and will report back on the finished product (planning to give your buttercream icing a go!).
Charlotte Oates says
It definitely sounds as though the fairy cakes may have been over-baked as chocolate cakes can easily go dry if left in the over for too long. I’d definitely suggest taking them out a little earlier in future.
Jessicah says
Hello! I am so excited about finding this recipe! I wanted to make a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting/filling for my daughter’s birthday but also wanted to cover it with white fondant and had NO idea what kind of cake or frosting would be sturdy enough. Behold! The exact recipes I am needing! I do have one question… Instead of buying self rising flour (I only ever use all purpose) could I just use the common substitute? 1 1/2 t baking powder and 1/4 t salt per cup of flour? I appreciate your help and I look forward to using your recipes!
Charlotte Oates says
That conversion is for US self-raising flour rather than the UK version which I use. The UK version doesn’t include salt and has a different amount of baking powder. To make the UK version, add 1 level tsp of baking powder to each 100g of flour.
Maria stynes says
My go to cake for all parties. Made it for a birthday last week but instead of icing the cake I used fresh cream and decorated with strawberries. Everyone came back for a second slice and my 94 year old grandad who is a massive cake lover asked if we would get the baker we got it from to make him one .
Katiepx says
Thank you for the amazing recipe. I have also used your vanilla birthday cake recipe and I always get so many compliments.
I had a quick question; I am planning to make this chocolate cake into a 6 inch four layer cake with chocolate ganache, covered in fondant. Do you think I should dowel the cake as I will be making it quite tall with the four layers. I wouldn’t want it to collapse or bulge from the heavy fondant and decorations. Do you have any tips?
Thanks, stay safe 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
You should be fine with four layers without dowels. However, if you’re using heavy decorations on top then it would be advisable to support them with dowels. That said, I put a fondant fist the size of a human hand (so very heavy) on a three layer version of this cake and it would have been fine without any support (although I did add a little to make sure it didn’t topple over).
Hannah says
My favourite go to recipe for every cake I make now. Everyone comments on how tasty it is!
Abi says
My cakes are generally not known for their greatness. This recipe changed that yesterday! My son said it was the best cake he’d ever had! Great taste, easy to make & I will be making it again for sure!
Helen Ranson says
Hello Charlotte, do you think this cake will work OK with Gluten free baking flour? Also I’d like to make with Dark chocolate instead of milk as to be dairy free too – will it be too rich with 70% dark chocolate to shall I use less than 100g, maybe 50g or 75g?
Thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried it with GF flour, but I’ve received comments from others who have and they’ve all said that it worked well. I have tried it dairy-free (using 70% dark chocolate) and it works fine. It is a little richer, but it’s still delicious. There’s no need to make any adjustments to quantities, although you can choose to if you’d like, the cake will still work well with a smaller amount.
Charlotte Oates says
I also have a recipe for dairy-free chocolate buttercream you can use.
Barbara Czyrwik says
Hi !
I am planning to use 4 X 9″ (24cm) baking pans and looking at your calculator I think it will be way too much dough do I thought (since your original recipe layers looks quite thick) I could spread it across 3 tins because I am looking for thin 3 layers rather than two big ones … Would you recommend doing that ?
Regards xx
Charlotte Oates says
You can do that (I do it with my coffee and walnut cake as I like three layers but don’t want it too tall). If you do you’ll need to reduce the cooking time as a thinner cake will cook faster. I would expect them to take 20-25 minutes.
Jessica Beale says
I want to add red food colouring to the cake – would I need to adjust any measurements?
Charlotte Oates says
You can, but as the sponge is quite dark, it’ll only give it a red hue rather than a vibrant red colour.
If you do go for it, make sure you use gel colours (liquid colours are not bright enough to be noticeable and the amount you’d need would change the texture of the cake). You shouldn’t need to change any measurements.
Dawn Hughes says
I made this for a 16th birthday and it was a great success. I made 3 layers with your chocolate butter icing and bought fondant icing. I bake Victoria sponges, cupcakes and Madeira cakes but I have never been so complimented for my baking by my family, they couldn’t wait for the next slice. Effortless mixing; usually I mix by hand and it probably took me longer grating the chocolate than anything else, but added to the success. The sponges turned out exactly as the pictures and the butter icing was the perfect fit for a celebration cake. Thank you so much this is defo my favourite cake.
Chris says
Giving this a go for my daughters mermaid birthday cake she’s insisting on both mermaids amd chocolate.. ! I’m thinking three smaller layers, one with raspberry jame and butter cream and the seonc with this two tone raspberry fondant I have bought.. Do you think this will work? I know traditionally white choc goes with raspberry but I know if I do white she won’t know its chocolate . The outside will be coated in normal icing like yours
Charlotte Oates says
Milk chocolate and raspberry is also a lovely combination so I’d imagine it will be delicious.
Chris says
It was great! I’ll be using the recipe again
Charlotte Oates says
Love the decoration. Thank you for sharing the pictures.