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
Lorna says
Like some of the other people above, this recipe sadly didn’t work out for us, it didn’t seem to rise at all and was really dense and dry.
Nadia says
Hi Charlotte,
The cake tastes lovely however I’ve made it twice now and the first time it didn’t rise at all and the second time it rose then sank in the middle. I followed the recipe to the letter, any ideas please? Thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
It sounds like you may have an ingredient or oven temperature issue. Make sure to check your self raising flour is fresh or the raising agent may have become inactive. Using an oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven might also beneficial as all ovens can be a little inaccurate.
Stacey says
Hi. I’m going to make this recipe in 3 x 6” sandwich tins for a layered cake. Should I adjust the baking time / oven temperature please ?
Charlotte Oates says
You will need to reduce the cooking time a little.
Susie M says
This recipe is THE BEST! I have made it for my childrens’ birthdays for the last four years and it always works. Grating the chocolate feels like a faff but it’s so worth it for a really lovely damp, creamy chocolate cake. I am always sharing the recipe with friends. The vanilla birthday cake is brilliant too. The calculator makes it so easy to scale up or down. Thank you!!
Danielle says
I have an 8inch round tin that is 4inch deep. I cannot figure out the ingredients or cooking times for this cake, can you help?
Charlotte Oates says
This recipe is best made in 2 x 20cm/8in tins as making it in one tin will affect the bake as it will be too thick to cook properly in the centre without drying out the outsides.
Charlee says
Hi Charlotte,
I am making this for my sons birthday after a family friend made this for my nephew and loving the cake so much she directed me here to the recipe. Ive never attempted to make my Kids cakes before so am nervous and have a very excited soon to be 4 year old! Im buying cake pans and keep seeing either spring form 20cm or standard – how deep do the tins need to be? I dont want to get the wrong type.
Charlotte Oates says
You will need a tin at least 4cm deep. A sandwich tins would generally be the type that I would use for layer cakes rather than springform tins.
Jo says
Hi,
This is my go to chocolate cake recipe for all my children’s birthdays now and it has always been a big success! However, I have an unusual shaped cake tin that requires 6 US Cups of cake batter. Could you advise how many cups does your recipe make?
Many thanks,
Jo
Charlotte Oates says
Without making the batter and physically measuring it, I cannot be sure. But I have estimated that the recipe should make around 5.3 cups of batter. Please only use this as an estimate – unfortunately I cannot guarantee that this is 100% accurate. Good luck with your cake!
Fabmarq says
Hello, would it work if I use basic chocolate ganache (cream and chocolate)?
Charlotte Oates says
It will! I would make sure that the ganache is at least 50% chocolate and well chilled before using. You can also whip a well chilled ganache for a lighter result.
Vanessa says
Hi Charlotte,
I love your recipes – they are always my go to for any birthday cakes I make. This year, my son has requested a 3D football cake – I’ve got the spherical tin, but do you think this recipe will be OK to use for that? I don’t want it to collapse into a deflated football! Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Unfortunately I haven’t tried a spherical tin with this recipe so its very difficult to advise. It will probably be a case of testing and seeing how it goes. Halving the recipe and just trying one tin might be the best start so you don’t waste ingredients (whatever you produce will de delicious and edible, it just not be quite the right shape or quantity).
Gayle Baldwin says
Hi Charlotte, I love your receipes it is a go to for me all the time with my kids birthday cakes. They have proved so popular that my friend has asked me to make her wedding cake. I am going to do a two-tier, double layered cake but I only have one of each size cake tin. If I make the mixture for each tier in one batch, will the second half of the mixture be ok to sit in the bowl while I cook the first batch? or do I have to make four seperate batches? Thanks so much, Gayle
Charlotte Oates says
For the absolute best results you would be best making 2 batches of the mix and bake one of each size at a time. If you really don’t want to do this, you can let the mixture sit while you bake the first batch. However I would suggest working quickly by removing the cooked cakes from the tin as soon as is reasonable and then carefully rinsing the tin under cold water to bring it back to room temp. Dry them well, reline and then get the second batch in the oven asap.
Lucy says
Hello your calculator doesn’t seem to be working? Or is it me? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I’m sorry you encountered a problem. I’ve tested the calculator and it does seem to be working. If you experience the problem again, please can you let me know exactly what isn’t working so I can investigate further.
Lynette says
Hi there. I’ve used this recipe (and the vanilla one) for multiple birthday cakes and they’re always fantastic. I’ve just used this recipe along with your Nutella buttercream to create a birthday cake for my hubby and he loved it and I was impressed with the combination of flavours!
I made a two tier cake then sandwiched and covered with the very moreish Nutella buttercream. But then put a chocolate dome on top (melted choc with chopped hazelnuts) to make it look like a giant forrero rocher. It was amazing!
Thanks for the simple, but inspiring recipes. Your site is always my go-to for baking since I became a mum and wanted to bake my kids birthday cakes!
Denise says
I used the calculator to change the amounts to fit 2 23cm cake tins, however when I put the batter in the tins it only covered about 1/4 of the height and it barely rose in the oven.
Not sure if the calculator is incorrect or something done on my part but I followed to recipe as it’s quite hard not to with the simple steps
Chloe Edges says
Hi Denise, I’ve input the details into the calculator and the measurements I’ve been given are:
250 g self-raising flour
5 egg(s)
290 g soft margarine or butter
290 g caster sugar
0.375 tsp vanilla extract
2.5 tsp milk
50 g cocoa powder
125 g milk chocolate
Buttercream Ingredients
310 g butter
310 g icing sugar
185 g milk chocolate
50 g cocoa powder
0.25 tsp vanilla extract
Are these the amounts you’ve used?
Julie says
This has just happened to me. Calculated for 2x 24cm. Definitely not enough mixture. Think I need to make another layer as taking to an Easter party .
Julie says
I don’t normally leave reviews for recipes, but this cake is wonderful. It really holds the fondant well, and the grated chocolate makes a huge difference in taste. I was really pleased cutting into a big 2x20x20cm square birthday cake I made for my daughter. It was very professional & tasted magnificent!
Thank you for sharing this recipe & instructions
Lu says
I really like this recipe. So easy to use with a good rise on the cake. However mine always comes out very dry and crumbly. Any suggestions for what I might be doing wrong
Charlotte Oates says
If it’s a little dry then it could be slightly over baked. Try checking it a few minutes earlier.
Louise says
Hi. How do I apply the fondant icing? Do I just roll it out and put it on the cake or should I put a thin layer of butter icing on the top and round the edges so the fondant icing ‘sticks’?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I always put a thin layer of fondant underneath. This help the icing to stick and also helps you to smooth the icing.
Sarah says
My go to recipe for birthday cakes!
About to make one for my LOs 3rd birthday but could only find chocolate chips not milk chocolate for baking, will this work?
Charlotte Oates says
If you can only find chocolate chips then I’d recommend melting them rather than stirring them in as you would the grated chocolate. Mix all of the other ingredients and then fold in the melted chocolate, making sure that you’ve allowed it too cool to room temperature before adding it.
If you simply add the chocolate chips they will most likely sink to the bottom.
Sophie says
I used the calculator to make a large cake and it turned out delicious. Everyone loved it, even a fussy MIL who isn’t keen on chocolate cake.
Sandra says
Hi Charlotte,
I made your chocolate cake, in a small tin, it was delicious. I am going to make one in 2x 10″ sqaure tins, can you tell me if it would be wise to lower the temperature a little for such a big cake and how long do you think it will take, I will line the outside of the tins with a belt.
Thank you for sharing.
Sandra.
Charlotte Oates says
No need to lower the temperate or cook for longer as long as you keep the depth of the sponges the same.
I haven’t tested this recipe with a belt. Using one will affect cooking times but as it’s not something I’ve tested I cannot advise of the changes needed.
Paul says
Hi I’ve made this choc cake 3times now. 1st time beautiful&moist. Then after that dense&2 inches thick!it rises in oven then flattens&looks wrinkly!! Why is that. I’ve done it exactly same as recipe thanks
Charlotte Oates says
It sounds as though it rose too much and then sank causing the wrinkling. It may be that you’ve heated the mixture for too long or on too high a speed. This will add extra air which could cause what you observed.