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
Amanda says
Hi I am making a 10in square chocolate cake for my husbands 60th birthday. can you please tell me how much cake mix I will need. I did have a go at your cake calculator but it seam not to be working. I have made your sponge cake before and it is very yummy.
thank
Charlotte Oates says
400g SR flour
8 eggs
460g margarine/butter
460g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp milk
80g cocoa powder
200g milk chocolate
For the buttercream
450g butter
450g icing sugar
270g milk chocolate
70g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Amanda Fassenfelt says
Hi Charlotte.
Thank you for the reply can not wait to get cooking on this cake. Just like to ask what will the cooking time be on a 10in cake recipe, as you have not mentioned it .
Thank you.Amanda.
Charlotte Oates says
Check it after the same time recommended in the original recipe.
Patricia says
Is it unsweetened cocoa powder or regular cocoa powder?
Charlotte Oates says
Regular
Sarah k says
Hi might seem pedantic but do you finely grate or coursely grate the chocolate? I’ve learnt from experience that details like these can make a difference with cakes like this! Thank you!
Charlotte Oates says
I coarsely grate it, but in this case, I don’t think it would make a huge amount of difference.
Louise says
I’ve used this cake recipe several times now and I can’t fault it one bit. Made the chocolate one recently and I used the plain sponge recipe to make a rainbow cake which turned out fabulous thank you
Emma says
Love this recipe – thank you! I’m using it for son’s birthday cake but it needs to be square. What are the quantities for nine inch square tin? Hope you can help!
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Emma, If you put the dimensions of your tin into my calculator it’ll tell you what you need.
Jess Schmid says
Hi Charlotte, i’m Thinking of making this cake for so s 2nd Birthday, it looks yummy
I don’t have a tin the right size, mine is a deep 23vm round tin. if I adjust the quantities using your calculator can I bake it in one tin & slice in half once cooked? Will I need to adjust the cooking time?
Thanks in advance,
Jess x
Charlotte Oates says
You can bake it in one deep tin. It’ll take longer to cook (around 45-50 minutes).
Paula Male says
I made this at the weekend for my husband’s birthday. It was a really lovely chocolatey cake which went down well with everyone. I also made your chocolate buttercream which was fabulous. This will be my go to recipe whenever I need a chocolate cake. I cooked it in an 8″ cake tin and cut into 3 layers. Thanks for sharing this x
Charlotte Oates says
Thanks, I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Adriana says
Hi
What size tin should I use? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
I use 2x 20cm round sandwich tins. However, if you’d like to use a different size of tin then you can use my calculator here to find the ingredients you need.
Sue says
Hi I have made this chocolate cake twice and it was great can it also be done as cupcakes? If so how long is cooking time? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
You can. You can find the recipe for a cupcake version here.
Tracy Roach says
I made this cake today as a practice for my daughter’s birthday but it hardly rose at all. No idea what I did wrong as i followed the recipe exactly
Charlotte Oates says
I’m sorry to hear that. Had you had your self-raising flour a while. I believe the raising agents may not work as well if it’s a bit older.
Rebecca says
Made this cake yesterday, for my son’s 3rd birthday today. He had a fabulous day, and couldn’t wait to dive into the cake, which tasted absolutely amazing, was so easy to make, and carved really well. The chocolate buttercream frosting was so delicious too!
Charlotte Oates says
Thanks, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’m glad your som had a lovely birthday so, 3 is a great age!
Nikki says
Hi Charlotte, I have made this cake many times with great success, thank you!
I would like to ask whether you think it would work using stevia rather than caster sugar. I’ve not used stevia before so am not familiar with how it compares to conventional sugar – do you have any experience with it?
Making this cake for my son’s birthday tomorrow and wondering whether to risk it!
Many thanks,
Nikki
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t tried this cake with stevia, but I have experimented with stevia in the past and wrote a post about it. Personally, I wouldn’t try this particular cake with stevia. Switching sugar for stevia means your cakes don’t rise as well, this cake is already a little denser than the sponge I used in this experiment (due to the added chocolate in the mix) and so I think you would end up with quite a heavy, flat cake.
Sorry, I didn’t see this sooner so I’m not sure if it’s too late.
Paula weller says
Ive just made this cake , doubled the mixtures and made 2 rectangle cakes for a freinds birthday, can’t wait to taste it. Smells lovely and feels light and moist, will post next week when it gets eaten, it will be going in the freezer until I’m ready to cover it in paste.
Charlotte Oates says
Fantastic, I hope you enjoy it!
Paula weller says
Hi , when i went to lift one to wrap up ready for the freezer, it cracked and fell apart, the other one split in the middle , God knows what happened , will have to make another one , what do you suggest I do to make it a bit more stronger , if you know what I mean, thank you
Charlotte Oates says
I’m sorry to hear that happened, I’m not too sure why it cracked, it is quite a soft sponge (so it doesn’t taste heavy) so it should have cracked. I found this article that might be worth a read to see if there’s anything that might explain why it cracked.
sarah says
I used this recipe to make my son’s birthday cake last week – it’s perfect texture for building (I made it into a tyre with alloy wheels) and tastes amazing! Thank you!!! I’d post a photo but not sure I can?
Catrina says
Hi
Is this cake firm enough to you fondant and stacked?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. It’s definitely fine for 2 layers and should be fins for 3. I’d suggest using cut dowels or straws to add a little support.
Catherine says
Looks lovely Charlotte. I am assuming it’s two 8 inch tins for the recipe? Many thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, that’s right. If you want to bake it in a different size of tin there’s a link to a calculator in the recipe notes which will tell you for any other size you want to try.
Crissy says
Hi I made the cake and it turned out perfect first time. Can it be frozen please?
Charlotte Oates says
The sponge can be frozen undecorated. Wrap it tightly in clingfilm before freezing and defrost it thoroughly before decorating.
Mansi says
Hi I am planning to make this cake for my little ones birthday. Is it ok to use butter ? Will it still taste good?
Also if I bake on Thursday for Saturday , in this hot weather, is it still ok to leave it outside in airtight container? For decorating it on Friday and once decorated , do I still leave it outside ?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, butter is absolutely fine just make sure you’ve allowed it to soften a little before using it otherwise it won’t mix in properly (which should be no problem in this weather!). In normal British weather I’d say it’s fine to make the cake a day in advance and not refrigerate it, but in this weather it’s likely that that buttercream will go funny (and maybe off) so I would refrigerate it. The undecorated cake is fine to make a day of two in advance though.
Jo B says
I made this cake for a 3rd birthday and it tasted amazing! Thank you so much! X
Barbara says
Hi, anyone tried working out ingredients for a 8” half ball shape tin?
sienna says
Hi Charlotte:
I am planning to make a 10-inch fondant cake for a friends’ birthday. I am vacillating between making a 2 layered or 3 layered cake. I was wondering how tall is each layer, given I will be using the 10-inch 2 layers recipe? Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
A cake with two layers will be c. 9cm tall and c. 13.5 cm for a 3 layer cake.