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.
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
Paula Woodford says
Hi I made this cake for my grandsons birthday and it tasted delicious but when I cut it it went a bit crumbly.. I would like to make this again because everyone enjoyed it but can u give me any tips to prevent this happening
Charlotte Oates says
A couple of ideas spring to mind…
* If the cake was a little overdone this could make it crumbly. Try testing it a few minutes earlier next time.
* What size eggs did you use? The recipe recommends large eggs and using medium will give a crumblier sponge. It’s possible if you used large eggs that they were on the smaller size (as they can vary quite a lot).
Jo leach says
CAn you use dark chocolate instead of milk?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, it works just as well with dark if that’s what you prefer.
Rachel says
Grating the chocolate was frustratingly difficult. The cake smells great and I left it to cool but when I took it out the baking dish later it totally crumbled and sank. Not sure what I did wrong.
Charlotte Oates says
I’m sorry to hear that. Did the skewer come out clean when you checked the cake? It sounds like it may have been underdone if it collapsed.
If you decide to give it another try in future, you can melt the chocolate rather than grating it if you find that easier. Melt the chocolate first and the set it aside to cool to room temperature before adding it to the other ingredients.
Kim says
Hello can i leave out the grated chocolate.
Charlotte Oates says
You can, but the cake won’t taste as good as a lot of the chocolatey flavour comes from the grated chocolate. You can melt it and then mix it in when it’s cooled to room temperature if you prefer.
Kim says
Am using a 4inch and 6inch cake tins about 4inch deep how long would they need to be baked for x
Charlotte Oates says
Deep tins take about 50 minutes.
Naheela says
I made this cake over the weekend, so i baked it on sat and decorated it sunday for Monday. The sponge went dry. What could i have done wrong?
Charlotte Oates says
There are two possibilities that are most likely – either it wasn’t stored in the airtight container, or the sponge was cooked a little too long in the oven. Both would cause the sponge to go dry.
Ruth Gallagher says
I used this recipe for my son’s birthday this week and it was stunning! So easy and so delicious. Thank you so much for sharing and making it so easy to scale up.
Tina Wizard says
Hi there, first time chocolate birthday cake novice baker here.
I’d like to make a two tier 9inch and 7inch cake. I will be using deep single 3 inch deep tins rather than sandwich tins.
Q1 – will this cake stack?
Q2 – will your cake converter work for deep 3inch cake Tins
Q3 – how long would you bake them for?
Thanks in advance for my possibly very daft questions.
Charlotte Oates says
1) Yes, the cake will stack. I’d recommend using dowling/straws in the bottom tier to add some extra support to the upper tier.
2) Yes, simply put the ingredients for 2-layers into one tin. However, I find I get best results if I bake them in single layers as the cakes will rise better and cook more evenly.
3) If you do decide to bake the cakes in deep tins, they’ll take 45-50 minutes.
Suzie says
Cracking recipe! Daughters birthday cake a huge success, nicest choc cake I’ve ever had. I used bourneville choc, 2 deep tins for 4 layer cake, used the calculator, came out perfectly. Needed bit longer in oven so used foil to stop top catching. Brilliant for fondant, rises nice and flat. You’re an absolute cake genius!
Jenny Pearson says
Hi, I would like to make a chocolate orange cake, can I substitute the vanilla essence with grated orange zest and/or juice from the orange.
Many thanks
Jenny
Charlotte Oates says
The best way to adapt the cake would be to replace the vanilla extract with orange extract. I’ve tried orange zest and it doesn’t give quite the same chocolate orange flavour as extract/oil. I would recommend about 1.25 tsp of extract to really ensure the orange flavour comes through.
Jennifer Webb says
Absolutely gorgeous rich chocolate birthday cake . Held it’s shape but didn’t dry out. This will definately be my go to recipe..made cupcakes with the left over ingredients as I made double and they are just heavenly with the butter cream! Thank you Charlotte x
Amy says
Thank you for sharing this. Have used this twice in the last month (both for novelty cakes) and it’s easy to make, bakes well and tastes delicious!
Can i use this to make cupcakes too?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. I’ve adapted the recipe for cupcakes here.
Debra Mersh says
Chuffed to bits! Worked like a dream.
Deanna says
I tried this for my husbands birthday. Deep tin 9 inch, both layers at the same time and when I have gone to check it the knife came out covered in cake mixture! Hasn’t worked for us which is a shame but still a tasty batter
Charlotte Oates says
Hi, I’m sorry to hear the cake didn’t work well for you. How long did you bake it for? It will take quite a bit longer to cook through in a deep tin than when it is split between two tins.
Fiona says
Cake I use ready to roll white icing over the chocolate buttercream ? Will it stick ?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, I’ve done it many times. The chocolate icing doesn’t crust like vanilla buttercream so it’s a little softer so make sure you only use quite a thin layer around the outside of the cake.
Samantha carter says
I have just done this and it takes forever to cook 🙁 did bigger tin but split in two layers.. Inch deep and its just stodgy? More like a brownie.. Didn’t rise really at all.. My daughters first birthday cake so may well start all over again 🙁 o did exactly what you said… However I have a gas oven but put it on 3-4 and ended up taking absolutely ages and is still stodgy in the middle and overcooked on the outside…even on the smaller tins 🙁 guess it works for u guys..didn’t work for us :'( will have to start over.
Charlotte Oates says
Hi Samantha,
Sorry to hear you had problems with the recipe. If you can give a little more information I may be able to help figure out what might have gone wrong. What size tin did you use? Did you cook all the mixture in one deep tin or split it between two tins? How long did you cook it for?
Thanks,
Charlotte
Alexandra says
Will this cake last OK if I make it a couple of days before the birthday?
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, it’ll be fine as long as you store it in an airtight container.
Lianne says
Hi, looking forward to trying this recipe. Can it be made in advance and frozen? Un-iced obviously. Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
It can, just wrap it in clingfilm to protect it.
Debbie says
I’m about to make my 7th birthday cake using this recipe!
I discovered it when planing my eldest boys 2nd birthday cake which was minion themed.
3rd was dinosaurs, 4th was Godzilla, 5th was sea creatures and I just did a ninja cake for his 6th. My youngest got a plain version for his 1st birthday and I’m about to re do the minion for his 2nd birthday this weekend.
I just don’t trust any other recipe and the size converter is amazing.The only thing I have changed is that I use 70% dark chocolate and really good organic butter. Thank you for helping me create amazing memories for my boys birthdays!
Charlotte Oates says
Aww thanks for your lovely comment. I still have happy memories of the cakes my mum made for me when I was little and it makes me so happy that I’m able to help others have those too.
Cathryn Kinsella says
Hi
How do you make the chocolate icing inbetween?
Thank s
Charlotte Oates says
It’s my chocolate buttercream.
Elaine says
Hi,
I’m thinking of increasing ingredients accordingly to 5 eggs etc. Would this be ok cooked in 2 x 20cm tins or do I need to use a bigger tin?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
For 5 eggs I would use a 2 x 22cm tins. You could cook them in 20cm tins, but the cooking time will be longer (I’d guess about 35-40 minutes).