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
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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
Margaret petrie says
I’ve just made this for my 13 year old son. Changed the flour to free from self raising flour as he’s got a wheat allergy. WOW it tastes amazing
Charlotte Oates says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake. Thanks for letting me know about the free from flour. I quite often get asked about which cakes work with gluten-free flour so it’s helpful to have plenty of feedback from people that have tried it.
Margaret says
I used asda free from self raising flour. Doesn’t make any difference on how the cake bakes or tastes. I’m making it again for my other sons birthday on Tuesday.
Charlotte Oates says
Thanks for letting me know. It’s always useful to know which free-from flours work well in my recipes so I can recommend them to others.
Margaret petrie says
I always use them as my 13 year old is allergic to wheat.
Shelpa Shah says
Hi
Im looking to make a cake using 6inch x 2inch deep tin, how much ingredients will i need for chocolate cake please?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Put your tin measurements in the ingredient calccualtor (linked below the recipe).
Shelly says
Hi
I had two cake tins 6inch by 2inch deep so put in 15cm and two layers. Once baked cake came out lovely and flat but didn’t fill the tin, it was around 1ich deep. Just wondering why this was?
Thanks x
Charlotte Oates says
That’s quite deep for a sandwich tins. My sandwich tins (which this is based on) are only just over an inch deep. You’d need to increase the mixture to fill tins that deep.
Anna says
Hi Charlotte! I used your recipe converter today to bake 6” layers but found they appear quite firm and shrunk from the edges of my tin- I baked for 30mins at 160 as stated, should I have adjusted to maybe 20/25 minutes? Or is there more liquid needed than 1 tsp of milk ?!
Charlotte Oates says
The amount of liquid is fine.
Unfortunately all ovens bake a little differently and it sounds as though you either need to drop the cooking time for yours, or drop the temperature down.
Dee says
Some questions for a newbie!
1. How long after cooking can I top with fondant?
Once it’s cool or should I leave it overnight?
2. Once topped with buttercream & fondant should I leave it at room temperature overnight (or should I refrigerate) ..I’ll not have time the morning of the birthday.
Thanks in advance!
Dee
Charlotte Oates says
As long as it’s fully cool then you can decorate it, no need to leave it overnight.
Unless it’s a very hot day, I usually leave mine out at room temperature (as I only have a small fridge). If you have space then refrigerate it (cover it to ensure no moisture gets onto the fondant). Make sure you allow it time to come up to room temperature before eating it as it tastes better that way.
Dee says
Thank you!!!!
Dee says
Final question!
Will the cake taste ok if I make it as follows;
Make 48hrs before eating…keep it covered (& at room temp?) until I put buttercream and fondant on 24hrs later (cover & keep in a cool place) & then the party 24hrs later again?!
I just have other stuff on & that’s my timeframe of availability to decorate it!
Thanks in advance!
Dee 🙂
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. That’s pretty much the timescales I work to when making a birthday cake.
Dee says
Thanks again!!!! 🙂
Dee says
Thanks so much for your fab recipe and all your advice! the cake was fab & received lots of compliments!
Dee 🙂
Kim says
Would this work ok with dark chocolate? My son is dairy free so I am wanting to adapt to suit for his birthday cake.
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. This cake is easy to adapt to be dairy-free. SImply switch the milk chocolate for dark (dairy-free), switch the margarine for a dairy-free version and add a couple of tsp of a plant-based milk.
I also have a recipe for dairy-free chocolate buttercream you can use.
Kim says
Brilliant Thankyou x
Julie says
Is this cake suitable for chocolate ganache instead of icing my kids love the sweetie cakes.
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. I use buttercream as that’s what I love, but you could simply use your favourite ganache recipe instead.
Amanda says
What is the white icing that goes on top please? Would the order from bottom to top be cake, buttercream, cake then a thin layer of buttercream on the top and sides then the white icing? As you can tell, I don’t make many cakes! I’m planning to make this for my grandson’s 13th birthday on Saturday.
Charlotte Oates says
Yes, that order is right. The white icing is fondant. I buy it ready-made. If you want to calculate how much you’ll need you can use my calculator.
Laura says
Just had to say that I bake a lot of cakes, but this has become my go-to recipe for cakes. By far the most delicious, moist and flavoursome. It always get sos many compliments. Also, for me, it rises brilliantly and evenly and has become a wide range of things including a Thomas the Tank engine and a tennis court ! Thank you so much! 🙂
Hayley says
I was going to use this for a hedgehog cake. Does it carve okay or is it too moist? Thanks Hayley
Ps I used your all in one for my sons birthday cake and it was delicious! Thank you! Xx
Charlotte Oates says
It should be fine to carve into a hedgehog shape.
Nessw80 says
Can you freeze this cake before icing?
Charlotte Oates says
You can freeze it wrapped in clingfilm (to protect it from the frost). Defrost it thoroughly before decorating it.
Neil Franklin says
I have never Iced a cake before do I put butter cream on the top and sides before putting the icing on? Thank you
Charlotte Oates says
I always put a thin layer around the sides and on top. It helps the icing stick to the cake and also helps you to get a smoother finish.
Leanne says
Does this recipe work as cupcakes. I’m making a cake and also cupcakes and hoped to use the same recipe.
Has anyone tried?
Cheers
Charlotte Oates says
It does. I’ve adapted the recipe here.
Eileen says
Do you coat the cake with buttercream before you put on the fondant
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. I use my chocolate buttercream.
Natasha says
Hi if my tin is 20cm round and 10cm high how would I put this in the calculater?
Charlotte Oates says
I’d put that as two layers and then cook it in the one tin. However, I wouldn’t recommend baking it in a tin that deep as I tend to find it rises better in sandwich tins, so I would split it.
Natasha says
Thanks. I made the cake over the weekend for my little girls 2nd birthday and it was amazing the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted everyone enjoyed! great recipe
Kstherine says
Love this cake-made it for my sons 2nd birthday and he’s requested it again this year! How long does it keep for?
Charlotte Oates says
I find it keeps for about 5 days in an airtight container.
Penny says
Hi Charlotte
Just wondered if you have ever tried chocolate chips rather than grated chocolate as I was thinking of giving it a go but I’m a bit worried as it’s my daughter’s birthday cake!
Charlotte Oates says
I have. I found that as they’re heavier than the grated chocolate they tended to sink to the bottom more rather than being evenly distributed through the cake. If you don’t want to grate the chocolate you can melt it instead. Mix together all of the other ingredients and then fold in the melted chocolate last. Make sure the melted chocolate has cooled to room temperature before adding it.
Ali says
Thanks this is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a party cake that I could cook and ice in a single layer. I made a 25cm / 10” cake and covered it with buttercream. I have no idea how long it took to cook as I timed 50 mins then checked it with a cocktail stick every 3 minutes until I was happy with it. It came out very nice and even and stayed together when cut.
I sliced the chocolate with a large knife which I find easier than grating.
Magda says
I have just made this cake for the second year running for my daughter’s birthday. I used the buttercream as icing because she doesn’t like normal icing, then just decorate with small colourful things. It really is a deliciously chocolatey cake! The buttercream is especially yummy when it has been refrigerated.
The sizing calculator is genius. I rarely bake, so I look for cakes I can confidently make in the tins I already have – rather than buying new tins.
Grating the chocolate was made easy using an ancient mouli grater.
Charlotte Oates says
Great tip about the grater. My parents used to have one like that when I was young and I always found it so much easier to use. I should get myself one.
Joanne Loch says
Hello this looks fantastic!
Could you tell me how much fondant icing I might need to cover the cake?
Thanks,
Jo Loch
Charlotte Oates says
You can work out how much fondant you need using my calculator.
nicolle jenkins says
Does this recipe not require baking powder? Bit nervous as the cake is for someone else xx many thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Nope. I originally tested it with baking powder and I found it rose too much in the oven and then collapsed when I removed it. The raising agents included in the self-raising flour should be fine to give the cake enough lift.
Lucy says
Delicious chocolate cake, the best I’ve tried over the years – I used it for my sons birthday cake. Thank you for sharing your recipe
Rafia says
Hi,
I tried out your recipe as I was searching for a good chocolate cake that goes well with fondant and I think I’ve finally found the one! This cake was so delicious, super moist and soft and spongy but at the same time dense and rich. The grated chocolate (only tedious part!) added depth and richness and went well with my SMBC filling. I used your calculator to make 2 7” x 3” rounds which I split and layered up. I made this 2 weeks in advance and froze it and it turned out fine. I also added some sugar syrup on each layer to help keep the cakes moist while decorating. Overall, really happy with this and will defo be my go-to recipe from now on. I am only just thinking to grate the chocolate in a food processor beforehand so I have it ready when baking.
Thanks so much for sharing this
Charlotte Oates says
If you really hate the grating then you can melt the chocolate instead (set it aside to cool before adding it to the cake mixture). I find that you get little bursts of chocolate-iness when you grate whereas the cake has a more even chocolate flavour with melted, but both taste good.