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
Fozia says
I’ve baked my very first cake using this recipe and I have to say it came out ABSOLOUTELY PERFECT! I was surprised how soft and moist it was and it was literally gone in seconds! Needless to say this is going to be my go to recipe in future! Thank you SO much for sharing 🙂
Lucinda Edwards says
Hi, this recipe sounds perfect for my soon-to-be 3 year old’s cake! Will it work to be iced with just buttercream icing, rather than fondant icing?
Charlotte Oates says
It’ll be absolutely fine.
Marissa says
Hi Charlotte
I want to make a dairy free version of this cake. I can substitute the margarine for dairy free stuff. Could I used 70% plus chocolate in the mix instead of milk chocolate? I think you have a dairy free buttercream recipe I could follow?
Thanks
Marissa
Charlotte Oates says
Yes. You need to switch the marg for a dairy-free version (I usually use Pure Sunflower). Use dairy-free chocolate and a little plant-based milk instead of the cows’ milk. My dairy-free buttercream is here.
Belinda says
Hi. I have been asked to make a 12 inch square birthday cake. Would this work if I doubled the recipe ? And how long do you think it would take to bake for one layer ? Thankyou
Charlotte Oates says
If you add your tin dimension in here you’ll get the ingredients you need as well as information about cooking times.
Belinda says
Thankyou. I have the calculations. But only have one large tin. Will the mixture be ok waiting to be cooked one st s time ?
Regards
Brlinda
Charlotte Oates says
Ideally you shouldn’t leave the mixture sitting out while the first cake bakes as some of the reaction between the ingredients that should happen in the oven will take place at room temperature and you may find that it doesn’t rise as it should.
Chrissie says
Hi. I’d like to use this recipe for my son’s birthday but would like to make the sponge 2 days ahead of time before decorating. Would you keep the sponge well covered in the fridge?
Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
It’ll be fine stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Toni Murrow-Smith says
Hi, I’m about to make this cake but don’t have any baking parchment would it work ok if I just grease the tins with margarine instead? Also how long do you leave the buttercream to set before putting fondant over. Thanks
Charlotte Oates says
Personally I would line the tins as baking the cake on a lower temperature means that the edges are quite soft and so it’s quite likely to stick.
I’m impatient so usually do the fondant straight after the buttercream. It’s usually OK but if you make your buttercream a little thick, or the room is quite warm then you might find it squeezes out of the bottom of the fondant a little as you smooth it. Ideally you should pop your cake into the fridge for a couple of hours to allow it to harden a bit.
Amelia says
Used this recipe for a wedding cake and it got soo many compliments! I tried it myself and it’s dreamy! So thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s now become my go to chocolate cake recipe! x
Yvonne says
Hi, can you tell me why one of my cakes sinks and the other one is fine when they’re both put in the oven at the same time on the same shelf? Cakes are delicious though!
Charlotte Oates says
How strange! In all the 100s of comments I’ve had about this recipe (or any other recipe), it’s the first time I’ve heard of this happening.
A few thoughts:
1) Is the heat even throughout your oven? It might be worth getting an oven thermometer to check in different positions.
2) Was the mixture split evenly between the two tins? If one was slightly fuller than the oven then it may not have been cooked fully when it was first checked which could cause it to sink.
3) Did you use identical tins/liners for the two sponges? Different tins can effect how a cake bakes.
Kathleen Murray says
Hi,
Wondering what depth your 20inch sandwich tins are as I have two but only 3cm depth. They look very narrow. I did see other tins with a bugger depth and thinking I need at least 5 cm. Would that be correct?
Thanks for your help
Charlotte Oates says
Mine are about 3cm deep.
Louise Heywood says
Hi, I’m going to attempt cooking a 6inch and 9inch cake using this recipe later (thank you for the cake calculator). Unfortunately I don’t have 2 of each tin so I’ll be doing a double layer for each. Any suggestions on the baking times? Thanks.
Charlotte Oates says
Ideally the mixture should be split into two tins as some (although not all) people who have tried it in a deep tin have found it doesn’t rise as well in a and can be prone to dipping a little in the middle. However, if you do want to go for it, then it’ll need 45-50 minutes.
Rhea says
How much fondant icing do I need for this cake if I make it as. 9inch round cake? I’ll probably use ready made fondant …
Charlotte Oates says
Pop your measurements into my fondant calculator and it’ll tell you how much you need.
Jules says
Hi Charlotte
I want to make a 9×13 cake, how long would it need in the oven? Thank you.
Jules
Charlotte Oates says
It depends on how deep it is. If it’s just a single layer in a tin (which is what I’d recommend as it bakes best that way), the. it’ll be the same time as specified in the original recipe.
Becky says
Hey, this looks lovely. I would like to make 3 tears to make it to further, as I’ve got a few people coming to my sons 2nd birthday party. What is the easiest way to up it for 3 sponges? also, can I achieve the white icing with the ready made fondant stuff? I’ve baked but I’ve never iced a cake in my life! thanks.
Becky says
go further I meant!
Charlotte Oates says
I often make three layers to make a taller cake (in fact I made one just last week). I’d bake it in three separate tins, if possible all on the same oven shelf if you have space.
If you take a look below the recipe there’s a link to a calculator that’ll tell you the ingredients needed for the larger cake.
Ify says
Hi Charlotte, I have been a great Baker my children and friends confirmed with your recipes. All your recipes are perfect and easy to make. The chocolate cake is something else. Thank you very much and well done. Ify
Margaret says
Brilliant recipe. Made lots of choc cakes but by far this recipe is the best. My eldest daughter’s birthday cake. Everybody enjoyed it and it’s very quick and simple to make.
Charlotte says
Hi, I was looking at this recipe for my son’s 3rd birthday cake, which I need to make tomorrow! I was just wondering if it is very rich, especially with the buttercream added? I’m looking for a simple chocolate sponge flavour, more suited to children than adults. What would you recommend? Thank you.
Charlotte Oates says
The cake isn’t too rich, but with the buttercream it is pretty rich. You could try it with vanilla or white chocolate buttercream instead if you want something less rich.
Rebecca says
Great recipe thank you! Had lots of positive comments! I also used your cake tin calculator and it worked out great 🙂
Isla says
Fantastic recipe! very easy to make, and tasted amazing! i was wondering if you could just swap out the flour for gluten free flower? as i’d love to make this cake for someone who’s gluten free!
Charlotte Oates says
I haven’t tried it with gluten-free flour, but I’ve had several messages from others that have and they’ve all confirmed that it works really well.
Margaret says
Yes it does work with gluten free flour
Carly Dadge says
Hello, I’ve just made your cake, how is best to store it tonight for me to do the frosting tomorrow and then for me to ice on Tuesday? My son has requested a football cake….eek….no pressure
Charlotte Oates says
Just pop it into an airtight container. I usually put a sheet of greaseproof (or a reusable baking liner) between the layers to stop them sticking together.
Carly Dadge says
Thank you – I made this and your coffee cake, they both went down amazingly!
Katy says
Hi Charlotte. I LOVE this recipe and have made it before with lots of approval from my family. I am going to attempt to make it again for my nephew’s 2nd birthday. Do you have any tips on grating the chocolate as I find it quite hard work!
Charlotte Oates says
You can melt it instead if you find that easier. just make sure it has cooled to room temperature before you add it to the cake mixture.
clare says
I actually put the chocolate into a kenwood mini chopper and it worked fine, and the cake was good
Sammi A says
Hello, when would you bake this, a day or so in advance before placing fondant on? Or do you think you can bake and ice in the same day? What is the shelf life? And can I freeze the sponges?
Charlotte Oates says
I usually bake the day before I decorate so it has plenty of time to cool completely. However, as long as you ensure it’s fully cooled you can decorate it the same day.
I usually bake my cakes two days before they’re eaten and then they’re always good for about 4-5 days after as long as it’s stored in an airtight container.
You can freeze the sponges. Just wrap them in cling film before you do to protect them and defrost them thoroughly before decorating.
Sammi A says
Thank you so much …. should the sponge then go in the fridge or room temp in a air tight container?
Ive just made a trial run of the sponge and have lots of buttercream left, can I store this at all for a later date?
Cake was yummy! The whole family have big smiles
Charlotte Oates says
If it’s not too warm then it’s fine at room temperature in an airtight container. If the weather is a bit warm then I’d recommend storing it in the fridge. Make sure you take it out a bit before you want to eat it so that it can come up to room temperature as it tastes better that way.
You can freeze the buttercream, but you’ll find that the texture goes fudgy when you defrost it so it isn’t great for piping (but still delicious!).
Judith says
Can you use hot chocolate powder instead of coco?
Charlotte Oates says
I’ve not tried it, but I don’t see why not. It’ll probably have a slightly sweeter flavour.