Chocolate Birthday Cake

Up close shot of chocolate cake slice on a white plate with a fork with balloons.

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Celebrate any occasion with the ultimate Chocolate Birthday Cake! It's rich, moist, and super decadent, but also foolproof + easy enough for beginner bakers. Perfect for birthdays or any special event, this cake will make chocolate lovers swoon and is sure to make any celebration extra sweet. Gluten-free Option.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Keyword: baked, birthday cake, cake, chocolate, dairy-free, dessert, easy, family-friendly, gluten-free, holiday, kid-friendly, summer, sweet, sweets, winter

Servings: servings

Calories: 1012kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE CAKE:

4 cups organic all purpose flour (See Notes!)
1 cup organic cocoa powder (You can also use Cacao powder as well!)
2 tsps baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups organic cane sugar
4 large eggs, at room temp.
½ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil, organic (See Notes!)
1 cup hot water + 1 teaspoon espresso powder (Mix together until dissolved)
1 ¼ cups dairy-free buttermilk (That's Almond milk + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice; You can sub with regular cow's milk, if desired)

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

5 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup organic cocoa powder
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup Almond milk (You can sub with whole milk or heavy cream, if desired)
Pinch of ground cinnamon

OTHER:

Rainbow sprinkles

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease (with butter) AND line with parchment paper the bottoms of THREE 8-inch cake pans or THREE 6-inch cake pans (This makes thicker slices) or TWO 9-inch cake pans.
In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) and set aside for 5-10 minutes until everything "activates" to create the dairy-free "buttermilk".
In a separate measuring cup, stir together the HOT water and espresso powder until completely dissolved.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
In a bowl, add the softened butter and sugar, beating them together using a hand-mixer (on high-speed), until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs (one at a time) followed by the vanilla, oil, and hot water-espresso mixture, mixing until combined. On low-speed, add in the dry ingredients followed by the buttermilk and continue to mix until combined and the batter is smooth, about 3-4 minutes. NOTE: The batter should be not too thick, yet slowly run off the whisk once lifted.
Divide the batter evenly into each of the cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick or butter knife comes out clean when tested in the centers.
Remove cakes from the oven and let them rest in the pan for 10 minutes or so before removing the cakes and placing them onto a cooling rack to fully cool. NOTE: Let them cool for at least 1-2 hours in a cool place.

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

Simply beat the softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand-mixer) on medium-high speed, until smooth and pale. Add in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk, continuing to mix on medium-speed until you reach the desired consistency----smooth and fluffy. NOTE: Add more milk (1 tablespoon at a time if too thick) or powdered sugar (for more thickness).

ASSEMBLY:

Place the first cake layer on your cake stand and evenly cover the top with buttercream. Now, top with 2nd layer and add more buttercream atop that layer, spreading it over the tops and sides of cake, evenly and thinly. NOTE: If making a 3-layer, be sure to repeat step 1 of assembly once again before getting to the final layer.
Once fully frosted, add small little designs of the buttercream using a piping bag + tip around the sides and top of cake or add rainbow sprinkles as much as desired. Chill for 5 minutes to ensure that buttercream sets. Top with chopped chocolate or cacao nibbles, if desired for an additional bite.
When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator. Slice and enjoy!
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Keep cake leftovers stored for up to 4-5 days in the fridge. Keep it in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out. You can also freeze the cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the cake on the counter.
FLOUR: You can also substitute cake flour with all-purpose flour if you'd like.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES: This recipe yields about 30 cupcakes. Simply bake for 18-20 minutes instead, until centers come out clean.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: To make this cake GF, I recommend using a GF Flour Blend (Bob’s Red Mills has a great version!). **NOTE: If the cake mixture is too ‘thin + runny’, simply add additional GF flour, ¼ cup at a time.**
OIL: Instead of organic vegetable oil, you can always use coconut oil (melted), olive oil, avocado oil, or melted butter, if preferred.
BUTTERMILK: You can use either regular buttermilk (you may need an additional 2 Tbsps or more until desired consistency is met) or create a dairy based buttermilk by adding whole milk with 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
VEGAN OPTION: To make a delicious vegan version of chocolate cake, check out my Best Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe!

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