How to make a chocolate birthday cake ultra indulgent and very simple to make at home. With only 2 preparations, a soft and moist chocolate cake and a dark chocolate ganache, this cake is perfect for a birthday or any other occasion.

If you are looking for a simple, delicious, and effective recipe for a birthday party, then you must try my easy and ultimate chocolate birthday cake recipe.

This chocolate dessert is a classic cake in our home, a chocolate layer cake, super yummy, made with only 2 simple preparations and its pretty birthday decoration.

Made of a soft and rich chocolate sponge cake, the buttermilk chocolate cake made with buttermilk that brings a soft, tender and moist crumb in the mouth.

With a simple and delicious chocolate frosting, a ganache made with semi-sweet chocolate, heavy cream and my special touch, unsweetened cocoa powder to enhance the full-bodied chocolate flavor.

Make this happy birthday chocolate cake recipe, which is the perfect recipe for baking beginners, a simple, easy and perfect cake for any occasion that will please the kids and the whole family.

>> See all layer cake recipes from the blog

Composition

Here are the composition to make this delicious chocolate birthday cake at home, scroll down to see the quantities in the recipe card.

Chocolate cake

Flour: Preferably use cake flour, but you can replace it with all-purpose flour. Be sure to weigh the ingredients with an electronic scale to get accurate measurements.
Cocoa: Only unsweetened cocoa powder like dutch process cocoa powder.
Yeast: A mixture of baking soda and baking powder essential for the softness of the cake.
Vegetable oil: preferably a neutral vegetable oil such as sunflower oil, coconut oil or grape seed oil, it is possible to substitute it with melted butter.
Eggs: Room temperature eggs, take them out in advance or leave them for a few minutes in a bowl of hot water.
Sugar: preferably white granulated sugar that you can replace with brown sugar.
Buttermilk: indispensable for its flavor and softness, you can replace it with dairy milk, plain yogurt or sour cream.
Coffee: the coffee reinforces the strong flavor of the chocolate, you can replace it by water. You can also simply use espresso powder and water.
Vanilla and salt: Indispensable to flavor and bring out all the flavors.

> > You can substitute this cake with a simple chocolate genoise cake or try the delicious chocolate molly cake recipe.

Chocolate frosting

A simple chocolate ganache in a whipped version for a smooth ganache with a creamy, chocolatey texture. You can replace it with chocolate buttercream or chocolate mascarpone frosting.

⚠️ You will find the quantities and instructions in the recipe card at the end of the page.

How to Make the Easy Chocolate Birthday Cake

Tools: With this cake, you will have 3 chocolate cakes that will make up the 3 layers of the layer cake, use 3 cake pans for baking or if you only have one pan then bake in 3 batches.

1 - Chocolate cake layers

Preheat oven to 329°F / 165°C and line three 6 inches / 15 cm round cake pans with parchment paper.
Mix and sift together the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil, then add the buttermilk and black coffee.
Add the dry ingredients to the first mixture in several batches and mix after each addition with a rubber spatula to obtain a smooth and homogeneous cake batter.
Pour the mixture into the 3 cake pans and bake for about 35-40 minutes (without opening the door during the baking time).
Let the chocolate cakes cool in the pan, then carefully remove them from the pan and let them cool completely upside down on a wire rack.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before assembling.

Tips: You can prepare the chocolate cake up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap.

2 - Whipped chocolate ganache

Cut the chocolate into small pieces or chop it finely with a knife.
Then place it in a large container with the unsweetened cocoa powder.
Heat the half of heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it simmers, then pour the hot cream all at once over the chocolate and cocoa powder.
Let stand for a few moments, then mix with a spatula until you have a smooth liquid ganache.
Add the other half of the cold heavy cream and mix again to incorporate it.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours until cold.
When ready to assemble, place the cooled ganache in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with an electric mixer and whip on medium-slow speed for about 2-3 minutes until you have a thick, firm chocolate frosting.

Tip: Run a hand blender through the hot ganache to remove any remaining bits of chocolate and make a smooth ganache.

Tip: Chop the chocolate finely so that it melts more easily, if your ganache still has large pieces that have trouble melting then place your ganache in a double boiler to melt them.

3 - Assembly

Cut the bumps out of the chocolate cakes with a cake leveler or a serrated knife to get even cake layers.
Place the first layer of chocolate cake on a cake board on a cake turntable.
Put a small amount of ganache and smooth it with an angled spatula.
Cover with the second cake layer and add another layer of chocolate frosting.
Finish with the last layer of chocolate cake and cover the entire birthday chocolate cake with a thin layer of chocolate frosting.
Apply a new, thicker layer of chocolate ganache and make a wave effect with the spatula or the back of a tablespoon.
Place the chocolate birthday cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour before decorating with sugar sprinkles, pearls or chocolate shavings and serving.

How to serve this Happy birthday cake

This chocolate birthday cake with its delicious ganache already has everything to seduce chocolate lovers. But if you want to lighten its full-bodied taste or make it even more delicious, here are some ideas to go with it:

Simple Chantilly or Mascarpone frosting.
Fresh fruits, raspberries, strawberries, exotic fruits etc.
Spreads, jams, compote or fruit curd etc.
Salted caramel sauce and pecans.
Caramelized cinnamon apples.
Vanilla ice cream.
Chocolate sauce.

Storage and Tips

Fridge storage: This birthday cake can only be stored in the refrigerator, in a cake box or under plastic wrap for about 5 days.

How to freeze it? To freeze the leftover cake, place it cut into slices and wrap it well with plastic wrap in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to make the chocolate cake ahead of time? The cake layers can be made several days in advance and stored under plastic wrap in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.

Freezing the ganache? It is possible to freeze the ganache but before it is whipped, once whipped it can be kept in the freezer when it is already on the cake.

How to replace buttermilk? You can replace it with semi-skimmed milk, sour cream or plain yogurt.

How can I replace black coffee? Simply with water.

More birthday cakes

More chocolate recipes

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Chocolate Birthday Cake

Author: Fadela
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 10 slices

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Description

Recipe for a simple and ultra greedy chocolate birthday cake with a chocolate buttermilk sponge cake and a whipped chocolate ganache (for a 6 inches / 15 cm cake pan, about 8 - 10 slices)

Ingredients

Chocolate cake

225 g ( 1 ¾ cups) Flour - Cake flour
80 g ( ⅔ cup) Cocoa powder - unsweetened
1 tsp. baking powder - approx. 6 g
1 tsp baking soda - about 6 g
½ tsp. salt - approx. 3 g
3 Eggs - Room temperature
345 g (1 ¾ cups) Granulated Sugar
1 ½ tsp. Vanilla extract
160 ml (¾ cup) Vegetable oil - sunflower or grape seed oil
190 ml (¾ cup) Buttermilk - or yogurt
170 ml ( ¾ cup) Black coffee - or water

Chocolate ganache

200 g (7 oz) Baking Chocolate - semi-sweet
400 ml (1 ⅔ cups) Heavy cream - 30% or 35 % fat
10 g ( 1 ½ tbsp) Cocoa powder unsweetened

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Instructions

Chocolate cake

Preheat oven to 329°F / 165°C and prepare 3 round cake pans of 6 inches / 15 cm diameter with parchment paper only in the bottom of the pan.
In a bowl, mix and sift together all the dry ingredients, flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In another large mixing bowl place the eggs with the sugar, vanilla and vegetable oil and mix with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until smooth.
Then add the buttermilk and coffee and mix again with a mixer to incorporate them.
Finish by adding the dry ingredient mixture in batches and mix after each addition with a spatula or whisk until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter into 3 and distribute it into the prepared cake pans.
Bake the cakes in the oven at half height for about 35-40 minutes until they are completely baked.
Check for baking by plunging a knife blade or toothpick into the center of the cake, it should come out clean or with crumbs, if you still have liquid batter, extend the baking time by 5 minutes.
Let the cakes cool a little in their molds before turning them out carefully and leaving them upside down on a rack until they are completely cool.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before assembling.

Chocolate Ganache

Chop the chocolate with a knife and place in a large container with the cocoa powder.
Bring half of the heavy cream to a boil in a saucepan and remove from heat at the first boil.
Pour the hot cream all at once over the chocolate and cocoa and let it stand for a few moments before mixing with a spatula until you have a smooth ganache without lumps.
Add the other half of the cold heavy cream and mix again to incorporate it.
Mix the ganache with a hand blender to smooth it, then cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

Assembly

Cut out the bumps of the chocolate cakes with a cake leveler.
Take out the cooled chocolate ganache and mix it with an electric mixer at medium-low speed until you have a thick, firm and smooth ganache.
Place a first sponge cake on a cake board, placed on a cake turntable.
Add a layer of chocolate ganache on top of the cake layer and spread it with an angled spatula.
Cover with the second layer of chocolate cake and apply another layer of chocolate ganache and smooth it with the spatula.
Finish with the last layer of chocolate cake and cover the entire cake with a thin layer of ganache.
Immediately apply another layer of ganache, this time thicker, over the entire cake.
Decorate with sprinkles or chocolate shavings and place in the fridge for one hour before serving.