• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • Slow Cooker Baking
    • Slow Cooking Baking Tips
    • Slow Cooker Desserts
    • Make a Cake in a Slow Cooker
  • Slow Cooker
    • Slow Cooker Tips
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Slow Cooker Recipes for Kids
    • Autumn & Winter Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Spring & Summer Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Top Ten Slow Cooker Recipes
  • Baking
    • Christmas Baking Recipes
    • Cake
    • Desserts
    • Biscuits
    • Pâtisserie
    • Bread
    • Traybakes

BakingQueen74

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Slow Cooker Tips
  • Slow Cooker Baking
  • Subscribe
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Slow Cooker Tips
    • Slow Cooker Baking
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cake

    Published on Jan 18, 2019. Modified on Nov 13, 2024 by bakingqueen74. This post may contain affiliate links. 15 Comments

    Chocolate Birthday Cake

    905 shares
    • 118
    Jump to Recipe

    If you are looking for a chocolate birthday cake you can make at home, which looks great and will be ideal for any kind of birthday, this cake is perfect for you.

    Close up of the top of the Chocolate Birthday Cake

    A delicious chocolate sponge cake with chocolate buttercream icing and decorated with even more chocolate, it will be ideal for chocolate lovers or just those who like an impressive cake.

    I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday as it was perfect to feed a horde of hungry kids after a hectic birthday party!

    The chocolate bar decoration is fun and easy too, making the perfect simple decoration so you can make your own birthday cake at home.

    Chocolate Birthday Cake with Chocolate Buttercream topped with lots of chocolate

    On the top I went overboard with layers of chopped Flakes, segments of chocolate orange and milk and white chocolate stars.

    It is easy to get all of those ingredients from the supermarket with your weekly shop.

    The chocolate cake is rich and fudgy.

    Jump to:
    • Equipment
    • Ingredients
    • Method
    • How many people does this birthday cake serve?
    • How else could I decorate this cake?
    • Can I make this cake in a slow cooker?
    • More cake recipes to try
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    Equipment

    You’ll need the items listed below ideally (note these are affiliate links):

    • Baking tins
    • Spatula
    • Pallet knife
    • Rotating stand – optional but very useful when doing the icing to get it smooth and even
    • Stand mixer or hand mixer – needed to make the cake and chocolate buttercream as both are a big quantity

    Inside you have four layers of chocolate sponge cake. If your oven is big enough and you have four cake tins you can bake them all at the same time.

    If you only have two pans, you can use the same cake pans twice, which is what I do.

    Make up the cake mixture, fill two pans equally leaving half the mixture for later. Bake the layers and allow to cool for a few minutes then remove them from the pan and leave to cool.

    In the meantime, wash up the pans, grease and line them again, then use up the rest of the mixture and bake.

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you will need to make this chocolate cake. The quantities and full directions are in the recipe card further down.

    • cocoa powder
    • boiling water
    • butter or spread 
    • caster sugar
    • vanilla extract
    • eggs
    • self-raising flour
    • baking powder
    • bicarbonate of soda
    • salt
    • icing sugar
    • milk
    • decoration: Flakes, chocolate orange, other chocolate bars/decorations as desired

    Method

    For the quantities see the recipe card further down.

    To make the cakes:

    1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease two 7 inch cake tins. 
      If using 2 cake tins, you will leave half the mixture until the first two cakes have baked. If using 4 cake tins, prepare them all now.
    2. In a jug, add the boiling water and cocoa powder, mix until smooth, then leave to cool. 
    3. In a large bowl, sieve the flour and add the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Leave this until needed.
    4. In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
    5. Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs one by one. Beat well after you add each egg. 
    6. Add all of the flour, and mix gently until combined. Fold in the cooled cocoa powder and water mixture. 
    7. Divide the mixture into the prepared cake tins. If you are using two cake tins and will bake in two sessions, put half the mixture aside.
    8. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a cake tester (or knife or skewer) comes out clean from the centre of the cake.
    9. Leave to cool in the tins until cool enough to touch then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
      Now, if you used two tins, wash and regrease them and bake again with the rest of the mixture. 

    To make the chocolate buttercream:

    1. Note that you will have some excess buttercream icing from this recipe. It can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen in a tub for another time.
    2. Make sure your butter is very soft. Cut the butter into cubes and put it in the stand mixer bowl.
    3. Beat until the butter very soft and fluffy. It should also be lighter in colour than when you started.
    4. Add the icing sugar little by little to avoid icing sugar clouds and start off mixing on low. Once incorporated turn the speed up and mix well. Continue adding the icing sugar little by little until it is all added. Add the cocoa powder.
    5. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency. Adding the milk will make the icing a little softer and more spreadable, so make sure it is as you’d like it to be and adjust the milk as needed to get your ideal result.

    To construct and ice the cake:

    1. Put the first cake layer (completely cooled) on your cake turntable. Cover the top with a thick layer of icing, then add the rest of the cake layers in turn and do the same.
    2. Once all four are stacked, using a palette knife and apply the icing to the sides of the cake and spin the turntable round, smoothing the icing on with the knife, to make a smooth thick layer. 
    3. Carry on until the sides of the cake are all covered. Now use the palette knife to put icing on top of the cake and smooth again, turning the turntable around until smooth and even.
    4. Chop the Flake bars up as desired and decorate the top of the cake with the chocolate as you prefer.
    5. Serve!

    How many people does this birthday cake serve?

    This served a party full of children – around twenty – with plenty left for the adults too!

    If cutting small portions I would say it would serve 30, or 20 for larger portions. It is very rich so a smaller portion is fine.

    Four layers of chocolate sponge produce quite a high cake so thin slices are still generous! 

    How else could I decorate this cake?

    • You could leave out the chocolate bars on top and replace it with some fruit, rainbow coloured sprinkles, meringue kisses, macarons or whatever you like.
    • Or use one type of chocolate bar like chocolate orange segments and make a pretty pattern with them on the top.
    • You could stick chocolate Matchmakers, chocolate fingers or similar around the edges of the cake to hide the sides, which means you can spend less time smoothing the buttercream on the sides.
    • You could halve the amount of buttercream and use it only in-between the layers and on top, leaving the sides bare.

    Can I make this cake in a slow cooker?

    This chocolate cake is too much mixture to make in a slow cooker.

    I’d recommend this slow cooker chocolate cake instead, which is smaller, but you could still decorate the top in the same way for a similar effect.

    Omit the Creme Eggs and it is a still great basic cake recipe.

    Inside the chocolate layer cake

    More cake recipes to try

    If you like this easy recipe, you might also like these other large cakes, also suitable for birthdays:

    • banana and nutella cake
    • strawberry triple layer cake
    • vanilla birthday cake
    • mini egg bundt cake
    • lemon drizzle layer cake

    Pin this chocolate birthday cake for later!

    Chocolate birthday cake recipe

    Recipe

    Chocolate Birthday Cake

    A showstopping chocolate cake worthy of being the centrepiece of your birthday celebrations, with chcoolate buttercream frosting and decorated with different chocolate bars and chocolate decorations.
    4.52 from 29 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Baking
    Cuisine: British
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Decorating Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 30
    Calories: 515kcal
    Author: Lucy Allen | BakingQueen74

    Ingredients

    For the cake:

    • 150 g cocoa powder
    • 600 ml boiling water
    • 360 g butter or spread softened
    • 600 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 6 eggs at room temperature
    • 360 g self-raising flour
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • ½ tsp salt

    For the chocolate buttercream:

    • 500 g butter softened
    • 1 kg icing sugar
    • 50 g cocoa powder
    • 3 tbsp milk

    To decorate:

    • 3 bars of Flake chocolate
    • 1 Terrys chocolate orange
    • 12 white and milk chocolate stars
    UK Measurements – US Measurements

    Instructions 

    To make the cakes:

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease two 7 inch cake tins. 
      If using 2 cake tins, you will leave half the mixture until the first two cakes have baked. If using 4 cake tins, prepare them all now.
    • In a jug, add the boiling water and cocoa powder, mix until smooth, then leave to cool. 
      600 ml boiling water, 150 g cocoa powder
    • In a large bowl, sieve the flour and add the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Leave this until needed.
      360 g self-raising flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, ½ tsp salt
    • In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
      360 g butter or spread, 600 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
    • Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs one by one. Beat well after you add each egg. 
      2 tsp vanilla extract, 6 eggs
    • Add all of the flour, and mix gently until combined. Fold in the cooled cocoa powder and water mixture. 
    • Divide the mixture into the prepared cake tins. If you are using two cake tins and will bake in two sessions, put half the mixture aside.
    • Bake for 35 minutes, or until a cake tester (or knife or skewer) comes out clean from the centre of the cake.
    • Leave to cool in the tins until cool enough to touch then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
      Now, if you used two tins, wash and regrease them and bake again with the rest of the mixture. 

    To make the chocolate buttercream:

    • Note that you will have some excess buttercream icing from this recipe. It can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen in a tub for another time.
    • Make sure your butter is very soft. Cut the butter into cubes and put it in the stand mixer bowl.
      500 g butter
    • Beat until the butter very soft and fluffy. It should also be lighter in colour than when you started.
    • Add the icing sugar little by little to avoid icing sugar clouds and start off mixing on low. Once incorporated turn the speed up and mix well. Continue adding the icing sugar little by little until it is all added. Add the cocoa powder.
      1 kg icing sugar, 50 g cocoa powder
    • Add the milk a tablespoon at a time, checking the consistency. Adding the milk will make the icing a little softer and more spreadable, so make sure it is as you’d like it to be and adjust the milk as needed to get your ideal result.
      3 tbsp milk

    To construct and ice the cake:

    • Put the first cake layer (completely cooled) on your cake turntable. Cover the top with a thick layer of icing, then add the rest of the cake layers in turn and do the same.
    • Once all four are stacked, using a palette knife and apply the icing to the sides of the cake and spin the turntable round, smoothing the icing on with the knife, to make a smooth thick layer. 
    • Carry on until the sides of the cake are all covered. Now use the palette knife to put icing on top of the cake and smooth again, turning the turntable around until smooth and even.
    • Chop the Flake bars up as desired and decorate the top of the cake with the chocolate as you prefer.
      3 bars of Flake chocolate, 1 Terrys chocolate orange, 12 white and milk chocolate stars
    • Serve!

    Notes

    Recipe for the cake adapted from this triple-layer chocolate cake recipe on Good To Know.
    Did you try and love this recipe?Then please leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how you got on!

    More Cake

    • Sliced cake on rack with lemons behind.
      Slow Cooker Lemon Drizzle Cake
    • Squares of rhubarb cake on white background, lemon half in background.
      Rhubarb Traybake
    • Slice of blackcurrant cake in the foreground.
      Easy Blackcurrant Traybake
    • Vanilla Birthday Cake

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Becky says

      March 24, 2024 at 12:52 pm

      I’ve used this recipe multiple times and it’s never failed me, and always gets such fabulous comments so I’ve shared it far and wide!
      I’m going to attempt it in a heart shaped tin next – wish me luck!

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        March 25, 2024 at 11:50 am

        that’s brilliant Becky! the heart shaped one sounds good, let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    2. Sharon says

      August 06, 2021 at 6:25 am

      As I was making this, it felt like so much mixture, I was double-checking every quantity! I used the right sized tins and the cakes came out well, but I filled 6 tins, 3 layers were the right height even for a large cake so consequently I had enough for two full size cakes, so froze 3 layers. Next time I’ll make half the quantity!

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        August 14, 2021 at 11:15 am

        Oh wow, bonus cake for you then! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Jane says

      December 09, 2020 at 9:27 am

      Hi.

      Looks like an amazing recipe.
      Do you have the recipe for a smaller version of this?
      If I only wanted to make a 2 tier cake do i just halve all the ingredients exactly?

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        December 09, 2020 at 2:10 pm

        Sorry Jane I only make this as a large chocolate cake for birthdays and don’t have tested quantities to tell you for a smaller cake!

        Reply
    4. Rachel says

      October 11, 2020 at 10:34 am

      Is the mix supposed to be so runny but concerned. It is in the oven

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        October 12, 2020 at 1:09 pm

        Yes this is quite a runny mixture due to the boiling water. Let me know how it turned out!

        Reply
    5. Fran says

      August 02, 2019 at 4:14 pm

      Hi, can you tell me how cool the cocoa mix needs to be before adding to the cake mix please? I’m a bit of a novice baker and not sure whether I can add it still warm or not!?

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        August 02, 2019 at 4:21 pm

        Hi Fran. I would leave it to cool completely or until only slightly lukewarm if you can’t wait that long! You need it not to be hot in any form as it could make the mixture curdle.

        Reply
    6. Abbie says

      July 06, 2019 at 7:43 pm

      Thank you for the recipe 🙂 it was easy to make and very popular at my little one’s birthday party today.

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        July 26, 2019 at 3:15 pm

        Great Abbie, so glad to hear this!

        Reply
    7. Lauren Winnett says

      June 26, 2019 at 10:26 pm

      Just wanted to say this is s fantastic cake and it was amazing to make too had lots of fab comments thank you so much for posting it best chocolate cake iv ever made x

      Reply
    8. Donna says

      June 03, 2019 at 9:07 am

      Nothing beats a fab chocolate cake does it? This looks yummy!

      Reply
      • bakingqueen74 says

        June 04, 2019 at 5:29 pm

        Thanks Donna, chocolate cake certainly is the best!

        Reply
    4.52 from 29 votes (26 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Lucy! I'm a slow cooker addict, food blogger and also a busy working mum of two. I hope you'll enjoy the recipes I create and post which are perfect for busy families.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Shepherds pie in slow cooker pot, garnished with herbs.
      Slow Cooker Shepherd’s Pie
    • White bowl of fish curry topped with red chilli.
      Slow Cooker Coconut Fish Curry
    • Turquoise serving dish of rhubarb sponge with a serving taken out in a white bowl in front of it.
      Rhubarb Sponge Pudding
    • Scoops of Blackcurrant Sorbet in a metal tin with fresh blackcurrants.
      Blackcurrant Sorbet

    Seasonal

    • Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken with Asparagus
    • Broad bean filo tart with mint leaves.
      Broad Bean and Feta Filo Tart
    • Cake dusted with icing sugar on a white plate, a slice cut out.
      Strawberry Yoghurt Cake
    • Slice of blackcurrant cake in the foreground.
      Easy Blackcurrant Traybake

    As Seen In

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Advertising

    Subscribe

    • Subscribe here

    Contact

    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2013-2025 BakingQueen74 / Lucy Allen • All Rights Reserved

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.