Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipes

BEST CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch fluted tube cake pan (such as Bundt®).
• Combine cake mix and pudding mix in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer. Add sour cream, vegetable oil, and water; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cake plate and let cool completely, 20 to 30 minutes more.
• Place opened frosting container in a microwave on medium heat, stirring every 30 seconds until just soft enough to pour. Drizzle frosting over cake and sprinkle candy-coated milk chocolate pieces on top.

EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat together 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until pale.
• Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.
• Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them.
• Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.
• On a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with chocolate shards, if you like.
• To make chocolate shards: melt 50g dark chocolate and pour it onto a tray lined with baking parchment or foil.
• Now melt 25g milk chocolate and 25g white chocolate and drizzle them over the dark chocolate before it sets.
• Shake the tray gently to level the mixture then leave to set somewhere cool. Chop into shards.

CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• For the chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray. In a the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment running at low speed, combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Turn up the speed slightly and mix in the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla extract until just combined. In a medium bowl pour 1 1/3 cups boiling water over the cocoa powder and blend well with a whisk. Pour the cocoa mixture into the mixing bowl with the other ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Divide the batter evenly into two prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pans on a rack 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto racks and let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• For the Swiss meringue buttercream:Place a metal mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a double boiler, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Put the sugar and egg whites in the bowl and whisk lightly until the mixture reaches 140 degrees F, all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is silky-smooth to the touch. Pour the egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and add the vanilla. Beat until fluffy, glossy white peaks form, 5 to 10 minutes. Lower the mixer to the slowest speed and slowly add the butter and salt. The mixture will slowly thicken up and smooth out into the silkiest buttercream ever!
• For the chocolate ganache: Warm the heavy whipping cream over medium heat until it is just boiling, then pour over the chocolate chips and let sit, 1 minute. Stir the mixture with a whisk until all of the chocolate chips are melted and you have a smooth, creamy texture (you may microwave for 30 seconds and mix again until all of the chips are melted). Add the vanilla extract.
• Assemble the cake: Place one of the cake layers on a serving plate and coat the top with some of the Swiss meringue buttercream (reserve the remainder for another use). Chop up the strawberries and sprinkle them over the buttercream. Place the second layer of cake on top and ice the entire cake with the chocolate ganache. Enjoy!

BIG CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease and dust with cocoa four 9-inch round cake pans.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
• In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa. Stir together. Add the boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.
• Combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes.
• Cool completely before icing. Refrigerate the layers after cooling for best results.
• For the frosting: Heat the cream until very hot, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt, and then pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Refrigerate to cool.
• Once completely cooled, add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until light and airy.
• Frost the cake in between each layer, on the top and around the sides.

MOIST CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Grease the pans and dust with cocoa powder.
• Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
• Beat butter, dark brown sugar, and white sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.
• Pour melted chocolate and vanilla extract into the bowl with the sugar mixture; mix on low speed until combined. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing on low speed. Pour in coffee slowly in a steady stream; mix on low speed until smooth.
• Use an electric mixer to beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into batter. Divide batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, making sure not to overbake. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes; turn out onto waxed paper to cool completely before frosting.

CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven, and preheat it to 350. Butter the interiors of two 9-inch round cake pans, dust with a little cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Working with an electric mixer (use the paddle, if you have one), beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, and beat for a minute after each goes in; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (start and finish with the dry, and don't worry if the buttermilk makes the batter look slightly curdled). Mix in the melted chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the pans.
• Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, until a tester poked into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer to racks, let rest 5 minutes and then run a blunt knife around the edges of the pans. Unmold the cakes onto the racks, and cool to room temperature.
• Make the frosting: Sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Using an electric mixer (with the paddle, if available), beat the sugar, cocoa, salt and butter on high speed until fluffy. On low speed, add the chocolate. When it's almost incorporated, beat in the buttermilk. It's best to use the frosting immediately.
• If necessary, just before you're ready to frost the cakes, slice a sliver off the top of each layer to create a flat surface. To assemble, place one cake layer, top up, on a serving platter, and cover with frosting. Top with the second layer, top down, jiggling it into the frosting to hold it in place. Frost the top and sides of the cake - go sleek or swirly. If you're using decorations, scatter them over the cake. Chill for at least 1 hour (or for up to 1 day); bring to room temperature before serving.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with cooking parchment paper; spray with cooking spray.
• In 2-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; pour into large bowl. Stir in sugar until blended. Stir in eggs, 1 at a time; stir in vanilla. Stir in cocoa and espresso powder until well blended. Pour into pan.
• Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place cooling rack upside down over cake. Turn upside down carefully so cake is on rack; remove pan. Turn upside down onto another rack, and flip cake right side up. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• When ready to serve, place cake right side up on serving platter. Using sharp knife, cut into wedges, cleaning knife blade after each cut. Serve with whipping cream. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.