This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

It is cake time!! Specifically simple chocolate birthday cake with whipped chocolate buttercream frosting…YES.

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

Yay!!

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

So…..

My power went out while writing this post and ALL the words were lost. Ugh. I am actually re-writing this via candlelight and the hotspot on my phone!

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

I had written so much!

Things like how this big three-layer cake was for my mom’s birthday.

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

And how for all birthdays around here, two layers simply won’t do.

Nope, not two.

Three.

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

Because when cake is involved… three layers are always better than two.

More layers mean more frosting, which is just all around awesomeness.

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

This is my all time favorite chocolate cake.

I know the ingredients by heart and could probably make this cake in my sleep. It is that easy.

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

This cake never fails and the frosting will forever be my family’s favorite.

It is almost mousse-like. So light and fluffy. My mom could not stop saying how incredibly moist and delicious it was.

She even did the roll the eyes to the back of her head thing. I LOVE when she does that!

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

Well, I have to cut this one short, sorry for the very quick post. As I said before, our power is completely out and I only have limited time on my phone’s hotspot before my battery dies.

Ten percent to be exact, gotta wrap it up!

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

Hopefully the photos will do the talking.

Oh, and did you notice? The gotta little love from the amazing WoodenSpoons Kitchen! What do think? I will be talking about it more soon, but the battery is now at 3%.

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

Watch the How-To Video here:

 

(2 LAYER CAKE) Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream.

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 16 servings
Calories Per Serving: 539 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Cake For 2 Layers

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.
  • 2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, greek yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until there are no longer any clumps of flour. Add the hot coffee and mix until combined. The batter should be pourable, but not super thin. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
  • 3. Pour the batter among the 2 cake pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream

  • 1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until the butter is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat, scraping down the sides as needed, another 2 minutes or so, until there are no streaks of white. Add 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whip the frosting for 2-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. If desired add the remaining tablespoon of the heavy cream (I normally do) and whip until combined. Taste the frosting and add more powdered sugar if you like a sweeter or thicker frosting.
  • 2. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with sprinkles, chocolate curls, or whatever your heart desires.

Notes

*To quickly bring eggs to room temperature place them in a bowl and fill with warm water. Let them sit five minutes.
View Recipe Comments

(3 LAYER CAKE) Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream.

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 30 servings
Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Cake For 3 Layers

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.
    2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, greek yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until there are no longer any clumps of flour. Add the hot coffee and mix until combined. The batter should be pourable, but not super thin. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
    3. Pour the batter among the cake pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream

  • 1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until the butter is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and beat, scraping down the sides as needed, another 2 minutes or so, until there are no streaks of white. Add 3 tablespoons of the heavy cream and whip the frosting for 2-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. If desired add the remaining tablespoon of the heavy cream (I normally do) and whip until combined. Taste the frosting and add more powdered sugar if you like a sweeter or thicker frosting.
    2. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting. Add the 3rd layer and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with sprinkles, chocolate curls, or whatever your heart desires.

Notes

*To quickly bring eggs to room temperature place them in a bowl and fill with warm water. Let them sit five minutes.
View Recipe Comments

Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream | halfbakedharvest.com

Hey, I had a thought, there could be a good side to this power outage. Kinda the perfect time for cake!

Lastly, if you make this Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love this recipe – it’s officially my husband’s bday cake he wants made every year. 🙂 I also add toasted walnuts or pecans in the middle layer + as a garnish per his request which is a nice addition!
    Thanks for sharing.

    1. Love to hear this Julia!! Thanks so much for making this cake each year:) So glad it is always enjoyed! xT

  2. Hi! I am going to try this recipe but only have 6 or 9 inch pans. Should I do the three layer cake recipe for the 2 of the 9 inch pans?

  3. Hi! I’m really excited about trying this recipe for the 3 layer cake! Just curious if you can substitute Delallo Instant Espresso powder for the 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot cup coffee and how you would substitute it if you can? Thank you so much in advance for your help!!

  4. 5 stars
    Such a delicious chocolate cake! Super moist and the frosting was amazing. I made it for my sons 17th birthday and he thoroughly enjoyed it. We all fought over the last piece. Will definitely make this again!

    1. Hey Gaby,
      Totally, you can just keep in an airtight container! I hope you love this cake, it’s a family fave:) xx

  5. 5 stars
    This recipe is easy and delicious. Chocolate lovers will be very happy. I made this cake for my grandson’s 6th birthday and added marshmallow spiderwebs on top with plastic spiders since his birthday is near Halloween. Big hit!

  6. 5 stars
    I just made this recipe yesterday and it was amazing. As other comments say, it was very moist and just so delicious. I made the 2 layer recipe and the frosting was the perfect amount to frost the cake with. My new go to recipe for chocolate cake. Thank you!!!