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It is cake time!! Specifically simple chocolate birthday cake with whipped chocolate buttercream frosting…YES.
Yay!!
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!
I had written so much!
Things like how this big three-layer cake was for my mom’s birthday.
And how for all birthdays around here, two layers simply won’t do.
Nope, not two.
Three.
Because when cake is involved… three layers are always better than two.
More layers mean more frosting, which is just all around awesomeness.
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.
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!
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!
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%.
Watch the How-To Video here:
(2 LAYER CAKE) Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream.
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
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup hot black coffee
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Whipped Chocolate Buttercream
- 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) salted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
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.
(3 LAYER CAKE) Simple Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream.
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
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons hot black coffee
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Whipped Chocolate Buttercream
- 4 sticks (2 cups) salted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4-5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
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.
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!
Buttermilk substitute?!! Can I use all 1c of greek yogurt instead of 1/4c greek yogurt and 3/4c buttermilk?
Hey Ali,
I would probably just use whole milk in place of the buttercream. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan
Could I add Kahlyn? If I added kahlua how much should I add so it’s not to wet?
Hi Alexis,
I’ve not tried that with this recipe, but you could replace some of the black coffee with kahlua. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xx
Can I make this into a white buttercream simply by leaving out the cocoa powder?
Hey Claire,
Sure, that will work well for you! Please let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx
Going to try this for my son’s construction truck themed party! Problem- no oven at the party location, any suggestions on freezing the cake layers and frosting to assemble the night before? Or do I drag my stand mixer up to make fresh frosting?
Hey Abigail,
You could just make the cake a day in advance, that will be just fine for you to do:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This recipe is to die for!! I made it for my dad’s birthday and I’m not a chocolate cake person…and this quite possibly might be my all time favorite cake. It’s so delicious, it’s a must try!!
Hey Kristin,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
Could I make this with 8″x8″ square pans?
Hey Lynn,
Sure, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
My sister shared this recipe. I am a baking amateur and made this cake for my first wedding anniversary early January ( we weren’t able to go out). I followed the instructions to the “T” and OMG my husband still praises how good it came out! I am gluten sensitive so I used King Arthur’s gluten free flour and it came out perfect!
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
I love this cake! I made it as a two layer cake, but I’m wondering if I can use this recipe for cupcakes?
Thanks!
Hey Andrea,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Yes, totally, just reduce your baking time and start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. Have a great week:) xx
Hoping to make this cake but can’t add coffee. Should I substitute with water, milk, or skip altogether? Hoping it will still be delicious even without the added bunch that I know brings out the flavor!
Hey Brooke,
You can use water in place of the coffee. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Could I use unsalted butter for the buttercream frosting? (It’s all I have!)
Hey Karen,
Yes, that would be just fine for you to use! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, love your recipes and beautiful presentations. Can I substitute avocado oil or coconut oil instead. For the coconut oil, will it be 3/4 cup of MELTED coconut oil? Thanks so much
Hey there,
Yes!! That will work well for you and yes, I would use 3/4 cup of MELTED coconut oil. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I made this cake for a friends birthday, it came out amazing and was a crowd favorite!
Hey Devon,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
My kiddo is turning one soon and I’m wanting to make chocolate cake for him! I tested out the chocolate sheet cake recipe and it was perfect! But I want to make a smash cake for him – I’m thinking a layered cake, but mini size. How would I go about doing that with this (or the sheet cake) recipe?
Hi Emily,
I would just follow the recipe and use smaller cake pans, anything leftover you can make into cupcakes. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can I use the two cake layer recipe into cupcakes?
Hi Abby,
Sure, that will work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Is this recipe adjusted for high altitude? I am ready to make this if so, thanks!
Hi Lauren,
You can follow the recipe as is, no adjustments needed. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, I want to bake this cake for my boyfriend whose birthday is next weekend. I only have 9in rounds. Should I follow the recipe for 2 or 3 layers? Please let me know. Thank you.
Hey Camila,
That is really up to you! You can easily make 2 layers or you could just fill your cake pans slightly less and make 3 layers. I hope you love this cake and Happy Birthday to your boyfriend! xTieghan
Many thanks for replying! I am watching the video over and over again before I start baking. I will let you know how it turns out. Fingers crossed!
Gave this a try today, so so delicious! Cake was so moist and frosting was perfect. Thank you Tieghan 🙂
Hey Farah,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan