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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!
Turned out so well! I was so excited to make my son’s cake from scratch! Thank you for the recipe!
Hey Lisa,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
I made this for my son’s birthday. First time trying a cake not from a box. It was amazing! From the moist cake to the icing—everything was rich and delicious! I did sub water for the coffee, but it still had a rich chocolate taste. Other family members have now requested it for their birthdays. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!
Hey Emily,
Happy Sunday!!🏈 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Can you swap out Greek yogurt for anything ? Also canola oil, can you use MCT ( liquid coconut oil doesn’t taste like coconut)?
Hey Kali,
Sure, you can use sour cream in place of the greek yogurt and then yes, that oil sounds like it would be just fine. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
We LOVE HBH and finally tried this as a 2 tier cake! It is THE BEST cake recipe we’ve baked!!! We used a different icing on it but we’ll be trying this icing recipe next time! If you’re thinking about skipping the coffee, don’t. You can’t taste it, promise! (We used Starbucks instant coffee)
Hey Kaitlyn,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
I made this for a birthday party and it got so many compliments! I’m gluten intolerant so I swapped the flour with King Arthur Gluten Free and no one could tell! I prepared the cake and iced it a day ahead, put it in the fridge overnight, and then decorated the next morning. The leftovers are still so rich and moist – 10/10 recipe!
Hey Maryssa,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
Planning to make this for my kids bday in a couple of weeks! If I make the cake one day and frost the next, should I keep the cakes in the refrigerator or freezer overnight?
Hey Kelsey,
I would keep them in the fridge:) I hope you love the recipe, happy birthday to your little one! xT
I made this for my son’s 7 year birthday. We all loved it! The little bit of coffee makes it perfection. I made it over two days; the first for the batter with plenty of time to cool. The second so I could really deck out the theme he had requested. The directions were super easy to follow.
Hi Lauren,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks so much for making it!
This cake was so good! The best chocolate cake. Also, I’m really a 13 year old girl named Abigail. I ‘m typing under my mom’s name. I love to bake and your recipes are some of the best! You inspire me to bake and have fun in the kitchen. Thank you for making these awesome recipes and helping me out with easy recipes! I can’t wait to try all your desserts. Thank you! Abigail
Hi Abigail,
I am so glad you have been enjoying baking in the kitchen! Thanks for trying this cake:) xxT
Delicious!! Does it need to be refrigerated?
Hey Meredith,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks a lot for making it! Nope, you can keep on the counter in an airtight container:) xxT
Made it for my boyfriend’s bday and he loved it! I followed the recipe and only added raspberry jam to the layers because it’s his favourite and it turned out amazing! I will make it again 100%.
Hi Carolina,
Thanks so much for making this cake and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a hit for the birthday! xT
Have you made this as a cupcake? Any idea on baking times?
Hi Angela,
So sorry, I haven’t, but I would just reduce the bake time and start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Can you make this a day ahead? My cousins birthday is tomorrow but I have more time today to get it done.
Hi Bri,
You bet, that is just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe and happy birthday to your cousin! xTieghan
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday. It was SO so so good. The cake layers and the buttercream frosting were both individually good and together AMAZING! 10/10 so many compliments and will continue to make year after year!
Hey Brianna,
Happy Friday!!? Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy Birthday to your husband! xT
Can I use 9 inch pans and cut the time a bit?
Hey Nancy,
Sure, that would be great to do! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Hi there !! Can you omit the coffee for this or is it needed ? Husband is scared it’s going to taste like coffee
Hey Sydney,
You can use water in place of the coffee. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I am going to make this cake for my father in-laws birthday. It looks devine.
I love the idea of your raspberry white chocolate cake but he is a chocolate guys so I was curious, how do you think it would taste if I mixed fresh raspberry’s/raspberry jam in with the chocolate frosting in the middle layer?
Thank you so much!
Hi Rachel,
I think that sounds like a great idea!! I hope you love the recipe and happy birthday to your father-in-law!! xTieghan
Have you ever made this recipe in a 9×13, tube, or Bundt pan? And if so how long did you cook?
Hey Cynthia,
Yes, a 9×13 works great! Check for doneness at 45 minutes:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Took more like 30-35 minutes in a 9×13. Thank you!