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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!
Hi Tieghan,
Could I substitute cup for cup gluten free flour?
Thank you,
Heidi
Hi there! I haven’t ever tried that before so I can’t say for sure! So sorry! xT
Hi! I was wondering if I wanted to make the three layer cake with vanilla buttercream instead would I just omit the cocoa powder?
Thanks!
Hi there! Yes, that should be fine! xT
Excited to try this- but maybe a little nervous too, since I live at over 5,300 ft elevation and have done resulting baking disasters. You’re higher than I am- so will this recipe work at all elevations? Sea level, mile high, or Breck altitude?
Hey Karen! I usually don’t tweak my recipes for elevation but I would say when in doubt, underbake and use a little less flour! xT
Silly question, can you remove the cocoa from the frosting and just stick with the rest of the ingredients for a buttercream frosting? Would it alter it much?
Hey Ingrid! I haven’t ever tried this recipe without the cocoa powder so I can’t say for sure! So sorry! xT
HI!
I’m sure this is a basic question I should know, but, what do you cover the cakes with as they cool?
Kindly,
Beth
Hi Beth,
No worries, I just use a clean dish towel:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Can I replace the buttermilk with Greek yogurt? Or is there a better sub?
Hi Kinsey,
I haven’t tested this but I think it might be a good substitute for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
OG of chocolate cake!!! This cake will be made a few times a year! I used Dutch chocolate for a more rich chocolate flavor and water instead of coffee because cake was for my 4 year old. The flavor moisture and butter cream frosting …Omg. For my oven I did have to cook the cake longer because the middle portion was more “liquidity”….for my oven I cooked the cake 15 minutes longer and I poured some water on the bottom of the oven to help keep the moisture on the outside of the cake. Make this cake. It’s simple yet decadent delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe T!!!
Hey there,
Happy Monday!!🇺🇸😎 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! This is a family fave! xT
hi! can you use dutch process cocoa powder for this recipe as well?
and can i use my 9 inch pans? thank you!
Yes, you may just need to reduce your bake time:)
Hi there,
Yes, that will also work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it’s a hit! xT
Hello! Could I substitute or omit the coffee?
Also could I use melted and cooled butter instead of oil?
Going to try to make today!
Hi Jessica,
Yes, you can use butter and then you will want to use water in place of the coffee:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Could this be a sheet cake instead of layer cake?
Hi Terri,
Totally, this would work well as a sheet cake! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Going to try to make this for my wife’s birthday! Would vegetable oil be an okay substitute for the canola oil? Thanks!!
Hi Hayden,
Yes, that would be okay for you to use! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This is the best cake I’ve ever made and I don’t even like chocolate cake!!! Do yourself a favour and make
This cake!
Hey Sheri,
Happy Monday!! 🍋🫐 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it was a hit! xT
Really love this cake! How does it differ from the recipe for Blackout Chocolate Cake in your Super Simple cookbook??
Hi Angie,
Thanks so much!! This recipe is much older, I feel like it is a classic chocolate cake! Happy Sunday! xT
I made the two-tier cake for my husband’s birthday and it was a hit. Everyone raved about how moist the cake was, and I was pleasantly surprised that the frosting was not too sweet. All in all it was well-balanced and I may have cut myself a larger slice, but don’t tell anyone.
The only problem I had was that the center on the bottom of the cake was not cooked despite pulling the cakes out when they stopped wiggling and were just set. This is potentially a problem with my oven, and the cake was still tasty. I just filled it with more frosting!
Hey Missy,
Happy Monday!! ☀️⛅️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Sorry about the center of the cake, maybe just bake a touch longer next time:) xT
I purchased your Half Baked Harvest Super Simple cook book. I am wanting to make the Blackout Chocolate Cake. I am finding different versions when I surcharging for a video to watch. Recipes are similar but not exactly the same recipe. Why the different versions?
Hi Kay,
Just totally different recipes and flavors:) The recipes in the cookbooks are not the same as the recipes online. Let me know if you give one a try! xx
Hi! I’m so excited to make this! Will this recipe work for 3* 6in. cake pans??
Hi Victoria,
Yes, that should work well for you, just reduce you bake time slightly:) Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx