Chocolate Birthday Cake

When Dolly Parton told me during an interview that her mama used to make her a chocolate birthday cake, I knew we had to create one for her that was worthy of her celebrations. So that's what we did. I tasked the Test Kitchen with developing the most decadent chocolate birthday cake possible. It needed to be fluffy and tender but deeply flavored with cocoa—and above all, we couldn't skimp on the frosting.

This three-layer chocolate birthday cake is absolutely stunning. It's rich and special, a real treat for anyone that's lucky enough to receive it with glowing candles, even Dolly.

Learn how to make a chocolate birthday cake, and strike up the birthday song. This is one special treat.

Ingredients for Chocolate Birthday Cake

The ingredient list for a chocolate birthday cake includes a lot of baking essentials. We've highlighted the keys ones here. Keep scrolling for the full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions for the recipe.

• All-purpose flour: This provides the structure of the cake and a tender crumb.
• Granulated sugar: For sweetness and tenderness in the cake.
• Unsweetened cocoa: This type of cocoa provides a deeply rich, slightly acidic chocolate flavor. The rest of the ingredients will bolster it and make it extra chocolaty.
• Instant espresso granules: People who make a lot of chocolate desserts know why this is here. We frequently call for espresso with chocolate because it helps to enhance the flavor of the cocoa or chocolate, and it doesn't overwhelm it. It's a bit like vanilla extract (also in this recipe). It's doing a lot of behind-the-scenes magic.
• Hot brewed coffee: Same as the espresso, coffee is boosting flavor and the chocolate's depth. It's also adding moisture to the batter.
• Baking powder and baking soda: These are your leavening agents and give the cake its fluffy rise.
• Vegetable oil: Instead of butter, we're using oil for this cake's primary fat. That will help the cake stay tender and moist.

For the chocolate buttercream, you'll need:

• Unsalted butter: This should be just softened so you can whip up great buttercream.
• Sifted powder sugar: This type of sugar adds body to the frosting and won't leave behind any grainy texture.
• Unsweetened cocoa: More cocoa is used here for the deep, robust flavor.
• Vanilla extract: This helps to elevate all the flavors of the frosting.
• Whipping cream: Cream makes the buttercream easily spreadable.

Finally, you'll need sprinkles or candies for decorating—we have a few other ideas below.

What's the Secret to the Best Chocolate Flavor?

If you want a supremely chocolaty chocolate birthday cake, you're going to need one thing: espresso. A good chocolate or cocoa has a mixture of sweetness, bitterness, and fruity flavors. Espresso helps to enhance those and add dimension, amplifying the cocoa so it remains pronounced over the sugar and other ingredients. We've used this trick in many recipes, including Chocolate Mousse, Brownie Pudding, and Chocolate Lava Cakes.

Don't like espresso? Don't worry. You'll never know it's there. It really does balance all the flavors and hides in the background.

What Kind of Chocolate Is Best for Chocolate Birthday Cake?

This recipe uses only cocoa powder. We chose to go with unsweetened cocoa powder because it adds a more intense cocoa flavor and a deeper color. The unsweetened cocoa powder is also acidic, which reacts with the baking soda. If you use another cocoa like Dutch-processed cocoa powder (which is neutral), you'll lose some of the leavening power of the baking soda.

What Frostings Can You Use for Chocolate Birthday Cake?

We obviously think this chocolate buttercream is by far the best choice, but you can mix things up if you want another option. Instead of chocolate, try Vanilla Buttercream or Buttermilk Frosting. You could even do a Homemade Caramel Frosting and sprinkle it with pecans for a quick "turtle" birthday cake. We wouldn't argue with a peanut butter frosting either.

How Do You Store Chocolate Birthday Cake?

You'll need to store this chocolate birthday cake, once frosted, in the fridge well covered since the frosting has butter. Also, the cake shouldn't be at room temperature for more than two hours. (The frosting may get too soft, and the layers could slide.)

How Far in Advance Can You Make a Chocolate Birthday Cake?

The layers for this chocolate birthday cake can be made ahead of time, wrapped, and stored at room temperature for up to three days, or frozen for up to a month. You can add some moisture back to the layers by brushing on some simple syrup before frosting.

The buttercream can also be made up to two days in advance. Store it in the fridge, and allow it to sit out on the counter for about an hour before you're ready to use it. Then, beat the frosting with a stand mixer until pliable and at room temperature. Just don't overbeat it.

More Decoration Ideas

We obviously love sprinkles for chocolate birthday cakes, or any birthday cake for that matter. But you can get creative: Use colorful frostings or gels to make unique designs and write birthday wishes. Stick chocolate candies around the edges for a fun border. Edible flowers are always sweet; just be sure to source them from a reputable grower. Finally, you can go classic with a drizzle of dark and white chocolates for an art-inspired finish.

Editorial contributions by Kimberly Holland.