Fluffy Chocolate Birthday Cake with Sprinkles
This Fluffy Chocolate Birthday Cake is made up of 2 layers of moist, rich, chocolate cake, and is filled with this 5 minute chocolate buttercream frosting. Of course its topped with a ton of sprinkles which makes it the perfect birthday cake! With just one bowl you can whip up this cake in under an hour. Get ready for this to be a hit at your next party!
If you’ve been tasked with making a birthday cake for a chocolate lover, you’re in luck! This fluffy cake has a deep chocolate flavored that is only intensified by the chocolate buttercream frosting that it’s filled and frosted with.
Plus, it’s topped with festive colorful rainbow sprinkles for an extra special party touch.
I’ve made this recipe actually over a hundred times! Its so good that I figured out how to turn it into a smaller 6 inch cake or a larger chocolate sheet cake.
This recipe starts with an easy chocolate layer cake recipe. It’s made with simple baking ingredients you can find anywhere and is easy to assemble in one bowl- hooray!
Feel free to experiment with other flavors of frosting too. This raspberry buttercream or this chocolate cream cheese frosting would be incredible I am sure!
As a professionally trained pastry chef I know that cakes can seem hard to make but I am telling you this cake is so easy to make- it will be your go to cake from now on!
If you are out of sprinkles (SAD!) then you can make this Mississippi Mud Cake that has mini marshmallows on top instead!
Ingredients
- Granulated Sugar – Sweetens up the base of the cake batter.
- All-Purpose Flour – Adds structure to the cake and binds all of the chocolate cake ingredients together properly.
- Cocoa Powder – Gives this cake its chocolate flavor and a rich natural brown color.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder – Helps the cake rise and become fluffy and light.
- Salt – Activates the leavening agents in the cake and also helps balance the sweetness in the cake.
- Eggs – Binds everything together helping the cake set while baking and cooling.
- Buttermilk – Thins out the cake batter while giving it a more tender fluffy crumb.
- Vanilla Extract – Enhances the chocolate flavor in this cake and gives it a delicious aroma.
- Black Coffee – This brings out the chocolate flavors even more making them richer and deeper. It also helps to moisten the cake.
- Vegetable Oil – Keeps the cake moist, rich, and fluffy.
How to make the cake
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray 2 9” round cake pans with baking spray that contains flour. Set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl or the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed or whisk lightly to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients: With the mixer on low speed add room temp eggs one at a time until fully combined. Slowly pour in the buttermilk, vanilla, coffee, and oil. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute until combined.
- Bake and cool: Pour the batter in evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are set and the cake starts to pull off from the sides. Cool the cake completely before removing and frosting.
Decorating a bday cake
- Level off the tops of the cake with a long serrated knife so they are even.
- Fill and frost the cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Cover in sprinkles immediately. The sprinkles will not stick to the cake if you wait too long because the buttercream will harden on the outside but stay creamy on the inside.
- Put the cake on a turntable or large plate and set it on a large sheet tray. Sprinkle some sprinkles into your palm and gently press them onto the cake, or sprinkle them and let the excess fall on the sheet tray. Then gather it all up and put it back in the container or reuse- no wasted sprinkles here!
- Once the frosting is hardened on the outside, slice, serve, and enjoy!
Yield
This recipe makes enough to feed about 12-15 people depending on the how big you cut the slices. You can make this cake in 2, 8″ round cake pans or in a 9×13 inch pan. To bake in a 9×13, increase the baking time by 10 minutes.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
Storing: This chocolate cake can be stored at room temperature, covered in a cake plate with a dome, for up to three days.
Freezing: Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.
Frosted cake can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Fluffy Chocolate Birthday Cake with Sprinkles
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cup (312.5 g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (86 g) cocoa powder
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) baking soda
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking powder
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 3 (3) eggs, at room temp
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temp
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla
- 1 cup (237 g) black coffee, cooled
- ⅓ cup (74.67 g) oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the 2 ½ cup sugar, 2 ½ cup flour, 1 cup cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Mix on low speed or whisk lightly to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed add in room temp eggs one at a time until fully combined.
- Slowly pour in the 1 cup milk, 2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup coffee, and ⅓ cup oil. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute until combined.
- Spray 2 8” round cake pans with baking spray that contains flour. Pour the batter in evenly and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are set and the cake starts to pull off from the sides. Cool.
Decorate The Cake
- Level off the tops of the cake with a long serrated knife so they are even.
- Fill and frost the cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Cover in sprinkles immediately. The sprinkles will not stick to the cake if you wait too long because the buttercream will harden on the outside but stay creamy on the inside.
- Put the cake on a turntable or large plate and set it on a large sheet tray. Use your hand to gently press sprinkles onto the cake, or sprinkle them and let the excess fall on the sheet tray. Then gather it all up and put it back in the container or reuse- no wasted sprinkles here!
- Once the frosting is hardened on the outside, slice, serve, and enjoy!
Can you substitute canola oil for the vegetable oil?
You sure can!
can i use olive oil or coconut oil? and can i leave out the coffee?
if i do the coconut buttercream frosting will the outside of cake be white or still brown chocolate? (sorry if dumb question)
Hi Molly! I havent tried it with olive oil or coconut oil but if I had to choose I would use coconut oil as olive oil can leave a fruity taste to it.You can sub vanilla for coffee too. If you use the coconut buttercream the outside will be white. To make sure there is no black cake showing you can cover the cake first in a light layer of frosting and then put it in the fridge for 20 minutes to harden. This is called a crumb coat and will seal all the loose crumbs. Then you can frost the rest of the frosting on top and it will be all white 🙂
sub vanilla for coffee – so do 1 cup of vanilla? i know there’s already vanilla in this .. can i just leave the coffee out and the recipe will turn out ok?
Hey Molly! No I wouldnt do 1 cup of vanilla, I would just put in 1 tbsp. You still need the moisture from the coffee so I would use hot water instead without the coffee, or you can sub in 1 cup of milk or even orange juice.
Lovely cake, turned out very well. I had to make it egg free due to my kids allergies. I used egg replacer for 2 egg and applesauce for the 3rd. Also poped raspberries in the centre icing. Thanks for the recipe!
SO good to know it worked like that! Thank you so much for making this and for the 5 star rating, made my day!
GREAT chocolate cake to have in your arsenal. Fluffy, moist, flavourful.
I covered it with your chocolate buttercream as suggested and the entire thing was 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Thank you so much for the 5 star rating Sally!! This just made my day!