Best Chocolate Birthday Cake
This chocolate birthday cake is rich, moist, and unbelievably easy — the perfect celebration dessert made from scratch with love. Deep chocolate flavor, tender crumb, and a luscious frosting make this cake a showstopper for any occasion.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Two 9-inch Cake Pans
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 0.75 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp espresso powder optional, enhances chocolate flavor
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk
- 0.5 cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
For the Frosting
- chocolate buttercream frosting as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder.
- Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and glossy.
- Carefully pour in boiling water. Stir until fully combined (batter will be thin).
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
- Frost with chocolate buttercream. Slice, serve, and enjoy your celebration!
Notes
For extra richness, swap boiling water with hot coffee. Make it your own with sprinkles, ganache, berries, or dairy-free swaps. This cake freezes well — just wrap slices tightly and thaw before serving.