What’s your go-to birthday cake? I’m taking a wild guess and crossing my fingers that it’s the best chocolate birthday cake with chocolate frosting.
My dream cake? Literally any cake someone else bakes for me, amen. Though if they happen to bake an angel food cake topped with mountains of fresh raspberry whipped cream that would be the dream of dreams. Bakers know not to be choosers when it comes to their own birthday cakes. Any cake we didn’t make is the birthday cake of our dreams and we thank you.
Let’s talk about your birthday cake…. or your son’s, or your wife’s, or your second cousin’s, or your neighbor down the way – EVERYONE needs cake and heck, in this year of our Lord 2021, let’s make it an unbelievable chocolate on chocolate masterpiece with a smear of peanut butter for good measure.
At the start of the year The Kitchn recreated my version of Everybody’s Birthday Cake – a simple yellow cake that can be made as a 9×13-inch sheet cake, 2 9-inch layers, or cupcakes and I thought – it’s high time for a chocolate version of Everybody’s Birthday Cake. And where there is a chocolate cake recipe, let there be at least a hint of peanut butter.
Ready to grease your cake pans, friends? There’s always a birthday to celebrate – let’s go big!
Now, you might need a few other things on this cake journey. I’ve got you covered.
• How to Frost A Cake– it is, after all, a lifeskill.
• Of course there’s a vanilla version of that’s just as wonderful as a sheet cake as it is a layer cake. Everybody’s Birthday Cake: Vanilla with Chocolate Buttercream
• Maybe you don’t need a whole dang cake but you still want to treat yourself to something melty. Single Molten Chocolate Cake
• And trust me when I tell you that you can coax 12 Frosted Cupcakes from One Stick of Butter. It’s magic.
I’ve made more chocolate cakes than I know how to count and my favorite of all – the recipe I always flip to in my little handwritten recipe stack is – Hershey’s Black Magic Cake. It’s tender and flavorful, light but sturdy, bakes up beautifully in a sheet pan or bundt pan and I find it to be my ideal chocolate cake. This recipe is based on that Hershey classic.
Here’s what you’ll need for the best chocolate birthday cake:
• buttermilk or any kind of buttermilk substitution or dairy substitute you prefer which helps to make the cake extra tender.
• cocoa powder- Hershey’s natural for best results with this cake.
• oil and eggs for richness.
• granulated sugar
• coffee (or espresso powder in warm water) to add a depth of flavor to the chocolate and balance the sweetness.
• all-purpose flour (though you could make this a gluten-free chocolate cake with a gluten-free flour blend also works well), baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
No need for a mixer with this recipe (another bonus!), just a few bowls and a whisk.
First whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt and leavening, cocoa powder and sugar.
In a separate bow whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, coffee and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.
Whisk well to incorporate.
Chocolate cake in amazingly simple and forgiving, just make sure no sneaky flour lumps remain.
We’ll bake the cake layers until deeply chocolate browned and a skewer inserted in the cakes comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
While the cake bakes and cools, make the frosting.
Here’s where things get truly irresistible.
The chocolate frosting we’ll use for this decadent chocolate cake is a variation of my Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
I don’t use the word ‘perfect’ frivolously – it really is that good. The secret? A mixture of Chocolate Ovaltine and whipped cream that whips this buttercream to super smooth. I know it’s odd but don’t skip the special sauce.
Start by creaming together well-softened butter, cocoa powder, and salt.
The butter and chocolate mixture will feel very thick, almost gnarly, just beat until it’s well incorporated.
Add peanut butter to combine. Yep. Yep. It’s all good news.
Beat in the powdered sugar and a few splashes of milk until smooth but still thick.
Now add the cream and Ovaltine mixture, just enough to whip the buttercream to super fluffy and smooth.
Allow the cake layers to cool to room temperature (no joke) before frosting the cake.
Spoon a generous amount onto the center of the bottom layer and spread to the edges in a thin layer or thick layer with an offset spatula.
Top with the second layer of cake, top side down and frost the edges and sides.
Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set before serving.
Can you even believe how gooey moist this is? No matter whose birthday it is, it’s a BEYOND moment having a slice of this cake on your plate.
This cake bakes either a 9×13-inch sheet cake, 2 9-inch rounds, a bundt pan, or about 24 cupcakes. Any way you want to cake!
I hope this chocolate monster makes it way to a birthday table of someone you love. It really is such a special treat, just like every new year we get in the world.
Happy Birthday to you and yours!
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Everybody’s Birthday Cake – Chocolate Peanut Butter
Description
A perfectly decadent chocolate birthday cake with chocolate peanut butter buttercream.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 3/4-cup (222 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) Hershey’s cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup strong black coffee
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (100 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups (500 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup Rich Chocolate Ovaltine powder
Instructions
- Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside. (Grease and flour a sheet pan or tube pan or line muffin tin with cupcake papers if using.)
- In a large bowl stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large measuring cup whisk together eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth and flossy, about 2 minutes. Batter will be thin – that’s right.
- Divide batter between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes (18 minutes or so for cupcakes) (35-45 minutes for a bundt cake) or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before running a butterknife around the edges and inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in peanut butter.
- Add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
- In a 2 cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour half of the cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream. Stop the mixer scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add remaining cream mixture or until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Beat until soft and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Frost the cake or store the frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring to room temperature before frosting cakes and cupcakes. There’s a tutorial here on Joy the Baker about frosting a cake if you need it. Happy Birthday!
Photos with my dear Jon Melendez.
90 Responses
Oh my stars this looks amazing. Can’t want to try!
Hello! A couple of questions… I have made this as it’s written in a single batch and it’s so, so good. I’m wondering if it has been made on a full sheet pan or half sheet and if so, what is the ratio for that? Also, I am interested in incorporating Nutella, per request, and my thought is in the frosting in place of the PB. Has it been done? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
This is INCREDIBLE. The intense fudgy chocolate flavor of the cake coupled with the light fluffy chocolate frosting with that hint of peanut butter is divine. Cannot wait for my husband to try this tonight for his birthday. Thanks for the recipe Joy!
This cake was sooo delicious! It was the first time I have seen a cake (store bought or made) eaten in its entirety! Everyone wanted seconds! Unfortunately for me I’m a novice baker…..and I forgot to flour the greased pan so my cakes stuck! I wont forget next time or I may use parchment paper – does it make a difference? Also when I finally got them out and onto the cooling racks the top was very soft (I did test with a toothpick and it was fine) and they stuck to the cooling racks a bit….maybe need to keep them in longer or cool them from the bottom up? Practice makes perfect so I will keep trying to master this one because it tasted great!!!
Honestly the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made and had for that matter. Was going to omit peanut butter but glad I didn’t. Very slight peanut butter taste in frosting. Amazing!!!
Are there any issues with the frosting if the peanut butter is omitted? I know, I know, who doesn’t want peanut butter but the birthday request is chocolate and chocolate :)
Is there anyway you can have your all your measurements in grams? Cup sizes etc here in Australia are all different to what you use ??
This cake is perfection! Just made for my mom’s birthday. Absolutely delicious!
Hi there. If you hit the 2x button the weight for flour doesn’t convert. I have made so many of your recipes and they always turn out spot on. So when the batter looked runny I thought “in Joy, we trust” My oven is super gross right now. I’m much sad. Hope this feedback helps others from my mistake.
What is 2X button? I am going to make cake and was looking through comments.
If you were wanting to double the recipe the 2x button will double those quantities for you!
Hi there! Living in the Netherlands so not sure the equivalent here of Ovaltine powder. Would additional cacao powder work?
Thanks!
Hello Kaitlin! If you’re able to find any malted milk powder (like Horlicks) that would work. Just cacao powder would make it turn out differently. I hope it works out – happy baking!
I have a very important question. My husband insists chocolate cake with white frosting reigns supreme. He is wrong. However, we have been married 5 years and I have never made him his preferred cake combo. He is being named teacher of the year in a couple of weeks (he doesn’t know it!), so it’s finally time to make him some dang vanilla frosting for his chocolate cake. I’m not a huge fan of vanilla buttercream. I like that the frosting in this recipe uses whipped cream to cut the buttercream a bit. Is there a good method for a non-chocolate version of this frosting recipe?
I would say that for a non chocolate frosting that isn’t too sweet you should look to a swiss or italian buttercream. They’re a bit more labor intensive but make for a really refined frosting for cakes!
SO yummy!
Hello,
I haven’t made this Cake yet and before I do I would like to know what substitute can I use instead of the 1 cup of peanut butter.
Hi Gloria! Feel free to sub in any nut butter you prefer, whether that’s almond or cashew or what have you!
I saw this recipe and thought it looked so good. But realized I’ve been making this exact recipe for years. It is the same as Ina’s Beatty cake. So good. Just the frosting is different.
Hi! How many people does this cake serve? Thanks!
8-12
I am no expert at making cakes but this cake turned out amazingly. It is so moist and yummy and so quick and easy to get into the oven. This will definitely be my go-to chocolate cake recipe and I can’t recommend it enough. Thanks, Joy!!
Question: what can I substitute the 1 cup of coffee with? And is the coffee hot or room temp? Thanks
You can use water instead! Warm or room temperature will be fine!
What are the modifications in cooking time to make cupcakes?
unreal! i used gluten-free flour and also non-dairy buttermilk (almond yog/milk) in the cake. wish i could use the ovaltine but not GF so i dumped in more cocoa. total delight! bookmarking this for annual bday celebrations!
I really want to make this, but since we have a nut allergy in our family I can’t use peanut butter. Would you suggest replacing peanut butter with butter? I’m not a baker so I’m not sure if that would work or not. Thank you for recipe and thank you for guidance.
You can just skip the peanut butter!
Can I use regular milk to replace buttermilk?
Hello Edith! The acid in buttermilk reacts with the gluten to keep the cake super moist so it is necessary here. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand you can make your own by adding 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk. I hope this helps! Happy baking! :)
In all seriousness, one of the best cakes in the history of ever. The frosting absolutely takes it over the edge. My daughters made it for a baking Project and my husband has already insisted it shall be his birthday cake forever.
Do you have a substitute suggestion for Ovaltine? Thx!
Best ever JtB recipe!! Literally my favorite cake
Hi Joy, is there anything you would substitute for coffee in this recipe? I want to make it for my 3 year-olds birthday and I don’t think caffeine cooks out when you bake it?
I use Pero or Roma as coffee substitutes. They are made with Barley and other grains and dissolve in water. Their flavor is very close to coffee. :)
Use decaffeinated coffee. But chocolate also contains caffeine so maybe you’d be better off with a different cake!
This sounds amazing! Could I use coconut cream instead of cream?
Yes absolutely!
Can’t wait to try this, but Ovaltine is hard to find here in Australia, but we have Milo instead. Will it work? Thank you ?
The frosting on this was AMAZING. Definitely found our go-to birthday cake!
As I’m watching this cake spill over the sides of the pan and develop a giant sink hole in the middle— I’m realizing I probably should have adjusted it for high altitude (I’m in MT— so far from New Orleans!) Do you have any suggestions for baking this cake at high altitude?
As someone cooking this in England – can I ask if the oven temperature is fan assisted or non fan assisted?
Thank you xx
non fan assisted!
Can you explain what the 1x 2x 3x scale at the top of the recipe should be used for? Can’t wait to make this! Thank you!
Angela, I realize this is a very late reply but if you wanted to double or triple the recipe because, say, you were making a tiered wedding cake or multiple cakes, that’s what those buttons help you do. I hope that helps (many… many months later)!
I am so thankful that googling “best chocolate cake” brought up this recipe! It is insanely delicious, was a huge hit a recent family get-together, and has my cousin calling me “Cake Queen” now — though honestly that title belongs to you, Joy! Thank you for this awesome recipe. I can’t wait to make it again next week for a friend’s birthday — this time I’m going to try it as cupcakes!
Any ideas for buttermilk substitute? Here in the UK we can’t just buy that – we have to make it.
Can’t wait to bake this cake!!! Thanks Joy ;)
oh boy was this a hit!!! absolutely incredible cake. Thank you so much!!!
Hi! In your recipe you say to use two 9-inch round pans and I did. However, I followed fully followed your directions, yet both my cakes came out real thin with a big lump on one side. So now I am allowing them to cool, Perhaps the lumps (big bubble) will come down and flatten out a tad. In my opinion, it would have been best to bake it in two 8-inch pans, so as for the cake to be thicker like shown in your picture.
Hello Jen ? I’ve made this recipe several times in my 9-inch pans (a few times in 8 inch), and the layers are never too thin. The “big bubble” you mention makes me think there was too much air in the batter after you mixed. This can happen if you beat the mix with a high-powered mixer for too long, or whisk by hand too vigorously for longer than a couple minutes. I usually tap my filled pans on the counter a bit to help break up any bubbles. I don’t want to be bossy or overstep; just thought I share a tip or two. I’m sure this recipes was tested many times before it was posted. :o)
Hi jen,
I just made this recipe in an 8 inch pan and mine also came thin to cut it in half. Then I realized there is a scale option on top of the ingredients listing. In my case, I made it with the X1 amounts. Maybe we should try x3 scale. Overall, the cake is great, I didnt make the frosting since I didnt split it in half at the end.
I’m trying to make a yellow cake with chocolate frosting for my partner’s birthday and this frosting seems like a winner to me (had me at Ovaltine tbh). Would it be possible to do it without peanut butter tho? Or is it a must for this recipe?
Yes you can leave the peanut butter out no problem!
Excellent! Thank you!
Long time reader – first time posting :)
As a precious person commented – this cake and frosting re OMFG AMAZING!!!
My only experience with Ovaltine is the classic Ralphie decoder bathroom scene! :) I used Nestle Quick instead.
I just can’t stop talking about how good this cake was! I made cupcakes and have out as Valentine’s gifts. Since we have most of them away, I now have an excuse to make more sooner than later!
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday and did not regret it! The cake itself is light and moist. The frosting is light and fluffy. And who doesn’t like chocolate and peanut butter??
*Checking on my agenda who’s the next one that can deserve this cake made by me so I can have a slice, or two.*
This cake is delicious! I cut the sugar by a quarter all around and subbed more cocoa powder for the Ovaltine and it was still a success. On my cake, I found that the icing recipe was 2x too much so we froze the leftovers. It’s super-rich, and since we can’t have a party right now to share it with folks, we delivered pieces to neighbours over the weekend.
Oooh this sounds so good.
I really hate baking — but I love cake. This recipe wasn’t too miserable to get through (my highest praise for baking recipes, sorry), and the result was OMFG AMAZING. The icing in particular is insanely good. Fortunately this makes a lot of icing, so I didn’t ruin anything by eating it straight from the bowl while waiting for the cake layers to cool. It’s not anybody’s birthday (except maybe the cake’s … happy b-day buddy, we’re going to eat you now) but who needs an excuse for cake? It’s a celebration unto itself.
This looks divine!! It is worth noting, since you say GF flour works well here, that your frosting is, alas, not gluten free. Sneaky barley malt is hiding in the Ovaltine, so Celiacs beware!! I’m sure it is nearly as delicious without it.
I am a really big fan of Molly Yeh’s chocolate tahini cake, and this sounds similar! Can’t wait to try it!
Is there something to substitute for the coffee? I don’t drink coffee and neither does my family.
Just hot water will do ya!
That looks really good and reminds me of the peanut butter chocolate pretzel cake on the cover of Homemade Decandence. I made that one for my brother’s birthday, maybe three or four years ago… none of us could even eat a single piece :’D my brother’s best friend still talks about that cake after all this time…. and as soon as this whole situation settles, I can drive back home and make it again :D
or this one. I don’t care, as long as I can finallly celebrate somebody’s birthday again <3
Woo-hey, I looked at that Hershey’s recipe and thought HUH that looks familiar… it’s precisely the same ingredients as Ina Garten’s “Beatty’s Chocolate Cake”! Definitely will try, since I guess everyone seems to be agreeing this one is the best!
We all love this cake!
I can’t wait to try this one! I just opened my 3rd container of Ovaltine over the years just from making your chocolate frosting (usually with the yellow cake- it is a family favorite). It is always what I recommend when people ask for a good birthday cake recipe!
I’ve been a devotee of Everybody’s Birthday Cake and your chocolate cupcake recipe for years, so this is dream mashup for me. Looks like I’ll be making chocolate cake this weekend!
This cake looks so delicious and decadent. I need it now!! It actually looks like the chocolate cake Bruce ate in Matilda!
Wait. Did your cake come out of the oven flat or did you have to cut the “dome” off to make it beautifully flat?
This cake came out flat!
I would usually have cookies or just chocolate over cake but I had champagne left over from Inauguration day, so I make a small champagne cake for my birthday and put it in the freezer. Because I may be celebrating alone. Just in case I also made a batch of champagne baked donuts. Still have leftover champagne. Probably flat by now, but maybe I can cook chicken with it!
I my gosh! The second paragraph, literally any cake that somebody else bakeS for me is do spot on! I’ve actually had to bake my own birthday cake while at work baking! I love anything that somebody makes for me on my birthday! Thank you for the fabulous read this morning and the chuckles you gave me!
Sugarmamas
Can’t wait to try it! Looks amazing! What can we substitute ovaltine powder with?
Maybe instant cocoa or you can leave it out all together but it really makes the frosting as special as it is.
Too perfect of timing! This weekend our “pod” of five is celebrating birthdays for two of us so the request was for a chocolate PBJ cake. A local bakery here makes chocolate PBJ cupcakes and they are a favorite. Anyway, I have made the Everybody’s Birthday Cake a few times to rave reviews so I think I’ll use this recipe and with the two chocolate layers, split those and put jam in between! Pretty excited to do this!
That’s such a great idea! Happy Birthday to your pod!!
This is too funny. For the past three years I have used Hershey’s Black Magic Chocolate Cake with your Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for the ultimate chocolate birthday cakes! I even mashed the recipes onto one document to share it with friends :) I’ve never added peanut butter though, I can’t wait to try this!
We are on the same page, friend.
Ovaltine! I’m into it. Can’t wait to try it.
I texted my friend the other day and was like “I just need a damn cupcake. One I didn’t make myself and no, I don’t need a whole dozen. I am but one person.” Because sometimes you want ONE cupcake and you don’t want to make a special trip to the bakery to get one. Where is my cupcake delivery person??
That last comment was pure pandemic wall speaking. Apologies.
Do not apologize. I have reached the same pandemic wall.
Congratulations on The Kitchn making your cake. That so cool! Love the silky sheen to the frosting. Yum!
I legit searched for “chocolate cake by joy the baker” last night on Google, and then you POST ONE THE NEXT DAY. How divine is that?! Can’t wait to try this one.
It has been a while since I posted a straight chocolate cake and I love our timing!
Yes, hello? I’m crying over a recipe right now. My birthday is tomorrow and I’ve been feeling extra isolated. I’ve been entertaining the idea of making myself a birthday cake and this just feels like a sign since you’re my go-to source for baking recipes. Thank you Joy.
Ashley
We all feel that way to some extent these days. You are not alone…happy birthday. Make yourself a cake, and close your eyes when you take the first bite. It will be your birthday present to yourself, and it will be comforting and rewarding.
Happy Birthday Ashley! I hope you make yourself a cake and enjoy every bite! That’s self-care to the fullest! :)
Happy Birthday dearheart! I would absolutely bake you this cake if you were close!
This looks AMAZING! And it is in fact my birthday, so maybe I will just have to make this soon. Thanks for sharing!
I just realized, after perusing the ingredient list and measurements, that the Hershey’s Black Magic Cake is the Beatty’s Chocolate Cake from Ina’s friend’s mother (or was it his grandmother?). Perhaps the mom’s cake was actually Hershey’s from back in the day? Anyway, I have made this cake for years as well and it is also my go-to. Love the twist with the PB in the frosting! Perhaps I might make this (or better yet- convince someone else to make it) for my (eek!) 30th birthday this Saturday. Cheers, Joy!