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 chocolate. 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:
• buttermilk or any kind of buttermilk substitution your 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 to add a depth of flavor to the chocolate and balance the sweetness.
• all-purpose flour (though 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 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!
PrintEverybody’s Birthday Cake – Chocolate Peanut Butter
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.
Tara Gutman
oh boy was this a hit!!! absolutely incredible cake. Thank you so much!!!
★★★★★
jen
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.
Michell
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)
★★★★★
Genesis
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?
joythebaker
Yes you can leave the peanut butter out no problem!
Genesis
Excellent! Thank you!
LeslieB
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!
Megan
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??
★★★★★
samantha campanini
*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.*
Amber Berson
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.
Hena Tayeb
Oooh this sounds so good.
Megan L.
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.
★★★★★
Sara Horsman
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.
Lexie
I am a really big fan of Molly Yeh’s chocolate tahini cake, and this sounds similar! Can’t wait to try it!
Rose Chlarson
Is there something to substitute for the coffee? I don’t drink coffee and neither does my family.
joythebaker
Just hot water will do ya!
Lisa
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
Suzanne
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!
joythebaker
We all love this cake!
Kristin
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!
Sana
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!
Gina
This cake looks so delicious and decadent. I need it now!! It actually looks like the chocolate cake Bruce ate in Matilda!
Michelle S.
Wait. Did your cake come out of the oven flat or did you have to cut the “dome” off to make it beautifully flat?
joythebaker
This cake came out flat!
Cheryl Gordon
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!
Katrina
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
Maya
Can’t wait to try it! Looks amazing! What can we substitute ovaltine powder with?
joythebaker
Maybe instant cocoa or you can leave it out all together but it really makes the frosting as special as it is.
Jenny P
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!
joythebaker
That’s such a great idea! Happy Birthday to your pod!!
Sara
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!
joythebaker
We are on the same page, friend.
Chrissy
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.
joythebaker
Do not apologize. I have reached the same pandemic wall.
Lise
Congratulations on The Kitchn making your cake. That so cool! Love the silky sheen to the frosting. Yum!
★★★★★
Kiersten Hickman
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.
joythebaker
It has been a while since I posted a straight chocolate cake and I love our timing!
ashley
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.
Liz
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.
Pam
Happy Birthday Ashley! I hope you make yourself a cake and enjoy every bite! That’s self-care to the fullest! :)
joythebaker
Happy Birthday dearheart! I would absolutely bake you this cake if you were close!
Kim
This looks AMAZING! And it is in fact my birthday, so maybe I will just have to make this soon. Thanks for sharing!
Catherine C
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!