This is the Chocolate Birthday Cake recipe I use for my kids and husbands birthdays. It’s a winner every single time. Chocolate Birthday Cake
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Dara Boxer
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso or instant coffee
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1¾ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups whole milk, at room temperature
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, cocoa, instant espresso, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.
- Reduce speed to low and beat in one-third of flour mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth the top. Bake until a skewer interred into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 40 minutes.
- Let cakes cool in the pan on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a pairing knife around the edge of cakes to loosen, then flip out onto the racks. Flip the cakes upright, and let cool completely before frosting.