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Today is my day, so I baked my favorite birthday chocolate cake using pantry staples.
I’m not a big chocolate fan though this recipe for the birthday chocolate cake is my favorite because it is easy to make and brings me so many good memories since my mom would bake this for me to celebrate my birthday.
I know there are many tasty chocolate cake recipes out there. However, this recipe is perfect as it uses pantry staples such as pancake mix, chocolate powder, canned evaporated milk, butter, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, cooking oil, and confectioners sugar.
I had all ingredients in my pantry so I didn’t have to go to the supermarket and added almond liqueur as an optional component which made the frosting super special.
Tips for Making the Best Birthday Chocolate Cake
- You will need a mixer, a bundt cake pan, and measuring cups and spoons. Plus, a cooling rack that also serves as the perfect surface for decorating the cake.
- Before pouring the mix into the baking pan, spray it with non-stick baking spray with flour.
- When baking using bundt cake pans, it is recommended to grease well all the crevices.
- If not wanting to use baking spray, use butter and flour instead.
- You will know the chocolate cake is ready when you start smelling that delicious, just baked cake.
- For making sure the birthday chocolate cake is fully cooked, take it out of the oven, insert a toothpick, and if it comes clean, the cake is ready.
- Let the cake sit out the oven until cold before icing. We recommend the use of a rack for proper cooling.
- The icing or frosting you can manage the thickness depending on the amount of liquid used. If you prefer runny icing, add more milk if you want thicker, then add less.
- When the cake is cold, decorate with the icing, your choice of nuts, sprinkles, and maraschino cherries.
Celebrating My Birthday at Home Baking a Family Recipe
This cake is moist and delicious; you can enjoy a slice with coffee or tea or a nice glass of cold milk. If you are hesitant to use pantry staples such as pancake mix, don’t be. The taste of this cake is delicious, and nobody will notice this cake has a hot cake mix and powdered chocolate as the main ingredients.
This cake recipe you can add a simple syrup made with sugar and vanilla extract. Or add almond or chocolate liqueur before frosting. The result is a bakery-style cake perfect for a party.
Another option is to use a different baking pan. You can use any pan of your choice and even make cupcakes using the chocolate cake recipe.
This year we are celebrating my husband and me alone at home, but next year I hope to celebrate my birthday with the whole family and friends. In the meantime, I sent a few slices of my birthday chocolate cake to the neighbors so that they can celebrate with me in the distance.
Try the chocolate cake recipe, trust me this is my family’s best-kept secret!
Birthday Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Bundt cake pan
- Cooling rack
- Spatula
- A whisk
- Measuring cup and spoons
Ingredients
For the cake batter
- 2 cups pancake flour any pancake flour works
- 1 cup powdered chocolate we used Nesquik
- 1 teaspoon strong instant coffee we used Bustelo
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup evaporated milk we used Carnation
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup cooking oil can be corn, canola, vegetable oil, clarified butter or coconut oil
For the frosting
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature 1/2 cup butter is equal to 4 ounces, or 113 grams. We used European style butter. We like Plugra.
- 2 cups confectioners sugar sifted to remove lumps
- 1 cup powdered chocolate we used Nesquik
- 1/2 cup milk we used evaporate milk, add as needed depending on the desired thickness.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tablespoons almond liqueur optional
- 2 tablespoons colorful sprinkles
- 4 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- To prepare the cake mix the pancake flour with the powdered chocolate, the coffee, and the baking powder. Whisk to make a dry mix.
- Add the cake dry mix to the mixing bowl and incorporate the milk, the eggs, and the cooking oil. Mix using a whisk or the stand mixer.
- Spray the bundt cake pan with Bakers Joy or any other baking spray to prevent the cake to stick.
- Pour the cake batter into the bundt cake pan and bake the cake at 375F for 20-30 minutes. We used the convection oven and the cake cooked in 20 minutes.
- For the frosting cream the butter first. When the butter is soft add the confectioners sugar combined with the powdered chocolate.
- Then add the milk and the almond liqueur. Continue mixing until getting a smooth consistency.
- Take the cake out of the oven and place it in a cooling rack. It will take around an hour for the cake to cool.
- Then decorate with the frosting. We used a tip and a piping bag. Finish with sprinkles and maraschino cherries.
Video
Notes
- You will need a mixer, a bundt cake pan, and measuring cups and spoons. Plus, a cooling rack that also serves as the perfect surface for decorating the cake.
- Before pouring the mix into the baking pan, spray it with non-stick baking spray with flour.
- When baking using bundt cake pans, it is recommended to grease well all the crevices. If not wanting to use baking spray, use butter and flour instead.
- You will know the chocolate cake is ready when you start smelling that delicious, just baked cake.
- For making sure the birthday chocolate cake is fully cooked, take it out of the oven, insert a toothpick, and if it comes clean, the cake is ready.
- Let the cake sit out the oven until cold before icing. We recommend the use of a rack for proper cooling.
- The icing or frosting you can manage the thickness depending on the amount of liquid used. If you prefer runny icing add more milk if you want thicker then add less.
- When the cake is cold decorate with the icing, your choice of nuts, sprinkles, and/or maraschino cherries.
Nutrition
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