The Cake in Every Birthday Photo: 13 Chocolate Cakes Worth Making From Scratch

Look through any family photo album and you will find it: a kid in a paper hat, leaning over a chocolate cake with frosting on their chin. These are the chocolate cakes behind those pictures. Some came from Grandma’s recipe box, some were born in hard times when eggs and butter were scarce, and one is so big it starred in a movie. None of them need a box mix, and most need just one or two bowls. Grab a fork..

Chocolate cakes start here: the one-bowl birthday cake

Every family has a photo of a kid leaning over a chocolate cake. This is the recipe that makes that cake: one bowl, no mixer, and a crumb so moist it stays soft for days. The secrets are oil instead of butter, buttermilk, and a cup of hot coffee poured in at the end. The coffee does not make it taste like coffee; it just makes the chocolate taste deeper. One YouTube version of this style of cake has more than 33 million views. Whose birthday is next at your house?

You will need: 2 cups sugar, 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 cup hot coffee or hot water. Frosting: 1 cup soft butter, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa, 1/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 F and grease and flour two 9-inch round pans. Whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and mix 2 minutes. Stir in the hot coffee; the batter will be thin. Pour into the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely. Beat the frosting ingredients until fluffy, then fill and frost the layers.

Grandma’s sour cream cake, one of the oldest family chocolate cakes

Before anyone talked about moist cake hacks, Grandma had sour cream. It makes the crumb tender and rich with a gentle tang that balances all that sugar. Of all the chocolate cakes in the family recipe box, this is the one that showed up at church suppers and Sunday dinners, usually covered in a thick, glossy chocolate frosting. It is sturdy enough to stack, so it is a good choice for a tall layer cake. Did your grandma have a secret ingredient?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1 cup hot water, 2 teaspoons vanilla. Frosting: 6 oz melted semisweet chocolate, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup soft butter, 3 cups powdered sugar.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 F and grease two 9-inch pans. Mix the dry ingredients. Beat in the sour cream, eggs, butter and vanilla, then the hot water. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool. Beat the frosting ingredients until smooth and spread between and over the layers.

The giant ‘Matilda’ chocolate cake

If you grew up in the 1990s, you remember the scene in the movie Matilda where Bruce Bogtrotter is forced to eat an entire giant chocolate cake, and the whole school cheers him on. That clip still has millions of views online. Of all the chocolate cakes in movie history, it may be the most famous. This is a home version: a tall, dark, fudgy three-layer cake with a thick ganache frosting. It serves a crowd, so bring friends. Could you finish a whole slice? We dare you.

You will need: 3 cups flour, 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 3/4 cup oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 1/2 cups hot coffee. Ganache frosting: 24 oz semisweet chocolate, 2 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup butter.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 F and grease three 9-inch pans. Whisk the dry ingredients, beat in the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla, then the hot coffee. Divide and bake 28 to 32 minutes. Cool. Heat the cream until steaming, pour over the chopped chocolate and butter, stir smooth and chill until thick. Stack and frost.

German chocolate cake (it is actually American)

Surprise: this cake is not from Germany. It is named after Samuel German, the chocolate maker who developed a sweet baking chocolate for the Baker’s company in 1853. A Dallas homemaker’s recipe using that chocolate ran in The Dallas Morning News in 1957, and the cake took off across the country. The star is the gooey coconut pecan frosting. Did you know the name came from a person, not a country?

You will need: 4 oz sweet baking chocolate, 1/2 cup water, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs (separated), 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup buttermilk. Frosting: 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 4 egg yolks, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 2/3 cups sweetened coconut, 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans.

How to make it: Melt the chocolate in the water and cool. Heat the oven to 350 F and line three 9-inch pans. Cream the butter and sugar, beat in the yolks, chocolate and vanilla. Add the flour, soda and salt alternately with the buttermilk. Fold in the whites, beaten stiff. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. For the frosting, cook the milk, sugar, butter and yolks, stirring, about 12 minutes until thick. Stir in the vanilla, coconut and pecans. Cool and spread between the layers and on top.

Wacky cake: chocolate cakes from hard times, with no eggs, butter or milk

This is the cake of hard times. Wacky cake, also called crazy cake or Depression cake, is often linked to the 1930s and World War II rationing, when eggs, milk and butter were hard to find. Vinegar and baking soda do the rising instead. Old recipes mix it right in the pan, with three little wells for the wet ingredients. It is also naturally dairy-free and egg-free. Have you ever made a cake right in the pan?

You will need: 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup cold water.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 F. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt right in an ungreased 8-inch square pan. Make three wells. Pour the vinegar in one, the vanilla in another and the oil in the third. Pour the water over everything and stir with a fork until smooth. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and dust with powdered sugar or frost.

Chocolate mayonnaise cake (trust us)

It sounds strange, but this is one of the moistest cakes you will ever eat. Mayonnaise is mostly oil and egg, the same things that go into many cakes, so it gives a soft, tender crumb and you will not taste it at all. The idea became popular in the Depression era and has been passed around family recipe cards ever since. Would you tell your guests the secret before or after they taste it?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup mayonnaise (real, not light), 1 cup warm water, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×13 pan or two 8-inch rounds. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt. Whisk in the mayonnaise, warm water and vanilla until smooth. Pour into the pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes (25 for rounds) until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost with your favorite fudge frosting.

Texas sheet cake: of all chocolate cakes, the best for a crowd

Thin, fudgy and big enough for the whole family reunion, Texas sheet cake is baked in a large jelly-roll pan and covered while still warm with a pourable chocolate pecan frosting. The frosting sets into a shiny, fudge-like layer. It bakes in about 20 minutes, which makes it a favorite for last-minute potlucks. One pan easily serves 24. How many squares would you sneak?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup butter, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup cocoa, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Frosting: 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup cocoa, 6 tablespoons milk, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup chopped pecans.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 375 F and grease a 15×10 inch pan. Mix the flour, sugar, soda and salt. Boil the butter, water and cocoa, then pour over the flour mix and stir. Beat in the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Spread in the pan and bake 18 to 22 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the butter, cocoa and milk, then whisk in the sugar, vanilla and pecans. Pour over the warm cake.

Flourless chocolate cake, just four main ingredients

Unlike most chocolate cakes, this dense, silky one is closer to a truffle than a sponge. Made with chocolate, butter, sugar and eggs, it is naturally gluten-free, so it is a kind choice when a guest cannot eat wheat. It puffs in the oven, then sinks a little as it cools, which is exactly what you want. A dusting of cocoa or a spoon of whipped cream is all it needs. Could you stop at one thin slice?

You will need: 8 oz bittersweet chocolate (chopped), 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 375 F. Grease an 8-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter together. Whisk in the sugar, then the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and salt. Sift in the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Pour into the pan and bake 25 minutes until the top forms a thin crust. Cool 10 minutes, then turn out.

Black Forest style chocolate cherry cake

This one is from Germany. The classic Black Forest cake layers chocolate sponge with whipped cream and cherries, then finishes with chocolate shavings and more cherries on top. Traditional recipes soak the layers in cherry brandy; our family-friendly version uses the syrup from a jar of cherries instead. It looks like a bakery cake but is easy to put together at home. Would you choose the cherry on top?

You will need: 1 baked 9-inch two-layer chocolate cake (use the cover recipe), 1 jar (24 oz) dark sweet cherries in syrup, 2 cups cold heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 oz dark chocolate for shavings, fresh cherries for the top.

How to make it: Drain the cherries and keep the syrup. Brush each cake layer with a few spoons of syrup. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Spread a thick layer of cream on the first cake layer and scatter on the cherries. Add the second layer and cover the whole cake with cream. Press chocolate shavings on the sides and top with cherries. Chill 1 hour.

Chocolate zucchini cake that hides a vegetable

Here is a sneaky one for picky eaters. Shredded zucchini disappears into the batter and keeps the cake soft and moist for days. Nobody tastes it, but it is a smart way to use up a big zucchini from the garden or the store. Bake it in a loaf pan for snacking or a 9×13 pan for a crowd, and add chocolate chips for good measure. Would your kids ever guess?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup soft butter, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups shredded zucchini, 1 cup chocolate chips.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×13 pan or two loaf pans. Whisk the flour, cocoa, soda, salt and cinnamon. Beat the sugar, oil, butter and eggs, then add the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients, then the zucchini and half the chips. Spread in the pan, sprinkle with the rest of the chips. Bake 35 to 45 minutes.

Chocolate peanut butter layer cake

Chocolate and peanut butter is a pairing many Americans grew up loving in candy cups. This cake turns it into a party: dark chocolate layers with a fluffy peanut butter frosting, finished with a drizzle of chocolate and chopped peanuts. Use regular creamy peanut butter, not natural style, so the frosting stays smooth. It is a great choice for a dad’s birthday. Team chocolate or team peanut butter?

You will need: 1 recipe one-bowl chocolate cake (cover slide), baked in two 9-inch pans. Frosting: 1 cup soft butter, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, pinch of salt. Topping: 1/2 cup melted chocolate, 1/3 cup chopped peanuts.

How to make it: Bake and cool the cake layers. Beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt and beat until fluffy. Spread frosting between and over the layers. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Chill 20 minutes before slicing.

Chocolate bundt cake with a pour-over ganache

A bundt pan does the decorating for you. This sour cream chocolate bundt bakes up tall and tender, and a warm ganache poured over the top drips down the ridges for a bakery look in five minutes. Like most chocolate cakes baked in a bundt, it travels well, so it is a smart choice for holidays and potlucks. Grease every ridge of the pan very well so it comes out clean. Want more chocolate chips in every bite? Try our chocolate lovers bundt cake packed with mini chips. Do you love the drips or the crumb more?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup oil, 1 cup hot coffee, 2 teaspoons vanilla. Ganache: 6 oz semisweet chocolate, 1/2 cup heavy cream.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 F and grease and flour a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan. Whisk the dry ingredients. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, oil and vanilla, then the hot coffee. Pour into the pan and bake 45 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes, then turn out. Heat the cream, pour it over the chopped chocolate, stir smooth and spoon over the cooled cake.

Hot fudge pudding cake, the coziest of all chocolate cakes

This old-fashioned dessert looks like magic. You pour hot water over the batter before it goes in the oven, and while it bakes the cake rises to the top and a rich hot fudge sauce forms underneath. Spoon it into bowls while it is warm and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is the coziest way to end this list of chocolate cakes. Which cake is going on your birthday table this year?

You will need: 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Topping: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, 1 3/4 cups very hot water.

How to make it: Heat the oven to 350 F. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in an ungreased 9-inch square pan. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla and spread evenly. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cocoa over the batter. Pour the hot water over the top; do not stir. Bake 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes, then spoon into bowls with the sauce.