My 28th Birthday Cake!
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A recipe for my 28th birthday cake… chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream, chocolate orange ganache and more!
My 28th birthday!
Today (20th October) is my birthday… and this year, I am 28! It’s been a strange old year for everyone, but it definitely feels strange that it is my birthday again already! It genuinely feels like it’s only been a few months since I turned 27.
Anyway… I decided to bake my own birthday cake again (because I do basically every year), but also I know you guys love my birthday cake posts! This year I went for a chocolate and chocolate orange themed cake, sort of using up what I had in the cupboards, and making it up as I went a long!
Cake
It’s fairly similar to my 27th birthday cake from last year, but also my the bottom tier of my two-tiered celebration cake! I am an absolute creature of habit when it comes to baking cake, and with the limited edition white chocolate orange out at the moment I wanted to incorporate them somehow!
I went for a chocolate cake this year… as always. I use two of these 8″ tins when I bake deeper cakes, and I just love them! The mix does sound like a lot, because it is… a 500g/10 egg mix is massive, but as it’s split into two tins, and then each cake split into two it makes sense. Four layer cakes need a lot of mix!
Size
If you wanted to just bake a smaller version, you can half the recipe to a 250g/5 egg mix, bake into one tin, and split that into two. It’s much smaller, but might fit the smaller gatherings that are required at the moment in the world!!
Buttercream
For the chocolate buttercream, I used BLOCK BUTTER. I will say this here, like I have said so many times before… that you must not use a baking spread for buttercream. It’s too soft, and just doesn’t work! For the filling, crumb coat and topping you want a lovely firm buttercream.
When it’s colder weather, like it is now, I do tend to use 1-2tbsp of boiling water just to soften the buttercream, but in the middle of the summer I wouldn’t bother as the temperature in the kitchen is warmer! I hope that makes sense… but if you make a lot of cakes, you’ll know what I mean.
Ganache
For the ganache, it was the same idea as my other cakes, but again I used a mix of dark chocolate and milk chocolate. It’s a lighter colour than you may think as it’s a whipped ganache – you melt the mixture together, and let it sit until it reaches the peanut butter consistency.
You can use it at this point, or you can whip it up with an electric whisk and it makes it a beautiful lovely fluffy mousse texture that is a wonder to work with on the crumb coated cake! I use a small angled spatula when putting on my buttercream and ganache, and a large metal scraper to smooth it over!
Drip
For the drip, I just used melted white chocolate. I didn’t mind that it sets firmer than a ganache.. but you can make a ganache if you want. Use 150g white chocolate, and 50ml double cream, melt together until smooth and drip! Or, add 1/2tsp vegetable oil and stir through.
Decoration
This year, I decided to press some sprinkles I had into the bottom part of the cake for a new style that I haven’t posted on my blog before – and I love it! Before chilling the cake in the fridge, lightly press the sprinkles onto the cake, and then chill to set them in.
Finally, I decorated the top of the cake using my favourite 2d closed star piping tip with some leftover buttercream, some white chocolate orange segments, and some sprinkles!! If you give the cake a go, let me know! Any questions, leave them below! x
My 28th Birthday Cake!
Ingredients
8" Chocolate Cake
- 500 g unsalted butter
- 500 g light brown sugar
- 400 g self raising flour
- 100 g cocoa powder
- 10 medium eggs
Chocolate Buttercream
- 300 g unsalted butter (not stork) (room temp)
- 500 g icing sugar
- 75 g cocoa powder
Ganache
- 200 g dark chocolate orange (chopped)
- 150 g milk chocolate orange (chopped)
- 300 ml double cream
Drip
- 150 g white chocolate
Decoration
- Leftover Buttercream
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate Orange Segments
Instructions
For the 8" Chocolate Cake!
- Preheat your oven to 170C/150C fan, and line two 8"/20cm deep cake tins with parchment paper.
- Add the butter and sugar to a bowl, and beat till light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, cocoa powder and eggs and beat again until a lovely smooth cake mixture is formed.
- Split evenly between the two tins and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes (or until a skewer comes out clean!)
- Once baked, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then leave to cool fully on a wire rack.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Beat the unsalted butter on its own for a while in your mixer until its smooth and supple.
- Add in your icing sugar and cocoa powder a little at a time and beat fully until its light and fluffy!
- (If the mixture is really stiff, add in 1-2tbsp of boiling water and beat fully to smooth out)
For the Ganache
- Add the the dark chocolate orange and milk chocolate orange to a large bowl.
- Add the cream to a pan and heat till just before boiling point. Pour over chocolate and leave to sit for 5 minutes. Once sat, mix until smooth (Add back to the pan if its not quite melted).
- Leave the ganache in a bowl and stir every few minutes until it forms a peanut butter like consistency - you can do this in the fridge as well, just make sure to stir it so it doesn't set too quickly!
- Whip the ganache with an electric whisk until it is fluffy, light and mousse like!
Assembly.
- Level the cakes off if necessary. Split the two cakes into two so you have four layers in total.
- Add your first cake to a cake board (I use a large 10" cake board) and secure with a small amount of buttercream.
- Spread some chocolate buttercream onto the first layer, add the second sponge. Repeat until you reach the top layer of cake.
- Spread some chocolate buttercream around the sides to fill in the gaps and create a crumb coat. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes.
- Once refrigerated and the ganache is ready, using an angled spatula, slather over the chocolate ganache and then smooth around using a large metal scraper.
- Carefully press some sprinkles into the bottom of the cake (like shown in the photos)!
- Once the sprinkles are on the cake, refrigerate the cake for another 30 minutes.
Drip
- Melt the white chocolate until smooth. Carefully drip down the sides of the cake, and fill in the top of the cake with the chocolate!
Decoration
- Pipe some swirls of the leftover buttercream on top using a medium 2D closed Star Piping Tip and decorate with the sprinkles and chocolate orange segments on top!
Notes
- You can swap the chocolate orange chocolates for a plain dark chocolate and a plain milk chocolate - I just love chocolate orange!
- You cannot swap the dark for just milk though - please use what is written in the recipe!
- This cake will last for 3-4 days once made.
- In this recipe I used:
ENJOY!
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J x
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Made this for my granddaughters birthday it was amazing. Everything about it was delicious. Your cakes are wonderful.
Hiya Jane! I’ve made this cake before and it was DELISH! I’m wanting to make it again but as a 4 layer 6inch cake? I have the PME 6″ by 4″ cake tins, how should I change the recipe should I just use 2/3rds of the recipe? and Would the baking time for each layer be around 30/40 minutes?
Thankyou so much! xx
Hey! yes it should be okay – I use a 300g mix for a 6″ tin and bake for 35-45 minutes in this recipe – https://hairhealth-discovery.info/2020/10/14/two-tier-celebration-cake/%3C/a%3E x
Hi, how did this turn out using 2/3rds?
It’s my First time making this recipe and I’m using a 6inch tin also.
I tried looking at the 6inch link Jane added but its confused me as its not the chocolate cake recipe, but vanilla. Just wondering if 2/3 worked Xx
Loved making this cake 🙂x
Hi can I use just milk chocolate for the ganache? I don’t like dark chocolate
Unfortunately not – the ratio of cream to chocolate is different so it’s not a straight swap. You need a 2:1 ratio instead of what’s on the recipe!
Hi Jane did you use buttercream and ganache around the cake? I’m confused as to use one or the other and what goes on first. Thank you xx
Buttercream fills the cake and does the crumb coat, and then ganache goes around the outside to finish it. x
Hi Jane
Me again, but if I wanted to put Terry’s chocolate( melted chocolate) in the butter cream how much do I put in? Thank you in advance x
I would add maybe 250g – I much prefer to add the dark chocolate one!
Amazing cake!! I had to change the design as my granddaughter wanted a doughnut 🍩 chocolate cake. It’s was lovely, the chocolate filling was to die for too. Thank you for another amazing cake.
Happy belated birthday 😍
Hi Jane,
If I wanted to do the butter cream round the cake instead of ganache, what would the measurements be? Shall I just double it? Amazing cake by the way, I’m a big Fan x
Yesss I would just double it!! x
Hi Jane. Belated Happy birthday. 🥳
I use your recipes all the time, you’re my go to.😊
Anyway, I plan on making this cake and turning it into a pinata cake for my little man’s 3rd birthday. I only have 20cm tins that are 3 inches deep, would they be OK? Or do they need to be 4 inches deep like the ones you use?
Thank you for your fab recipes. ❤️
The 3″ deep tins should be absolutely fine! xx
hi jane, this cake looks delicious will defo need to try it out!, also do you happen to have a recipe for a 10 inch vanilla cake? 🙂
Unfortunately the only 10″ cake recipe I have is on my wedding cake post – and it’s not a full recipe post!
Thanks for sharing your birthday cake, it looks amazing and belated happy birthday 🙂
Nic
Hi Jane your cakes are amazing. Please could you tell me the weights for a 6” four layer cake..Thank you
Have a look at my two-tier celebration cake as there is one on there!
Happy Birthday Jane! Hope you had a lovely day! Thanks for sharing all the delicious recipes! In particular all the orange chocolate desserts… you’ve turned me into a super fan of this sweet treat.
I saw this today and thought of you – https://www.clubmed.co.uk/l/blog/chocolate-orange-hotel-room. You need to head over for your birthday celebrations!!! xo
I just love your cakes and all your work! Congratulations, you are a star! The passion you have for baking , decorating and writing is absolutely amazing .
I have recently discovered you and I am glad I did ( Thanks Good !) as thanks to you I finally made a perfect ganache.
I hope you had a great birthday as your cake was fantastic.
Keep up with this great work and thanks for all your tips and recipes.
Thanks, Nicole
Beautiful cake. Happy birthday Jane.