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This is our go-to recipe when we need to make a children's birthday cake. It works perfectly every time and is so easy to personalise... go with our chocolate frosting and dust with edible sparkles or extra chocolate chips; or make a completely different topping instead. Vanilla frosting, perhaps? Or some orange-flavoured glacé icing?

Also check out more indulgent chocolate cake recipes such as our chocolate fudge cake, chocolate drip cake, Ferrero Rocher cake and chocolate orange cake. Or, for a smaller celebratory affair, make our birthday cupcakes. Looking for a dairy-free and egg-free version? Try our easy vegan birthday cake, instead.

We've also got more easy chocolate recipes to make with kids such as rocky road and chocolate brownies, plus try our cornflake tart for a simple family-friendly pud.

Ingredients

  • 200g butter
  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 200g light muscovado sugar
  • 250g self-raising flour
  • 5 tbsp cocoa
  • a pinch baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 125g soured cream
  • 2 handfuls (optional) mini marshmallows

FROSTING

  • 175g butter
  • 3 tbsp cocoa, plus more for dusting
  • 2 tbsp soured cream
  • 100g milk chocolate, chopped
  • 200g icing sugar

Method

  • STEP 1

    Heat the oven to180C/fan160C/gas4. To make the cake, put the butter, sugars and 250ml water in a pan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Take off the heat and stir in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, eggs and soured cream to a smooth batter, then stir in the marshmallows. Pour into a lined 20 x 30cm baking tray (leave some paper overhanging to help you lift it out) and cook for 25-30 minutes. Cool then lift out.

  • STEP 2

    For the frosting, melt the butter and 2tbsp cocoa together and add the soured cream and chocolate. add the icing sugar and stir until smooth, then cool completely. Don’t worry if the butter separates; it’ll come back when you beat it. Once cold, beat with electric beaters until the frosting is paler and fluffier. Spread over the cake and dust with cocoa.

Check out our recipe for vegan birthday cake:

A chocolate frosted cake on a white cake stand with a slice cut out of it in front of a white background
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