Easy Chocolate Button Cake

ByJanice Pattie February 22, 2012February 14, 2024

Easy Chocolate Button Cake is a super simple recipe for a rich and delicious cake. This chocolate cake makes a great birthday cake and is always a hit with all the family. Perfect for beginning bakers, the simple decoration with giant chocolate buttons is something that anyone can do.

Why make Easy Chocolate Button Cake?

I really love this chocolate cake recipe, it is has everthing going for it.

It tastes rich and full of chocolate.
Make it ahead of time, it keeps well because it is made with oil.
You can make it without an electric mixer, a bowl and a wooden spoon will do the job.
Decorate it simply with giant chocolate buttons for a great finish.

What ingredients do I need?

Plain (all-purpose) flour
Cocoa powder
Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda)
Baking Powder
Caster (superfine) sugar
Golden Syrup
Eggs
Vegetable oil
Milk

What kind of chocolate should I use?

There is no block chocolate in the cake. The intense chocolate taste comes from cocoa powder. Do not use drinking chocolate powder because it does not have enough cocoa solids and is also pre-sweetened. US readers should use dutch processed cocoa.

What is Golden Syrup?

Golden Syrup is a thick, translucent amber coloured syrup made from cane sugar. It is a sugar syrup made by breaking down white sugar into fructose and sucrose. It’s ideal for baking and is sometimes called light treacle. US readers can substitute corn syrup although this is sweeter.

I use golden syrup in many of my favourite bakes like Scotch Pancakes, Sweet Gingerbread Men and Mini Gingerbread with Lemon Glaze.

What kind of oil should I use?

Use a flavourless vegetable oil like sunflower oil, rapeseed (canola) oil or a generic vegetable oil.

I can’t find giant chocolate buttons what else can I use?

Here are some ideas for alternative ideas for decoration of the chocolate cake:

Smaller chocolate buttons
White chocolate buttons
Sugar-coated chocolate beans (Smarties)
Crumbled chocolate flake
Grated block chocolate

How long will the chocolate cake keep?

Keep the cake without buttercream in a sealed container for up to 3 days. If you are layering the un-iced cakes then put a piece of baking parchment between them because they may stick to each other.

Add the buttercream and decoration the day before serving or on the day you plan to eat the cake.

How to make Easy Chocolate Button Cake

Follow the simple step by step guide to see just how easy it is to make this celebration chocolate cake.

Pre-heat the oven and grease and line two 20 cm sandwich tins
Sieve the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and caster sugar into a large bowl.

Put the syrup, beaten eggs, oil and milk into a jug and mix well.
Pour the liquids into the bowl of dry ingredients.

Beat the ingredients together with a wooden spoon or spatula until they are fully combined. Divide equally between the prepared sandwich tins.

Bake until firm to the touch. Leave in the tin to cool for 5 minutes then turn onto a cooling tray. Remove the paper from the bottom of the cake and leave until completely cold.

Make Chocolate Buttercream and decorate the Easy Chocolate Button Cake

Beat the butter until it becomes a lighter colour. Use softened butter for best results.
Mix the cocoa powder with the hot water and mix to a paste.
Add the sieved icing sugar and cocoa paste and beat together with the butter until the mixture is smooth and there are no streaks.

I use my electric hand mixer to make the buttercream, but if you don’t have one then you can still make the buttercream, however, it is even more important to have soft butter for this to be a success.

Place one layer onto a plate or cake stand and use half the buttercream to cover the top of it.
Place the second layer on top and use the remaining buttercream to cover the top of the cake.

Open the packet of giant chocolate buttons onto kitchen paper. Use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe off any crumble of chocolate or scuff marks. They don’t have to be perfect but it does look nicer on the cake.
Start at the outside of the cake and place the Giant Chocolate Buttons around the edge. When one circle has been completed start again until the cake is covered.

How do I serve Easy Chocolate Button Cake?

This is a soft moist cake so serve in generous slices with cake forks. This chocolate cake makes a great birthday cake, simply add a few candles between the chocolate buttons.