No matter what your age, birthday celebrations call for truly spectacular bakes. Try our top eight tempting birthday cake recipes for adults, from tasty chocolate and frozen birthday cake creations to boozy bakes.
Check out our collections of birthday cakes and party food recipes for more inspiration. Looking for the ultimate personalised gift? Put together a customised My BBC Good Food cookbook filled with your loved one’s favourite recipes, or why not treat them to one of our online cookery courses? Try a twist on the classic Victoria sponge with this cocoa-rich creation. The sponge cake is super easy to make and we’ve sandwiched it with whipped double cream, budget-friendly frozen raspberries and raspberry jam for extra flavour. We’ve added fizz to the sponge cake and buttercream in this clever recipe.
If you can find them, pile on prosecco-flavoured sweets, popcorn and lollies for good measure. Simple to make, yet showstoppingly beautiful, this bake makes the most of basic ingredients and is a great way to use up any caramel sauce or dulce de leche you have lurking in the cupboard. We love a traybake, and this one is packed with plenty of zesty flavour. Coarsely grated courgettes and ground up pistachios make it beautifully moist, yet light in texture.
Drizzle over lemony icing and lemon curd for a fuss-free decorative touch. You’d never guess that this intense, chocolatey sponge cake sandwiched with an indulgent frosting doesn’t contain dairy or eggs. Baking for the gin lover in your life? What better way to celebrate than with this incredible cake.
Believe it or not, we’ve infused the actual cake batter with gin, tonic water and crushed juniper berries for a uniquely grown-up flavour. Decorate with cucumber ribbons, lime wedges and lemon sherbets and get set to impress. This gluten-free cake is a cross between a Victoria sponge and a lemon drizzle, boasting a lovely light texture and a gorgeous whipped cream filling. Fresh raspberries add a beautiful pop of colour. Coffee, chocolate and hazelnut work in blissful harmony in this indulgent birthday bake, filled with a rich espresso buttercream and topped with a silky dark chocolate ganache. Finish with a simple scattering of toasted, chopped hazelnuts and get ready to light those candles. Dust off that bundt tin and roll up your sleeves to create this beautiful bake, worthy of any birthday.
It’s the ideal recipe to use up overripe bananas, finished with an irresistible silky smooth peanut and caramel topping. This classic flavour combination is difficult to beat, and we’ve made this recipe even more special by sandwiching with a thick, creamy mascarpone frosting. Just add candles and get ready to sing! This website is published by Immediate Media Company Limited under licence from BBC Studios Distribution. Looking for the best birthday cake to bake? Try our birthday cake recipes, suited to everyone from cocktail lovers to chocaholics to big kids!
There’s also an easy children’s birthday cake recipe that you can decorate how you like, so you’re guaranteed an individual birthday celebration cake. Best ever birthday cake recipes Kid’s chocolate birthday cake This birthday traybake works brilliantly as a base for any children’s birthday cake. We’ve added a chocolate frosting here, but you could it personalise it any way you like with icing and toppings. Red velvet birthday cake Give your chocolate cake a red tinge in this classic American cake recipe, covered in silky-smooth cheese frosting for extra indulgence.
Chocolate birthday cake One of our most popular recipes, and so very reliable. Plus it’s ready in an hour. Or you could try chocolate drips instead. We’re seeing stark white cakes topped liberally with chocolate, that pours down the sides of the cake in pretty patterns.
Great for a chocoholic friend, and much easier to do than piping frosting. Birthday cheesecake Who said your birthday cake had to be made of sponge? We’ve taken inspiration from freakshakes to create our OTT freakshake cheesecake. Boozy birthday cake Cocktail cakes are great for friends who enjoy a tipple. Devil’s food cake Edd Kimber shares his expert tips for creating a deep, dark chocolate cake. Naked icing birthday cake Birthday party guests will love this tropical twist on a retro dessert. We’ve taken a popular banana cake and given it a banoffee pie make-over.