A rustic two-layer chocolate birthday cake with uneven pink buttercream frosting, decorated with wobbly green piped text saying "Happee Birthdae Harry," set on a distressed wooden cake stand with scattered butterscotch chips and chocolate crumbs. Soft magical lighting creates a moody atmosphere, with out-of-focus copper mixing bowls in the background.

Hagrid’s “Happee Birthdae Harry” Chocolate Cake: A Magical Birthday Treat

Key Information

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings: 8-10

Difficulty: Moderate

Dietary Tags: Contains dairy, eggs, gluten

Overhead view of a rustic kitchen countertop with two lined cake pans and a bowl of rich chocolate cake batter, surrounded by cocoa powder, flour, and eggs, with a vintage hand mixer and wooden spoons on a flour-dusted marble surface.

Equipment Needed

  • Two 8-inch round cake pans
  • Parchment paper
  • Hand or stand mixer
  • Offset spatula
  • Piping bag with small round tip
  • Cooling racks

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • 1¾ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk or buttermilk
  • ½ cup hot water or coffee
Pink Buttercream:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp butterscotch chips, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Pink gel food coloring
  • Green gel food coloring

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
  5. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the mixture, mixing on low speed. Do not overmix.
  6. Stir in hot water or coffee. Batter will be thin – this is normal.
  7. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 28-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  9. For buttercream, beat butter until pale. Gradually add powdered sugar, melted butterscotch chips, vanilla, and salt.
  10. Tint bulk of frosting pink. Reserve a small amount and color green for lettering.
  11. Apply a thin crumb coat to cooled cake layers. Chill for 15-20 minutes.
  12. Frost cake with pink buttercream, creating a slightly rustic finish.
  13. Pipe “Happee Birthdae Harry” in green icing, deliberately making letters uneven and chunky.

A close-up shot of a two-layer chocolate cake with uneven pink buttercream frosting, featuring wobbly green piped text that reads 'Happee Birthdae Harry'. The cake is softly illuminated, with butterscotch chips and crumbs on the wooden stand, and a wand-like piping bag nearby.

Crucial Tips

  • Use room temperature ingredients for best texture
  • Don’t overmix cake batter – it creates tough cake
  • Chill cake between frosting layers to prevent crumbs
  • Gel food coloring works best for vibrant colors

Storage

  • Room temperature: 1 day
  • Refrigerated: 3-4 days
  • Bring to room temperature before serving

Variations

  • Swap butterscotch for caramel for butterbeer flavor
  • Use sheet pan for easier decorating
  • Make cupcakes instead of layer cake

Pro Notes

  • Hagrid’s cake is intentionally imperfect – embrace the rustic look!
  • The misspelled “Happee Birthdae” is part of the charm
  • For extra magic, add a crack to mimic the “sat-on” cake look

Magical birthday wishes included, free of charge! 🧙‍♂️🎂

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