Chocolate, Cake-Sized Cupcake (Full recipe)

This year I baked my own birthday cake. It was not a sign of resignation or last-minute planning. It was an evolution of a cherished tradition. Birthdays used to be shared with Mum and Grandma. We gathered around the kitchen bench with floury hands and gentle laughter. Mum brought quiet guidance. Grandma added her timeless flair. I stirred in the creative chaos.

Now I find myself baking solo. The rhythm feels different but the heart remains the same. I wanted something joyful and slightly extravagant. So I reached for my mega muffin tin and committed to a cake that would do more than just sit politely on a plate. I wanted drama. I wanted indulgence. I wanted chocolate.

The result was rich and theatrical. Pink frosting crowned a fudgy interior and the shape was utterly whimsical. It did not follow the rules. And that felt just right. This cake was a reflection of every birthday past and a celebration of what it means to honour yourself with flair and fondness.

The Birthday Bake

It looked like a muffin. It behaved like a cake. It tasted like pure chocolate mudcake bliss. I found the mega-size cupcake tin at Aldi and immediately knew this bake would be part playful statement, part chocolate adventure.

The cooking time required some testing. The top baked faster than the bottom, so I adjusted mid-way using foil and cautious patience. I wanted that crisp muffin top and a gooey middle that could hold its own.

Fudgy Chocolate Mudcake Recipe

Makes one mega muffin cake or one standard 20 cm round cake

Ingredients

250 g unsalted butter
200 g dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa)
300 g caster sugar
150 g brown sugar
250 ml water
2 tsp instant coffee granules
125 ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
150 g plain flour
75 g self-raising flour
50 g cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C fan. Grease and line your mega cupcake tin generously.
In a saucepan over low heat melt butter, chocolate, sugars, water and coffee granules. Stir until smooth then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Add vegetable oil and vanilla. Whisk in eggs one at a time.
In a separate bowl sift together flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Fold into the chocolate mixture until fully combined.
Pour into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes. Use foil on top halfway through to prevent browning too quickly.
Cool in tin for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Frost only when completely cool.

Finishing Touches

I chose pink buttercream for the top, tried it a little on the bottom but ended up preferring the contrast between the light pink and the dark chocolate cake bottom. The final cake felt nostalgic yet bold. It was a celebration in texture and tone. A nod to past birthdays and a toast to the present one.