Harry Potter Birthday Cake

Indulge in pure wizardry with a Harry Potter Birthday Cake as if it came from Hagrid himself. This confectionary masterpiece features layers of moist and decadent sticky chocolate cake covered in a pink buttercream frosting. Topped with the iconic ‘Happee Birthdae Harry’ message, this extraordinary cake will surely transport you to a world of wonder and joy.

Whether you’re celebrating the Boy Who Lived or simply embracing your inner wizard, this treat will leave you spellbound.

Happy Birthday Harry Cake

On Harry Potter’s 11th birthday, Hagrid, the half-giant gamekeeper of Hogwarts, gives him a rough-looking multi-layered birthday cake. The cake is adorned with pink icing and emblazoned with the words “Happee Birthdae Harry” in green letters.

Hagrid, with his heart of gold and limited baking expertise, presents him with a birthday cake that’s anything but conventional. This culinary creation boasts layers of moist, sticky chocolate cake, lovingly baked by Hagrid’s own hands. Its frosting job may appear a tad rough and uneven, but that only adds to its charm. In his endearing manner, Hagrid even confesses, “I mighta sat on it at some point, but it’ll taste all right!”

This is the perfect cake to make for any Harry Potter themed party, Halloween, or if you plan on celebrating Harry’s birthday on July 31st. Serve it with some Pumpkin Juice or Butterbeer for a purely magical event.

Ingredients Needed

If you’ve ever wondered what kind of cake did Harry get from Hagrid, it says in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” Harry receives a large, sticky chocolate cake adorned with “Happy Birthday Harry” written in green icing.

• Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened Cocoa Powder contains pure cocoa solids without added sugar, making it the perfect choice for imparting deep chocolate notes to the cake. This allows you to control the sweetness level separately, ensuring a well-balanced and magical dessert.
• Oil – Oil, such as Vegetable Oil, tends to create a moister cake texture, ensuring that the cake stays soft even after a few days. This is particularly important because J.K. Rowling describes the cake in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” as being a “large and sticky chocolate cake.”
• Buttermilk – Using buttermilk adds a tangy flavor and additional moistness. The acidity in buttermilk helps tenderize the crumb, resulting in a more tender texture. This is especially important when baking dense and rich cakes like a sticky chocolate cake
• Strongly Brewed Coffee – Using strongly brewed coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds a layer of depth and richness to the cake. Moreover, the acidity in coffee can help activate the leavening agents in the cake, contributing to a light and tender texture.
• Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter provides a clean canvas for other flavors to shine, allowing the rich and creamy taste of the frosting to enhance the overall magic of the cake.
• Heavy Cream – Using heavy cream in the cake frosting adds a luxurious and creamy texture to the mixture. Its high fat content contributes to a smooth and velvety consistency, making the frosting easy to spread
• Food Coloring: The Harry Potter Birthday Cake is famous for its pink and green icing, which ironically are similar colors to that of the well-known candy store in Hogsmeade called Honeydukes.

How to Make Harry Potter Birthday Cake

1. Prep. Preheat the oven to 350º F and grease two 8-inch cake pans with butter or shortening and then line them with parchment paper. Grease the top of the parchment paper as well.

2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate medium-sized bowl beat the oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk together until fully combined.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking continuously until no lumps remain.
5. Add the brewed coffee. Mix the strongly brewed coffee into the batter until it’s smooth.
6. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely or follow these steps on How to Cool a Cake.

7. Prepare the frosting. Beat the butter in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated and the frosting is fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and heavy cream.
8. Dye the frosting. Transfer 1 cup of the frosting to a small bowl and add a few drops of the green food coloring. Place the frosting into a piping bag without a tip. Cut a small piece off the bottom of the bag and set aside. Add the pink food coloring to the remaining frosting and mix it until evenly combined.

9. Assemble the cake. Place one layer on a cake stand or plate, securing it with a small drop of frosting underneath to keep it in place. Next, spread a thin layer of the pink vanilla buttercream frosting over the cake layer, ensuring it covers the surface evenly. Carefully position the second cake layer on top. Generously frost the entire cake with the pink frosting, creating a charming and imperfect finish that captures the essence of homemade magic.
10. Pipe Happee Birthdae Harry on top. Using the green frosting in the piping bag write “Happee Birthdae Harry” on top of the cake. Then take a toothpick (or the tip of a sharp knife) and draw a curved line between the “P” and “E” in Happee, and the “H” and “D” in Birthdae. Bring the line down through the “H” and “A” in Harry.

FAQS

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Quickly cool the cake. If you don’t yet have your wand from Ollivanders or have the baking skills of Molly Weasley another option for quickly cooling your cake is to place it into the fridge or freezer before frosting it.
• Use room temperature ingredients. Use room temperature wet ingredients for a more even bake and a moist texture. Take the eggs, buttermilk, and butter out of the fridge ahead of time and allow them to come to room temperature before starting.
• Frost the cake without care. When it’s time to frost this delightful Harry Potter birthday cake from Hagrid, embrace the charming imperfections! Let the frosting job be a bit rough, adding a touch of whimsy. Afterall, Hagrid wasn’t known for his baking, especially when it comes to his “rock cakes.”
• Use a toothpick before piping the words. Use the tip of a toothpick to easily trace the words and curved lines onto the cake before piping the green icing on top.

Storage Information

• Refrigeration: Due to the cream in the frosting, store the assembled cake covered in the fridge for 4-6 days. Refrigeration helps maintain the freshness and quality of the cake.
• Make Ahead and Store: You can make the cake layers ahead of time and store them in the fridge or freezer for later assembly. The frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days or frozen for up to 2-3 weeks.

More Harry Potter Recipes

Pumpkin Pasties

Harry Potter Butterbeer

Polyjuice Potion

Harry Potter Birthday Cake Recipe

Step into a world of pure wizardry with the enchanting Harry Potter Birthday Cake, as if crafted by the beloved Hagrid himself. This magical confectionery masterpiece boasts layers of moist and decadent sticky chocolate cake, generously adorned with a luscious pink buttercream frosting. The iconic 'Happee Birthdae Harry' message crowns this extraordinary creation, inviting you to embark on a journey of wonder and joy. Delight in the wizarding charm and savor every enchanting bite as this cake transports you to the heart of the magical world.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: English

Prep Time: 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 Servings

Calories: 977kcal

Author: Aimee Mars

Equipment

• ▢
  2 8-inch Cake Pans
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Stand Mixer or handheld mixer
• ▢
  Piping Bag

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• ▢ 1¾ cup Sugar
• ▢ 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• ▢ 2 cups Flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 3/4 cup Oil
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 3 large Eggs
• ▢ 1 cup Buttermilk
• ▢ 1/2 cup Strongly Brewed Coffee

Frosting

• ▢ 1½ cups Butter room temperature
• ▢ 6 cups Powdered Sugar sifted
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
• ▢ Pink Food Coloring
• ▢ Green Food Coloring

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 350º F and grease two 8-inch cake pans with butter or shortening and then line them with parchment paper. Grease the top of the parchment paper as well.
• Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate medium-sized bowl beat the oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk together until fully combined.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking continuously until no lumps remain.
• Add the brewed coffee. Mix the strongly brewed coffee into the batter until it's smooth.
• Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely. Once cooled the cakes can be stored in zip-top bags in the fride for later assembly.

Frosting

• Prepare the frosting. Beat the butter in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated and the frosting is fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and heavy cream.
• Dye the frosting. Transfer 1 cup of the frosting to a small bowl and add a few drops of the green food coloring. Place the frosting into a piping bag without a tip. Cut a small piece off the bottom of the bag and set aside.
• Add the pink food coloring to the remaining frosting and mix it until evenly combined.

Assembly

• Place one layer on a cake stand or plate, securing it with a small drop of frosting underneath to keep it in place.
• Spread a thin layer of the pink vanilla buttercream frosting over the cake layer, ensuring it covers the surface evenly. Carefully position the second cake layer on top. Generously frost the entire cake with the pink frosting, creating a charming and imperfect finish.
• Using the green frosting in the piping bag write "Happee Birthdae Harry" on top of the cake. Then take a toothpick (or the tip of a sharp knife) and draw a curved line between the "P" and "E" in Happee, and the "H" and "D" in Birthdae. Bring the line down through the "H" and "A" in Harry.

Notes

• Quickly cool the cake. If you don’t yet have your wand from Ollivanders or have the baking skills of Molly Weasley another option for quickly cooling your cake is to place it into the fridge or freezer before frosting it.
• Use room temperature ingredients. Use room temperature wet ingredients for a more even bake and a moist texture. Take the eggs, buttermilk, and butter out of the fridge ahead of time and allow them to come to room temperature before starting.
• Frost the cake without care. When it’s time to frost this delightful Harry Potter birthday cake from Hagrid, embrace the charming imperfections! Let the frosting job be a bit rough, adding a touch of whimsy. Afterall, Hagrid wasn’t known for his baking, especially when it comes to his “rock cakes.”
• Use a toothpick before piping the words. Use the tip of a toothpick to easily trace the words and curved lines onto the cake before piping the green icing on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 977kcal | Carbohydrates: 132g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 669mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 107g | Vitamin A: 1059IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg

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