Want to bake outrageous Whittakers B’day Cakes? Here’s five mouth-watering recipes

Among the many cherished traditions that accompany your special day, one stands out in particular – the birthday cake. It's not just a dessert; it's a symbol of joy, love, and personal expression. 

We have embarked on a delightful quest to curate a list of our dream birthday cakes with something to captivate every palate. Lucky for us all, Whittakers have collaborated with some of New Zealand's most talented bakers to give us ‘Whittakers Five Ultimate Birthday Cakes’ perfect for your next celebratory occasion.  

Each recipe below profiles one of Whittakers' divine blocks of chocolate, bringing a cake to make your next birthday sweeter than ever.

Eden Vegan’s Banana Chocolate Chip Cake (created by Tess Eden @eden.vegan)

Banana Choc Chip Birthday Cake, made with @whittakers 62% cocoa from their vegan friendly range 

Save this to bake for your next birthday celebration!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegan butter

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup oat milk

2 cups white flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 block 62% cacao chocolate, chopped 

1/4 cup walnuts, crushed 

Buttercream icing, whip together:

2/3 cup vegan butter

2 cups icing sugar 

1 Tbsp hot water

1 tsp of vanilla essence

Topping:

Sliced banana

Chocolate shavings

Walnuts 

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180-degree fan-bake and grease two cake tins with vegan butter.
2. In a large mixing bowl add mashed bananas. Mix with olive oil and oat milk until combined.
3. Sift in all dry ingredients and fold together.
4. Add in chopped chocolate, and crushed walnuts. Fold to combine. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes until cooked and leave to cool on wire rack. 
6. Ice with buttercream icing, and decorate with fresh sliced banana, chocolate and walnuts. 

Whanaukai’s Peanut Butter Poke Cake (Created by Naomi Toilalo @whanaukai)

E te iwi - here is a birthday cake idea. A fluffy vanilla slab cake that can feed all the whānau. Once cooked, holes are poked deep in to the cake and then filled in with peanut butter ganache. A simple buttercream finishes it off and then it’s time to light the candles! Makes around 28 pieces.

KEKE WANIRA - VANILLA CAKE

1 1/4 C miraka (milk)

1 1/2 Tbsp winika, wai rēmana rānei (vinegar or lemon juice)

175g pata kūteretere (softened butter)

1/3 C pata pīnata māeneene (smooth peanut butter)

1 C huka hāura (brown sugar)

1/2 C puehu huka (icing sugar

1 tsp tote (salt)

1 Tbsp wanira (vanilla)

2 hēki (eggs, size 7)

2 1/4 C puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)

1 1/2 tsp pēkana paura (baking powder)

1 tsp pēkana houra (baking soda)

1. Combine miraka and winika or wai rēmana in a jug. Leave to turn in to buttermilk.
2. Add pata kūteretere, pata pīnati, huka hāura, puehu huka, tote and wanira to a large bowl. Tāwhiuwhiua mō te 5 mīniti - whip it for 5 minutes.
3. Add a hēki at a time, whipping for 20 seconds after each egg.
4. Sift in half of the puehu parāoa and pour in half of the milk mix. Fold gently.
5. Sift in the remaining puehu parāoa, pēkana paura, pēkana houra and the rest of the milk mix. Fold until smooth.
6. Pour it in to a 20 x 30cm tin with 5cm high sides, lined with baking paper.
7. Bake for 40 minutes in a 140 degree oven.

TE TIAKARETE PATA PĪNATI - PB CHOCOLATE

250g tiakarete pata pīnati (peanut butter chocolate)

2/3 C kirīmi (cream)

1/3 C pata pīnati

1. Gently melt the tiakarete and kirīmi over a double boiler.
2. Once the cake is cooked, poke deep holes in to the cake. Pour over the ganache and the pata pīnati and smear in to all the holes. Leave to cool.

TE PANI REKA - THE ICING

100g tiakarete tote (sea salt chocolate, 62% with saffron)

125g pata kūteretere (softened butter)

1/2 C puehu huka (icing sugar)

1 tsp wanira (vanilla)

1. Gently melt the tiakarete tote in the microwave and cool for 5 minutes.
2. Whip the pata kūteretere, puehu huka and wanira together. Slowly add the cooled tiakarete. Spread over the cake. Sprinkle with dry roasted peanuts!

Abbey’s Dark Chocolate Lamington Mudcake (created by Abbey Macfie @abbeymacfie)

Servings Makes one 6” triple layer cake or one 8” double layer cake

Difficulty 3

Prep time 15 minutes plus 1 hour for decorating

Cook time 25 minutes

Whittaker’s chocolate used 50% Dark Chocolate

Ingredients

Cake

260g Butter

300g Whittakers 50% Dark Chocolate

300g (1 1⁄2 cups) Caster sugar

250g (1 1⁄2 cups) Plain flour

150g (1 1⁄4 cups) Ground almonds

75g (1⁄2 cup) Cocoa

2 tsp Baking powder

300g (1 1⁄4 cups) Plain yoghurt

4 Eggs

150ml (3⁄4 cups) Strong coffee

Chocolate Coating

250g Whittakers 50% Dark Chocolate

125ml (1⁄2 cup) cream

50g butter

100g (1⁄2 cup) Icing sugar

200g (2 cups) Desiccated coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting

150g Softened butter

350g (2 1⁄2 cups) Icing sugar

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Milk

180g Cream cheese at room temperature

To Decorate

3⁄4 cups Berry jam of choice

Fresh fruit, chocolate and edible flowers to garnish

Method

1. Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 180 fan bake. Grease and line your cake tins.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pot until smooth. Place the flour, ground almonds, caster sugar, cocoa and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and chocolate and mix well. Beat the yoghurt and eggs briefly together in a bowl and mix this into the cake batter, then add the coffee and mix well until smooth. Pour evenly into your cake tins and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the cakes are cooked. Set aside to cool completely.
3. Make the chocolate coating by combining the chocolate, butter and cream in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Melt everything together until smooth. Remove from the heat and sift in the icing sugar. 
4. To coat the cakes, trim the tops of the cakes so that they are flat without a dome and the same height. Line two trays with baking paper and sprinkle one with some coconut so the cakes have a little bed to sit on. Place remaining coconut on a large plate. Coat each cake evenly with the chocolate mixture then place them on the tray with no coconut. Leave to set for a few minutes until the chocolate is starting to set (do not leave them too long or the coconut will not stick). 
5. One at a time, add the chocolate-coated cakes to the plate with the coconut and press the coconut all over the cakes to coat each side. Once coated, place on the tray that has been sprinkled with coconut. Place in the fridge while you make the cream cheese frosting. 
6. Beat the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk until very light and pale - at least 10 minutes. Add the room temperature cream cheese (if it is too cold it will split the frosting) and beat another minute or until smooth.
7. To assemble, place one cake on your plate or cake board. Spread or pipe some frosting evenly over the top of the cake, then spread some of the jam over the top, letting some go slightly over the edge so you can see it peeking out. Top with another cake and repeat the process. Pipe some dollops of frosting on the top of the last cake and decorate with your fresh fruit, chocolate and edible flowers.

Kitchen of Treat’s Raspberry Chocolate Cake (created by Liv Wynne-Lewis @kitchenoftreats)

Raspberry Chocolate Cake 

Prep time: 30 minutes 

Cook time: 30 minutes 

Serves: 12-15

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 Cups Plain white flour
• 2 Cups Caster sugar’
• 1 Cup Cocoa powder
• 2 ½ tsp Baking soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2/3 Cup Neutral oil (such as olive or canola)
• 2 Tbsp Vinegar (balsamic or white)
• 3 tsp Vanilla
• 3 Cups Coffee, cooled

Raspberry Coulis

• 350g Frozen Raspberries
• ½ cup Castor Sugar

Chocolate Coconut Ganache Icing

• 350g Whittaker’s 50% Dark Chocolate  
• 320ml Coconut Cream

Garnish (optional): 

• Freeze-dried Raspberries 
• Fresh (non-toxic) flowers 
• Chopped pistachio 

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 160°C fan bake, and line two (20cm x 30cm) rectangular cake tins with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and mix together.
3. Add the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and cooled coffee to the bowl. Using a whisk, gently stir until just combined (do not overmix). 
4. Divide the mixture into the two cake tins and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
5. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Raspberry Coulis: 

1. Whilst the cake cooks, make the raspberry coulis. Combine sugar and raspberries in a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Stir to combine.
2. Cook in the microwave on high power for two minutes. Stir for 5-10 seconds to ensure that the sugar crystals are dissolved.
3. Set aside to cool 

Chocolate Coconut Ganache. 

1. Gently melt Whittaker’s 50% Dark chocolate and coconut cream together in a metal bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir constantly to form a smooth icing. 
2. Allow to cool until thick enough to spread. 

To assemble:

Place first cake on a serving plate and ice with half of the icing (we piped the outer perimeter to ensure a clean finish and ensure the raspberry doesn’t spill out.) 

Fill with cooled raspberry coulis (any surplus can be served alongside the cake), then place the second cake on top and ice with the remaining chocolate ganache. 

Before serving, top with freeze dried raspberries, fresh flowers and pistachio. 

NOTES

• Serve with any leftover raspberry coulis and yoghurt for a fresh touch.
• Store cake in an airtight container.

The Hungry Cook NZ’s Chocolate Espresso Mascarpone Cake (created by Olivia Galletly, @thehungrycooknz)

Whittaker’s Chocolate Espresso Mascarpone Cake

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45-55 minutes

Serves 10-12

Chocolate Cake

180g plain flour

275g caster sugar

50g cocoa powder

8g baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

190ml milk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

60ml boiling water

190ml neutral oil

2 size 7 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Chocolate Mascarpone Icing

150g Whittaker’s 50% cocoa solids chocolate

300g mascarpone

Espresso Mascarpone Icing

300g mascarpone

1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted

4 teaspoons instant coffee granules

4 teaspoons boiling water 

1 tablespoon cocoa powder, sifted

Method

Chocolate Cake

1. Heat the oven to 180ºC and line and grease a 20cm springform cake tin. 
2. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. 
3. Pour the milk into a jug and add the lemon juice, set aside for 10 minutes. This will create buttermilk.  
4. In a small bowl, mix together the instant coffee and boiling water. Set aside to allow the granules to dissolve. 
5. Add the oil, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and coffee to the dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. 
6. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. 
7. Carefully tip the cake out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely. 
8. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally. 
   

Chocolate Mascarpone Icing

1. Break the chocolate up into small pieces and melt in the microwave or over a bowl of simmering water. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes before adding the mascarpone. Using an electric beater, beat the mascarpone into the chocolate until smooth. 
2. Spoon the icing onto one of the cake layers and spread out evenly. Top with the second layer of cake and smooth out the edges with a palate or butter knife. 
   

Espresso Mascarpone Icing 

1. Dissolve the coffee granules in a small bowl with boiling water. 
2. In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone, icing sugar and coffee until smooth. Spoon onto the top of the cake and smear out evenly. 
3. Dust with cocoa powder to finish.