If you’re after a simple cake recipe to make for birthdays, this birthday loaf cake is for you! It’s so easy to put together and bake, and straightforward to decorate too. But it tastes beautiful enough for anyone to enjoy on their birthday!
I love to make loaf cakes for birthdays because they never go wrong. They’re also easy to transport – perfect if you’re travelling to see the recipient.
This particular loaf cake is perfect because it’s moist and delicious. I’ve had so many birthday cakes that look spectacular but taste like sweet cardboard – this one is full of rich white chocolate flavour.
If you want a birthday cake recipe that’s straightforward enough for young children to help you with it, this is the recipe for you!

White Chocolate Birthday Loaf Cake – The Ingredients
- Butter – although you can use salted butter, unsalted butter is best for this. Salted butter brings out the sweetness in the cake, and could make it too sweet.
- Caster sugar – caster sugar has the perfect consistency to make a light cake. You could use granulated sugar instead, but it will be grainier.
- Eggs – you’ll need 3 medium eggs.
- Self-raising flour – self-raising flour is best for this recipe to make sure you get the most even rise. If you don’t have any, use 225g plain flour and 10g baking powder, but be aware that your rise might not be as even.
- White chocolate chips – I use 100g white chocolate chips. You can chip your own chocolate, just use 100g white chocolate and cut into evenly sized small chunks.
- Red food colouring – completely optional, but I love the fun, slightly pink colour that this gives the cake.
- Icing sugar – the icing is simply made with icing sugar and enough water to make a thick paste.
- Hundreds and thousands – fun coloured hundreds and thousands are what makes this cake look so fun with minimal effort. You can get ones like these from most large supermarkets.

Top Tips
- Loaf cakes can take 45 minutes- 1 hour to cook, depending on your oven. The best way to ensure it’s cooked through is to prick a skewer into the centre at the 45 minute mark. If it comes out clean, it’s cooked. If it comes out with batter clinging to it, give the cake 10 more minutes before testing again.
- Getting the right icing consistency is easy. Just add your water slowly until it reaches a thick texture – like mayonnaise. If it gets too runny, just add more icing sugar and it will thicken.
- You can switch the white chocolate chips for any other kind of chocolate, if you like. It’ll work just as well!
On the look out for more loaf cake recipes? I think you’ll love these:
- Apple Loaf Cake
- Blackberry Loaf Cake
- Savoury Olive and Halloumi Loaf Cake
- Lime and Ginger Cake
- Sultana Cake with Lemon
- Traditional Welsh Bara Brith
- Summer Fruit Cake
- Coconut and Mango Loaf Cake
- Hidden Crème Egg Loaf Cake
Get the cook books:

White Chocolate Birthday Loaf Cake

Ingredients
- 140 grams unsalted butter softened
- 140 grams caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 225 grams self-raising flour
- 100 grams white chocolate chips
- 3 drops red food colouring
- 50 grams icing sugar
- 30 grams rainbow coloured hundreds and thousands
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Prepare a 2 lb loaf tin by lining with a loaf tin liner.
- Put the butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.
- Crack the eggs in one at a time, beating after each one to fully combine.
- Add the flour. Fold in gently. Add the chocolate chips and food colouring and continue to fold until well mixed.
- Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin. Smooth the top gently then transfer to the oven for 45 minutes – 1 hour. To check when the cake is done, insert a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, it is cooked. If it is coated in batter, cook for 10 more minutes then try again.
- When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- Mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tablespoons of water. Stir to create a thick paste. If it is too loose, add more icing sugar.
- Spread the icing over the top of the cake. Sprinkle over the hundreds and thousands. Allow the icing to set before slicing and serving.
Video
Nutrition

Happy birthday to you! This fun and pretty birthday loaf cake is easy to make and delicious too!