Chocolate Cake Shooter

Delicious Chocolate Cake Shooter

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 shot

The chocolate cake shot is a deliciously tempting shooter. Sometimes called a birthday cake shot, this popular drink goes down easily and is one of the best-tasting shooters you can make. It's effortless to mix up and sure to be a hit.

A deceptive recipe, there are no chocolate ingredients in this drink. Instead, the chocolate cake shot is made of vodka and hazelnut liqueur and served with a sugary lemon. It really tastes like a rich and fluffy chocolate cake (in liquid form, of course) and demonstrates the amazing powers of flavor chemistry.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 ounce vanilla (citrus, clear, or vanilla)

  • 3/4 ounce hazelnut liqueur

  • 1 sugar-coated lemon wedge

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chocolate cake shooter ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the vodka and hazelnut liqueur. Fill with ice.

    Ice in a cocktail shaker

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Shake well.

    Cocktail shaker

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Strain into a shot glass.

    Cocktail shaker next to a shot glass

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Serve with a sugar-coated lemon. Drink the shot, then suck on the lemon. Enjoy.

    Chocolate cake shooter in a shot glass with a wedge of lemon

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • For the lemon, fill a small dish with granulated sugar and roll the lemon wedge in it until thoroughly coated.
  • As an alternative, rim the shot glass with sugar, then follow the shot by sucking on the lemon.
  • This shot is most often made with citrus vodka, though vanilla vodka is a favorite as well. Regular vodka makes a good shot when those aren't available.
  • Make multiple shots at once: Increase the ingredients in equal proportions and strain into multiple shot glasses lined up on the counter.

What Is a Hazelnut Liqueur?

Hazelnut liqueurs are sweet, nutty, and used in many cocktails and shots. Produced by several brands, Frangelico is the most common and often preferred in the chocolate cake shot. It is a premium brand and has a price tag to match. If you intend to primarily use it in shots, coffee, and other casual drinks, another brand will do just fine and likely save some money.

Recipe Variations

  • Some drinkers prefer the chocolate cake shot made with 1 ounce of hazelnut liqueur and 1/2 ounce of vodka.
  • Other flavored vodkas, particularly berry vodkas, can create a delicious shot as well.
  • While this shot's alternative name is "birthday cake shot," newer, creamier recipes also go by that name. One yummy drink shakes 1/2 ounce each of cake vodka, ​chocolate liqueur, and cream liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain it into a shot glass. For a fun touch, rim the glass with frosting and sprinkles or colored sugar.

How Strong Are Cake Shots?

Don't let the sweet taste fool you—the chocolate cake shot is pretty potent. On average, its alcohol content falls in the 24 percent ABV (48 proof) range. For perspective, drinking two of these is equivalent to a straight shot of vodka.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
330 Calories
2g Fat
76g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 330
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 16mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 76g 28%
Dietary Fiber 19g 67%
Total Sugars 28g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 356mg 1,781%
Calcium 175mg 13%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 935mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)