WWHRD?

Stereotypes aside, a bottle of cognac and chocolate cake is pretty good as far as office birthdays go.

Yup.
If someone got you a bottle of liquor you probably have drank with them or spoken about it... it's not difficult to assume someone said oh he likes this lets get it for him. Further this is a pretty common brand and has a good chance of getting picked in general.
The speed at which people assume the worst and get offended recently needs to get dialed back... a lot. If I wanted to slight a dude I wouldn't spend money to do it.
- Your entire argument depends on the fact that this dude Hennessy with his co-workers or talked about.
  A fact which (as far as I can tell) you just made up.
I must be outta the loop. What does liquor and cake have to do with stereotypes in this context?

I worked at a design Co once where they gave everyone a bottle of patron for a gift. I didn't want that crap, it's no don Julio, so I look at it and say "I can't take this, I'm sober" just to be an ass but they took it like I was in recovery, started to apologize profusely. A few minutes later they came back with a check for $200, a much better gift. I never drank at work functions anyways.

And your name “Blackout” haha. You’re committed to the bit!
- Haha, yes ... "bit".
$200 vs. A shitty bottle of over priced tequila that's $60.. You came out way on top in that exchange
- Its the added guilt of thinking you gifted alcohol to a recovering alcoholic. Also legal issues, if its the US I assume one could sue for some bullshit.

Is there a stereotype that I'm unfamiliar with?

Ya, Hennessey is associated with African Americans
- Knowing nothing about Hennessy, should I ask why?
- It's also associated with literally everyone else who drinks. This is a weird one.

Chocolate isn't racist. They picked it to match the color scheme.
My cake was strawberry.
- You a redhead? That’s hairist and you needn’t tolerate that!

Nah this is clearly with an A. A bottle of henny on the cake is a bro move.

My nigga, Fizz, gets it
- And this comes from a CertifiedBlackGuy!

HR is there to help the company; not the individual.

Can someone explain this to me?

Is he saying it's racist?

That’s the implication here, yes.
Hopefully it was just a joke though.
- Oh, I thought they were being accused of alcoholism.

I am sure this comment section filled with sheltered white tech nerds won't be embarrassing.

Happy Cake Day!

If you put the cake on top of the bottle it just breaks the cake apart.
If the bottle is in the cake then you can't read Hennessy.
It's an hyper realistic cake.

My job just gave me the equivalent of $5 on their stupid company store thing for my birthday.

It's really easy. Do they provide this for all their workers? Is this particular worker being treated to this particular gift when no one else did?

If this was specifically provided for this worker without input from them, then it's a problem.

If everyone in the office gets a chocolate cake with Hennessy, then it's fine.

If the worker selected this treat for themselves, then it's fine.

Maybe they go out as a group occasionally and he always orders one. It's most likely a thoughtful gesture but we don't have enough info.
- Most likely it isn't that scenario, because if it were it wouldn't bother the dude.
  You're inventing a scenario in which a black man is creating problems by acting upset over a thoughtful gesture. You're making assumptions based on nothing that white people were being kind and considerate while the black person as just being an asshole about it.
  That's not cool bro.
As a white dude, can I get Grand Marnier on my cake? ;)
- What cake is supposed to go with the cheapest tequila?

I had a friend (black) who got a fruit basket with majority bananas from her employer. She was really happy about it, so I didn't say anything, but it gave me pause 😂

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They did something nice for you, and instead of being appreciative, you have a victim mentality of being a victim of not just racism, but the strongest kind? Because they made you a chocolate cake? Yeah, I think that's a you problem.

We have no context here but I didn't read the caption as being 100% sincere. You don't read a little hyperbole in it?
- 100% they are taking the piss.
issa joke