Description
Chocolate Mini Cakes are a delightful bite-sized treat perfect for any occasion. These moist and rich cakes combine the deep flavors of cocoa and optional coffee for an extra chocolatey punch, making them a crowd favorite for birthdays, holidays, or casual gatherings. Easy to prepare and versatile, they can be decorated with ganache, frosting, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar to suit your style.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk
- â…“ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot water or hot coffee (optional for richness)
Optional
- Mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for extra richness
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a mini cake pan or line a muffin tin with paper liners to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Beat Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs with granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a soft texture.
- Add Remaining Wet Ingredients: Stir in the buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract into the egg and sugar mixture until well incorporated.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing gently to avoid overworking the batter and ensuring a tender crumb.
- Incorporate Hot Liquid: Pour in the hot water or hot coffee carefully and mix until the batter becomes smooth and slightly thin, enhancing the cake’s moisture and chocolate flavor.
- Fill Pans: Spoon the batter into the prepared mini cake cavities, filling each about ¾ full to allow room for rising during baking.
- Bake: Bake the mini cakes for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating they are fully cooked.
- Cool: Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely to prevent sogginess.
- Decorate and Serve: Finish by decorating with your choice of ganache, frosting, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar to add an elegant touch before serving.
Notes
- These mini cakes freeze well, making them perfect for preparing ahead of time for birthdays, holidays, or gifting.
- You can substitute buttermilk with yogurt or sour cream if needed, which also keeps the cakes moist.
- For a richer chocolate flavor, using coffee instead of water as the hot liquid enhances the taste.
- This recipe can also be used to make about 12 standard-sized cupcakes by adjusting baking time accordingly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cake
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 19g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
