Chocolate Mini Cakes Recipe
These cute and tasty Chocolate Mini Cakes are made easy out of a simple sheet cake and delish fudge frosting.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Sheet Cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder Dutch processed
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup avocado oil or canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup hot water
For the Fudge Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted as needed
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tbls milk
- 6 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled
Instructions
To Make the Chocolate Cake
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a ¼ sheet cake pan (9 x 13 inches or similar) with parchment and set aside
- Whisk or sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Using a hand mixer or large bowl and whisk, mix together the sugar and oil until smooth until some of the sugar begins to dissolve, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and the vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture and switch to a rubber spatula to mix to combine. Continue mixing while streaming in the buttermilk. Mix until smooth. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined.
- Slowly stream in the hot water and mix until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
To Make the Fudge Frosting
- Using an electric mixer (hand or stand mixer), cream the butter until soft and smooth.
- Stop the mixer and add in the powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and milk. Mix on low speed until incorporated then increase the speed.
- Mix on medium until soft and silky, yet not runny, adding more milk as needed.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Add in the melted chocolate and mix until combined.
To Assemble the Chocolate Mini Cakes
- Bake, cool, and trim the sheet cake. If it bake ups with a dome on top, feel free to shave it down with a serrated knife so that the top is even.
- Cut round layers of cake with the cookie/biscuit cutter out of the sheet and set aside. Using a 2 to 3-inch round cutter, you should be able to cut out at least 12 rounds per ¼ sheet cake. Score the cake to make sure they all fit before pressing all the way down with the cutter.
- Add sprinkles or decorate as desired.
Notes
The cake is super moist, so they cakes will stay fresh for a couple days. Because the sides are exposed and don't have a protective frosting barrier, I recommend serving the mini cakes the same day that they are assembled.
If making in advance, wrap bundles on mini cakes (without the flowers, if possible) in plastic wrap to keep from drying out.
The sheet can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours before using.