Description

These Chocolate Mini Cakes are rich, moist, and perfectly sized for individual servings. Made with Dutch processed cocoa and finished with a luscious chocolate fudge frosting, they deliver a decadent chocolate experience that’s great for parties or dessert cravings. The recipe involves baking the mini cakes and then preparing a creamy frosting to top them off, creating delightful mini layer cakes or simple frosted treats.

Ingredients

Scale

For the chocolate cakes:

195 grams plain flour
55 grams Dutch processed cocoa powder
1.75 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
170 grams melted unsalted butter
150 grams white granulated sugar
150 grams packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (approximately 240 ml)

For the chocolate fudge frosting:

180 grams dark chocolate
115 grams unsalted butter
80 milliliters whole milk
55 grams Dutch processed cocoa powder
Pinch of fine sea salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
325 grams icing sugar

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Instructions

Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a mini cheesecake pan to ensure the cakes do not stick.
Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, Dutch cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt evenly for the cake base.
Combine wet ingredients and sugars: In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted unsalted butter, white granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time to the wet mixture, followed by the vanilla extract for flavor.
Incorporate dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overmixing.
Fill pan: Pour the batter into the greased mini cheesecake pan, filling each cavity about two-thirds full.
Bake the cakes: Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
Make chocolate fudge frosting: In a saucepan, melt together dark chocolate, butter, whole milk, cocoa powder, and a pinch of fine sea salt over low heat until smooth and combined.
Cool frosting mixture: Pour the melted chocolate mixture into a bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes to begin thickening.
Beat in icing sugar: Add the icing sugar to the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until fully combined and smooth.
Set frosting: Let the frosting cool and set at room temperature for 45-60 minutes until it reaches a stiff consistency suitable for piping.
Prepare cakes for frosting: Slice off the domes of the cooled cakes or slice them in half to create mini layer cakes.
Frost and assemble: Spread or pipe the chocolate fudge frosting onto the cakes as desired, then serve or chill until ready to enjoy.

Notes

Make sure not to overmix the batter once dry and wet ingredients are combined for tender cake texture.
Cooling the cakes completely before frosting helps prevent the frosting from melting or sliding off.
The frosting requires time to set properly for piping; do not rush this step.
If buttermilk is unavailable, substitute with milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes.
Use high-quality Dutch processed cocoa and dark chocolate for the richest flavor.
Store frosted cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer shelf life.