Mini Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (43g)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (10g)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (2g)
• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted (56g)
• 1 egg white, room temperature (30g)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature (60g)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (2g)
• 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature (113g)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (20g)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (188g)
• 1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk, room temperature (15g)
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Small dessert board or plate
• 3- inch circle cutter
• small offset spatula
• small frosting tip (Ateco 862)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Mini Chocolate Cake: ---

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line one 6" round pan with a parchment round and grease with non-stick baking spray.

3. 3

   Mix together 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp baking powder with a whisk until combined.

4. 4

   Mix 1/4 cup melted and cooled butter and 1 egg white into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. The batter will be thick.

5. 5

   Add 1/4 cup buttermilk and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until combined, and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is properly mixed together.

6. 6

   Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

7. 7

   Allow the pan to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Flip the pan onto a wire rack and the cake layer cool fully.

8. 8

   Use a serrated knife to level the top of the layers, then cut out 4 small rounds of cake using a 2 1/2 inch circle cutter. The leftover bits of cake can be used to make cake pops or cake balls.

9. 9

   --- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: ---

10. 10

    While the cake layer bakes and cools, make the chocolate buttercream frosting.

11. 11

    Beat 1/2 cup butter on a medium high speed for 30 seconds with a whisk attachment or hand mixer until smooth and lighter in color.

12. 12

    Mix in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 cup baking cocoa on a low speed.

13. 13

    Slowly mix in 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed.

14. 14

    Once you've added in all the powdered sugar, add 1 Tbsp heavy cream or milk to make the frosting easier to mix.

15. 15

    Continue to mix on low speed for a couple minutes until the desired consistency is reached.

16. 16

    If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

17. 17

    Place the frosting in a small piping bag and set aside.

18. 18

    --- To Assemble This Mini Chocolate Cake: ---

19. 19

    Stack and frost the mini chocolate cake layers on a small dessert board or plate using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

20. 20

    Add an even layer of chocolate buttercream between the cake layers with a small offset spatula.

21. 21

    Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake, fully cover the cake layers.

22. 22

    Smooth using a bench scraper or acetate sheet then chill the cake in the fridge (10 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

23. 23

    Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake, then decorate as desired! I melted some dark chocolate to add drips around the chilled cake and added some chocolate sprinkles around the base.