Home Recipes Sweets Mini Chocolate Cakes

Mini Chocolate Cakes

Mini Chocolate Cakes

Scrumptious Italian Buttercream and fresh blackberries add incredible flavor to decadent Mini Chocolate Cakes. Mini Chocolate Cakes pictured with Spiced Stamped Cookies. 

Mini Chocolate Cakes
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup whole buttermilk
  • ½ cup hot coffee
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Italian Buttercream (recipe follows)
  • 12 fresh blackberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray sides of pan with baking spray with flour.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, hot coffee, oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Fold buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until fully combined. Pour batter onto prepared baking sheet.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut 24 circles from cooled cake.
  6. Place Italian Buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip (Wilton #4B). Pipe Italian Buttercream onto 12 cake circles. Top each with a remaining cake circle. Pipe remaining Italian Buttercream on top of cake circles. Top each cake with a blackberry.
Notes
MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Cakes can be prepared and assembled several hours in advance, stored in an airtight container, and refrigerated. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Italian Buttercream
Serves: approximately 3 cups
 
Ingredients
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, bring sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil together over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until mixture registers 238° on a candy thermometer.
  2. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer on medium speed, add hot sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream until combined. Increase mixer speed to high, and beat until bowl cools to room temperature, 5 to 6 minutes.
  3. With mixer on medium speed, add butter, a few tablespoons at a time, beating until combined. Add vanilla bean paste, and increase mixer speed to high; beat until well combined. Use immediately.

 

Discover more seasonal recipes, table settings, and teatime inspiration by ordering your TeaTime subscription today!