Mini Chocolate Cakes made in a muffin tin! It’s so easy to bake up these mini cakes for any occasion. Plenty of chocolate chips, plus coffee in the batter makes for a rich chocolate flavor!
mini cakes
How festive do these mini-cakes look, all dressed up for the holidays? Powdered sugar is a must with rich chocolate desserts. And these cakes are rich. So decadent they had to come in a mini size.
They would make quite the statement served individually on fancy plates at holiday dinner party. Or more casually, with a cup of coffee and your favorite Christmas album playing in the background. Doesn’t that sound nice? Let’s make time for that.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS MINI CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE:
for cake:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ½ packet, instant coffee, mixed with ½ cup of hot water
- 1/44 cup vegetable oil
for frosting:
- 6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips, finely chopped
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ stick butter
for topping:
- 6 oz chocolate chips
- 6 oz chocolate chunks
HOW TO MAKE MINI CAKES:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Spray one muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, coffee, and oil.
- Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
- Scoop batter by the tablespoon into the muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes; remove cakes from muffin tin to wire racks.
- Cool completely, then cut off tops. (serrated knife works best)
- Flip the mini cakes upside down (cut side down) , and they are ready to frost.
- To prepare the frosting, place chopped chocolate in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.
- Place whipping cream and butter in saucepan and cook over medium heat to just a boil.
- Pour cream mixture over chocolate; whisk vigorously until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
- Remove from fridge and stir; refrigerate about 1 more hour or until spreading consistency.
- Spread about a ¼ cup of frosting onto each mini cake.
- Pour chocolate chunks and chips into a medium-sized bowl.
- Roll each cake top into the bowl of chocolate pieces, covering evenly.
- Top with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve!
*note – to save time, you can also use a chocolate cake mix, just choose a rich flavor, like “chocolate fudge”. You can also use canned frosting. It’s all up to you!
For absolute chocolate overload, I used cocoa powder, chocolate chunks, and chocolate frosting… but you know what really makes it more rich than your average chocolate cake?
Coffee.
That’s right, coffee. A cup of instant coffee, to be exact.
I simply added some instant coffee to my classic chocolate cake batter and upped the chocolate flavor all the way into 2016.
Ok, maybe that’s a bit dramatic. But I’m letting you in on a big secret to chocolate desserts- add coffee! It doesn’t make your cake taste like coffee, I promise. It just adds a richness that your guests will notice. Who knew you could change up basic chocolate cake with just a simple trick like that?
I also love the idea of making mini-cakes as a fun way to serve cake. Looks special, feels special. Everyone loves a dessert made just for them. Simply pour the cake batter into a muffin tin, and lop off the tops.
Flip them over and frost. I then rolled the tops in plenty of chocolate.
handy tools to use when making these mini chocolate cakes:
- muffin tin – THEE best nonstick
- glass nesting bowls – microwave safe, 10 sizes
A little powdered sugar finishes it off. Just try not to smile when you dig in. So. Good. Holiday celebrations call for over-the-top desserts, and this is one. Better stock up on chocolate chips, it’s going to be a sweet holiday.
frequently asked questions
How long do you bake a 4 inch cake?
A 4 inch cake will take about 25-30 minutes. This 4 inch chocolate cake recipe at What the Fork is amazing, and is perfect for a small family celebration or to gift to a friend!
Can you bake a mini cake in a ramekin?
Yes! There are many “cake for 2” recipes that specifically call for ramekins. Plus, you can just take your regular cake recipes and bake them in ramekins.
Mini Chocolate Cakes
Mini Chocolate Cakes made in a muffin tin! Plenty of chocolate chips, plus coffee in the batter makes for a rich chocolate flavor.
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ½ packet, instant coffee, mixed with ½ cup of hot water
- 1/44 cup vegetable oil
For Frosting:
- 6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips, finely chopped
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ stick butter
For Topping:
- 6 oz chocolate chips
- 6 oz chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Spray one muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, coffee, and oil.
- Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
- Scoop batter by the tablespoon into the muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes; remove cakes from muffin tin to wire racks.
- Cool completely, then cut off tops. (serrated knife works best)
- Flip the mini cakes upside down (cut side down) , and they are ready to frost.
- To prepare the frosting, place chopped chocolate in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.
- Place whipping cream and butter in saucepan and cook over medium heat to just a boil.
- Pour cream mixture over chocolate; whisk vigorously until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
- Remove from fridge and stir; refrigerate about 1 more hour or until spreading consistency.
- Spread about a ¼ cup of frosting onto each mini cake.
- Pour chocolate chunks and chips into a medium-sized bowl.
- Roll each cake top into the bowl of chocolate pieces, covering evenly.
- Top with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve!
Notes
***to save time, you can also use a chocolate cake mix, just choose a rich flavor, like "chocolate fudge". You can also use canned frosting. It's all up to you!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 410Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 273mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 3gSugar: 40gProtein: 5g
Danielle says
These look amazing. Decadent but something I could make. They would be perfect for my morning coffee or at my next play date for the moms in my group. #client
Alison says
So good with coffee, Danielle. Enjoy!
Joy says
These look wonderful, but I must be missing something. Do you only use the tops? What about the bottoms of the cupcakes?
Alison says
You only use the bottoms. Cut off the very top (discard or eat), flip the bottom of the cupcake over, and frost.
Lori Fox says
These look yummy! The cupcakes use my favorite chocolate cake recipe, from the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa can with just a couple very tiny leavening tweaks and hot versus boiling water. I can see you love it too, it is the best cake recipe, super moist and chocolaty!
Oh man, it looks soooo mouthwatering, really wish I could try it says
100%
VideoPortal says
Yum! Is there anything as rich, dark and decadent as chocolate cake? We don’t think so. This is one holiday we could celebrate every day.