Mini Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the insides of an 8-cup mini loaf baking pan.
• Put the butter, cocoa, coffee and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until the butter melts, about 3 minutes. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the sour cream, vanilla and eggs until blended in a small bowl. Whisk the hot cocoa mixture into the flour mixture and then stir in the sour cream mixture until just combined. Divide the batter equally among the loaf cups.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the loaves in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack. Dust the tops of the loaves with confectioners? sugar.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat together 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until pale.
• Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.
• Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them.
• Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.
• On a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with chocolate shards, if you like.
• To make chocolate shards: melt 50g dark chocolate and pour it onto a tray lined with baking parchment or foil.
• Now melt 25g milk chocolate and 25g white chocolate and drizzle them over the dark chocolate before it sets.
• Shake the tray gently to level the mixture then leave to set somewhere cool. Chop into shards.