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
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray sides of pan with baking spray with flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- 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.
- 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.
- Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut 24 circles from cooled cake.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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