Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Full of chocolate flavour
Texture: Soft and fluffy cake with a creamy and thick frosting.
Ease: Pretty easy and totally worth it!
Pros: Tastes amazing and perfect for sharing.
Cons: Too tempting
Would I make this again? Yes, yes and yes.
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Please welcome back my girl Jess from Sweetest Menu as she shares another deligthful recipe, Mini Sour Cream Chocolate Cakes! Be sure to visit her adorable blog today. -Tessa
Hi there dessert-loving friends, it’s Jess from Sweetest Menu. Today we are going knee-deep into the wonderful world of chocolate cake. Growing up chocolate cake was our go-to for birthdays so seeing a big piece of chocolate cake still sparks sweet memories. Plus I am yet to meet somebody who doesn’t like chocolate cake, am I right?
So let’s take a look at these Mini Sour Cream Chocolate Cakes. I cannot tell you how soft and moist these cakes are. They have a truly tender crumb and that’s where the sour cream comes in. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to taste it, but it will aid in producing a ridiculously soft chocolate cake that just about melts-in-your-mouth. Perfection in my chocolate cake books.
Then we add a smothering of creamy chocolate frosting. This frosting is my favourite because it is super smooth but still light and fluffy with a lovely depth of chocolate flavour. Instead of opting for cocoa powder in the buttercream, this recipe calls for melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate. The rich frosting makes for the perfect accompaniment to this cake. Sprinkle a few flakes of chocolate on top and you have one mouth-watering dessert.
So if you are a chocoholic like me or know someone who is, you should give these cakes a whirl. They are perfect for a party (or a party of one, no judgement here). I shared some of these cakes with my family, who gave them the thumbs up, and also froze some. Did you know you can freeze cake? Just pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds or so and it will become soft and warm as if it just emerged from the oven. Gosh I think I might go have one now!
Mini Sour Cream Chocolate Cakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup and 1 tablespoon (250 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) caster sugar
- 3/4 cup (135 grams) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water
- 1 and 3/4 cup (245 grams) plain flour
- 3/4 cup (60 grams) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (240 ml) sour cream, room temperature
Chocolate frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick or 115 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (375 grams) powdered or icing sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 2/3 cup (100 grams) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, pieces
- Extra chocolate shavings, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 360 F (180 C). Prepare a 12-cup mini loose bottom dessert tin with butter (My dessert tin features 2 x 3 inch cups). In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla extract. Then add one egg at a time and continue to beat until mixture is combined and creamy. Boil the kettle and pour out 1/2 cup water and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, sift the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda and lightly whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, along with the hot water and gently fold with a spatula. Add the sour cream and fold until the mixture is combined.
- Carefully spoon the cake mixture into your prepared cake tin – it makes 10 mini cakes. Pop into the oven for 20 minutes or until the cake springs back lightly to the touch. Leave the cakes to cool for about 5 minutes before carefully transferring the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate frosting, place your softened butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Sift in your powdered or icing sugar, add your milk and beat until combined. Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a microwave, stirring in between 20 second bursts, until just melted.
- Next you will want to add in your melted chocolate to the buttercream mixture, ensuring the chocolate is smooth and melted but is not warm at all. Beat until the chocolate is completely mixed through. Use a small spatula to spread the frosting onto the cakes, then sprinkle over a few chocolate shavings.
What baking tin are you using? That isn’t a muffin tin?
This recipe was actually from a contributor, but in the directions, it says to use a 12-cup mini loose bottom dessert tin. I use a loose bottom tin for my mini cheesecakes, click here for a link to the one I recommend.
Hi I would really lilke to try this recipe but want to bake it as one cake, pls could you advise what size bake tin I would need, and how long I should then bake it for.
Thanks
What is the mini loose bottom dessert tin. I love to cook but have never really been fond of baking. I have started a small catering business and, goodness, everyone loves the sweets so I am working to perfect my baking skills. I love the mini desserts and want to be sure to get the proper equiptment to make them.
Makes nearly two dozen cupcakes. Good flavor and texture, but I’m curious about why there is no vanilla or salt in the recipe.
Hi Jess!
I’ve made this recipe many times and absolutely love it! I wanted to make it this time for my sisters birthday as one cake though. What are your suggestions on size of pan and cooking time? I would like to make a cake, possibly 2 layers, no bigger than 8-9 inches. Even a smaller but taller one would look nice too i think. Please let me know!
Much appreciated!
Tara
Can u pls give me a substitute for eggs in this recipe. I’m vegetarian and don’t consume eggs