Chocolate Royale Mini Cakes
Moist cocoa mini cakes filled with whipped cream and topped with glossy dark chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 0.25 tsp salt
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 0.75 cups unsweetened cocoa powder Natural or Dutch-process both work in this recipe.
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cups buttermilk Or stir 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup milk and rest 5 to 10 minutes.
- 0.5 cups unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 0.5 cups boiling water The batter will be thin; that is normal.
Ganache Ingredients
- 1 cups heavy cream (for ganache)
- 8 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped Chop finely so it melts evenly.
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for ganache) Stirred in after the chocolate melts.
Filling Ingredients
- 1 cups heavy cream (for filling) Use cold cream and a chilled bowl.
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (for filling)
Instructions
For the cakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line it with paper liners. You can also use 12 mini cake pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and cocoa powder.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Stir in the boiling water; the batter will be thin.
- Divide the batter among the cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
For the ganache
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer, then pour it over the finely chopped chocolate. Let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir gently until smooth, then stir in the butter until melted and glossy. Let the ganache cool for 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly thickened but still pourable.
For the whipped cream filling
- In a chilled bowl, beat the cold heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
To assemble
- Slice each cooled cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife.
- Spread or pipe whipped cream on the bottom halves and replace the tops.
- Spoon the ganache over each cake, letting it drip down the sides. Garnish with extra whipped cream or chocolate shavings if desired.
Notes
Refrigerate the filled cakes within 2 hours of serving and enjoy within 2 days for the best texture (up to 3 days). To freeze, wrap the unfilled, unsliced cakes tightly for up to 3 months, then thaw and fill fresh. Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an estimate.