The cutest little Mini Chocolate Cake could only be made better with a rich and creamy Nutella buttercream! This size of cake is perfect for a small dinner party and loaded up with flavor! The rich chocolate cake pairs perfectly with the nutty buttercream. Small cake, but HUGE flavor!
Mini Chocolate Cake Heaven
I am a firm believer that cute factor in a dessert makes that dessert ten times more delicious. Mini things are just cuter, right!?!
This Mini Chocolate Cake is so moist, full of chocolate flavor, and couldn’t be easier to make! You add all the ingredients to one bowl, mix together, and pop it in the oven!
I love how rich and vibrant the chocolate cake is; honestly, I could eat the cake all by itself. The only thing making this cake better is the creamy, nutty, chocolaty Nutella buttercream on top!
The chocolate of the cake only enhances the chocolate flavor in the Nutella creating this rich, luscious chocolate cake that will have you coming back for bite after bite!
I like to top my cake with a few chopped hazelnuts and a few shavings of chocolate! Yum! My mouth is watering just talking about it!
Buttermilk Shortcut
Buttermilk is kind of an odd ingredient. I don’t use it a lot, which means I hardly ever have any on hand. Not to mention that the grocery stores only sell large cartons of it! Buying a big ole’ carton of buttermilk for half a cup?! Yeah, I don’t think so!
That’s why I love this buttermilk hack! It’s one of my favorite baking tricks!
Why do we even need buttermilk in this recipe?
We all know that baking is just a delicious version of science right? Well buttermilk is slightly more acidic which helps activate the leavening agents in the baking soda and baking powder. This creates baked goods that are more moist, softer, and rise a little bit better.
It’s an easy way to create really soft, airy desserts.
But since we just established no one ever has buttermilk in their fridge, let’s talk about this *amazing* baking hack.
Pour the amount of milk needed into a measuring cup. Then take a tablespoon of milk out and replace it with a tablespoon of white vinegar. Stir thoroughly and let sit for a minute or two! You don’t want to let it set for too long! Voila! You have buttermilk using ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen!
It’s my favorite hack that I use all the time!
Ingredient List
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cocoa Powder - I like to use a really good quality cocoa powder here because it helps deepen the chocolate flavor
- Oil
- Eggs
- Buttermilk - Try out my trick for buttermilk! You’ll probably never go back!
- Water warm - Using warm water helps activate the cocoa powder creating a richer chocolate flavor!
- Vanilla Extract
Nutella Buttercream:
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Nutella
- Cocoa Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Heavy Cream
Tips and Tricks
This cake honestly couldn’t be easier to make! One time, I forgot to add the sugar so I had to mix it in while the cake batter was already in the pan, and it *still* turned out delicious!
It’s a really easy cake to make!
One tip I have is to make sure you line the pan with parchment paper. You don’t want to have a delicious cake that won’t come out of the pan!
Another tip is to make sure the cake is completely cooled before you add the buttercream. If your cake is still warm, it could melt the buttercream and turn into a mess!
Don’t stress over this cake, though! It’s so easy to make and a total crowd pleaser!
I could probably eat this entire cake by myself!
Cheers!
-Holly Michelle
Mini Chocolate Cake with Nutella Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder
- ¼ cup Oil
- 2 Eggs
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- ¾ cup Water warm
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Nutella Buttercream:
- 2 sticks Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- ½ cup Nutella
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
Garnish:
- Chopped Hazelnuts
- Chocolate Curls
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Whisk together.
- Crack in eggs and sugar, then add in oil, milk, water, and vanilla extract.
- Mix until everything is just combined!
- Pour into a parchment paper-lined 8x8 inch pan.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool.
Nutella Buttercream:
- To make the buttercream, cream together butter and Nutella.
- Add in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
- Once everything is combined, add in heavy cream and mix for about 5-7 minutes.
- Generously, pile the frosting on top of the cooled cake.
- Top with a few chopped hazelnuts and a some chocolate curls and serve!
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