Mini Chocolate Cake Centerpieces Recipes

CHOCOLATE MINI CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Spray 6 (10-ounce) straight sided ramekins with cooking spray. Place ramekins on 15x10x1-inch baking sheet; set aside. Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Pour about 3/4 cup batter into each ramekin.
• Bake 22 to 26 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from ramekins to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth. Add vanilla and milk, 1 to 2 tablespoon at a time, until frosting is piping consistency, adding milk as necessary. Beat in food color.
• Using serrated knife, cut rounded tops off each cake to make a level surface. Place, cut sides down, on serving platter. Cut each cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers per cake. Spread 3 tablespoons frosting on the bottom half of each cake. Place remaining cake halves, bottom sides up, over frosting
• Use pastry bag fitted with a large 2D star tip to pipe remaining frosting around and up sides and on tops of cakes to resemble frills. Top with edible pearls.

MINI CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the cake: Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 6-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with oil then line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together the egg, sugar, oil, sour cream, coffee and vanilla in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake starts to pull away from the sides, 29 to 32 minutes. If you under bake the cake, it will slightly sink, so check it!
• Remove the cake from the pan by carefully running a paring knife along the edge to loosen, then tilting it into one hand and peeling off the parchment from the bottom; place it on a small cake stand.
• For the ganache: Combine the chocolate, cream and corn syrup if using, in a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl fitted over a small saucepan of simmering water. Stir over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave on low in 25-second intervals, stirring between each.)
• Pour the ganache over the cake, and garnish with the pomegranate arils.

MINI CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH DARK-CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Cakes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush mini muffin tins with butter, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water; remove from heat and let cool. Stir together cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl until a smooth, loose paste forms; set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated. Beat in vanilla, cocoa mixture, and melted chocolate. Beat in half of flour mixture, then sour cream. Beat in remaining flour mixture just until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each mini muffin cup. Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cakes cool in tins 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to let cool completely.
• Ganache: Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over high heat. Place chocolate in a small bowl. Pour cream over chocolate, let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Assembly: Pour 1 teaspoon ganache over each cake. Let stand until ganache is set, about 30 minutes. Shave block chocolate with a peeler and place curls on top of cakes.