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Home » Recipes » Dessert » Cakes

Mini Chocolate Cake

By Trang Doan - Mar 20, 2020 (updated Mar 30, 2020) - This post may contain affiliate links.

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Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting is my ultimate guilty pleasure. But you shouldn’t feel too guilty because this 6-inch mini chocolate cake is just the perfect size to satisfy your sweet tooth without being overly indulgent.

A slice of mini chocolate cake being lifted

I’m currently in the cake season of my baking life. There was a time when I was all about shortbread cookies, and of course cupcakes. That’s not to say I’m no longer into those things, I’m just slightly more obsessed with this Mini Chocolate Cake right now, and rightfully so!

This cute little 6-inch chocolate cake recipe yields exceptionally moist crumbs. Obviously, the chocolate frosting helps make it doubly extra chocolaty. You won’t be able to stop at one bite, that I promise!

How to make Mini Chocolate Cake from scratch

The easy chocolate cake batter

Making the chocolate cake batter is as simple as 1 – 2 – 3 – 4. The batter is baked in two 6” cake pans, and assembled into a small two-layer cake.

Making chocolate cake batter

Making chocolate cake batter (Photos 1 – 4)

  1. Add all the liquid ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat to combine.
  2. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the liquid mixture.
  3. Mix until a smooth batter forms.
  4. Divide batter into two 6” cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached.

Don’t remove the cake right away while it is still hot. Allow the cake to cool in the pan until you can easily handle the pans. Then flip the pan over to remove the cake.

How to make chocolate cake moist?

Using oil can enhance the moistness of your cake. This chocolate cake is made with both butter and oil for both the amazing buttery taste from the butter and moist crumbs from the oil.

What type of cocoa powder to use for the best chocolate cake?

I’ve made this cake with natural cocoa powder, dutch-processed, and a mixture of both. They all worked and were all tasty. Personally I prefer dutch-processed cocoa powder, because it tends to give a deeper chocolate flavor, but use whatever you have in your pantry.

The chocolate frosting

Chocolate buttercream frosting in a stand mixer

This cake is covered in a creamy silky Swiss Meringue Chocolate Buttercream. Swiss buttercream is a little more involved since it requires you to make a meringue base for the frosting. But I assure you it is not difficult.

This frosting can be made with raw egg whites or pasteurized liquid egg whites. I’ve made it with both and both worked fine even though there is a warning on the liquid egg white carton that it may not work for meringue.

Recently I’ve also been trying out the double boiler method, heating the egg whites and sugar mixture over a steaming pot of water until it reaches around 160°F. This is to ensure the egg whites reach a safe temperature. I actually prefer this method even though it takes an extra step because the buttercream comes together much faster once you add the butter.

If you don’t want to deal with eggs, and the double boiler, you could make an American Style Chocolate Buttercream Frosting instead. If you’re worried about the buttercream being too sweet, don’t worry, my American buttercream is made to be exponentially less sweet than the typical frosting.

The interior of a two-layer chocolate cake

Baker’s tips

How to divide cake batter evenly

Use a kitchen scale to divide the cake batter if you want to be exact. This has an added benefit to help the cakes bake evenly. This mini chocolate cake recipe will give you approximately 390 grams of batter for each 6” cake pan.

How to make sure your cake doesn’t stick to the pan

There are two things I always do to ensure an easy and clean release of the baked cakes. I prefer using melted butter and a pastry brush for greasing over a spray.

  1. Grease the cake pan whether or not it is non-stick.
  2. Then, line the bottom of the pan with a piece of round parchment paper and also grease the parchment paper.

How to cut parchment paper to fit your cake pan

You can buy pre-cut round parchment paper. But cutting the parchment paper to fit your cake pans is super easy and will save you a lot of cash.

Just place a cake pan on top of a piece of parchment paper and trace it with a pen, then cut along the tracing to get a round piece of parchment paper that will fit inside your cake pan.

Storing chocolate cake

After adding frosting to the cake, you should refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before cutting to allow the frosting to set.

Leftover cake should be refrigerated. If you’ve cut out a few wedges, be sure to cover any exposed cake with plastic wrap to avoid drying out. If you only have a few slices left, store them in an airtight container.

A slice of half eaten chocolate cake on a plate

Need more mini cakes? Try these!

  • Mini Red Velvet Cake
  • Mini Vanilla Cake
  • Mini Strawberry Cake
  • Mini Carrot Cake

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, send me a photo, rate it and don’t forget to tag me @wildwildwhisk on Instagram. I’d love to see what’s cooking up in your kitchen. Cheers!

A slice of mini chocolate cake being lifted

Mini Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting is my ultimate guilty pleasure. But you shouldn’t feel too guilty because this 6-inch mini chocolate cake is just the perfect size to satisfy your sweet tooth without being overly indulgent.
4.89 from 27 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Total Time: 52 minutes
Servings: 6 generous slices
Calories: 858kcal
Author: Trang

Equipment

  • 6" Cake Pans

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 g)
  • ½ cup cocoa powder (dutch-processed or natural, 46 g)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (195 g)
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup buttermilk (235 g)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (melted, 2 oz, 57 g)
  • ⅓ cup oil (vegetable or canola, 67 g)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Melted butter for cake pan

Frosting

  • 3 oz egg white (white only from about 3 large eggs, 85 g)
  • ½ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (104 g)
  • ½ teaspoon vinegar (or lemon juice)
  • 8 oz unsalted butter (226 g, room temperature, cubed)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 oz dark chocolate (85 g)
  • 1 tablespoon dutch-processed cocoa powder

Instructions

Make the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Brush melted butter on two 6” round cake pans. Line the bottom of the cake pan with a piece of round parchment paper and brush the parchment paper with butter as well. Set aside.
  • Add buttermilk, oil, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Beat with a whisk until combined.
  • Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt to the flour mixture, and mix thoroughly with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture, and whisk until a smooth batter forms.
  • Divide batter evenly among the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30 - 32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Use a kitchen scale to divide the cake batter if you want to be precise, approximately 390 g of batter per pan. This will also help the cake bake evenly.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 - 15 minutes. When you can touch the cake pans, use a butter knife to loosen the sides, flip the pan over to remove the cake from the pan. Peel off the parchment paper, and allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack before adding frosting.

Prepare the frosting

  • Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water just until most is melted. Continue to stir as you take it off the heat until all the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
  • Add egg white and sugar to another heat proof bowl and set it over the pot of simmering water, stirring constantly until all the sugar dissolves, the egg white is frothy and the mixture reaches around 160°F. This will take around 7 - 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the warm egg mixture to a stand mixer bowl and beat with the balloon whisk attachment on medium low speed until stiff peak forms, stream in the vinegar or lemon juice while beating.
  • Once the meringue peak is stiff, shiny and smooth, start adding the room temperature cubed butter while stirring, one cube at a time and allow it to incorporate into the meringue.
  • After all the butter is added, stream in the vanilla extract, increase the mixer to high speed and beat until the buttercream comes together and smooth. This will not take very long, only a few minutes.
  • Stop the mixer and add the completely cooled melted chocolate and cocoa powder, stir to incorporate, and then beat on high speed until the buttercream is fluffy.

Assemble and frost

  • When the cakes are completely cool, place 1 layer on a cake stand or plate. Put a few pieces of parchment paper underneath the cake to cover the cake stand or plate. This is to keep the frosting from smearing everywhere.
  • Add about ½ cup of frosting on top of the first layer and even it out with an offset spatula. Add the second layer of cake on top.
  • Frost the side and top with the rest of the frosting or just enough to your liking. If there is any leftover frosting, add piping decoration, or simply add sprinkles. Carefully pull out the pieces of parchment paper underneath the cake.
  • Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Notes

  • This recipe will serve 6 generous portions and can easily serve 8.
  • Both dutch-processed cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder, or a combination both will work for this recipe.
  • Any flavorless oil like vegetable oil or canola oil will work.

Nutrition

Serving: 219g | Calories: 858kcal
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?If you made this recipe and loved it, please leave a comment and give us a 5 STAR review. Mention @WildWildWhisk or tag #WildWildWhisk on Instagram.

Mini chocolate cake pin image

« American Buttercream Frosting (Vanilla & Chocolate)
Easy recipes to bake with kids »
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Comments

  1. Vicki

    November 17, 2022 at 7:46 am

    5 stars
    This little cake is so amazing. It is better than any bakery cake I’ve every tried. It may take a few minutes more than other cakes but it is so worth the extra time. Since I found this recipe a couple years ago it is the only chocolate cake I make and I get rave reviews. I’ve made cupcakes with this recipe and increased the recipe to make larger cakes and it always comes out perfectly. I have not tried making the frosting though and just make a chocolate buttercream recipe.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      November 17, 2022 at 7:18 pm

      Thank you so much Vicki! Appreciate the review and 5 star rating 🙂

      Reply
  2. Miranda

    September 19, 2022 at 8:44 am

    Hi

    Thank u so much for sharing this AMAZING recipe I am yet to find anything better :). My clients only want my chocolate cake because of this recipe. Lately though,I find that that the cakes are sinking a lot in the middle do u have any advise on how to avoid that from happening

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      September 19, 2022 at 8:35 pm

      Hi Miranda, thank you for your review, I’m glad to hear you enjoy it! I wonder if you’re adding a bit too much liquid to the cake causing the sinking or check the baking soda and baking powder to make sure they are not expired or too old.

      Reply
  3. Vee

    June 20, 2022 at 4:13 pm

    5 stars
    I also didn’t notice the stars! Update… 5 Stars from me.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      June 21, 2022 at 8:31 pm

      Thank you so much!!!

      Reply
  4. Vee

    June 20, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    Just made this cake! Absolutely perfect and delicious! And chocolatey too!! (someone else said it wasn’t). Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  5. Linda

    January 29, 2022 at 6:12 am

    I added an extra egg yoke to make it a little more dense because I always have trouble frosting cakes. It worked well. I did have to bake an extra 2-3 minutes. Thanks – great recipe.

    Reply
  6. Akemi

    November 03, 2021 at 8:06 am

    5 stars
    This cake turned out AMAZING. It was a bit crumbly and difficult to frost, but once I had the crumb coat on, it was fine. I made my own frosting (Salted Caramel buttercream) and it was better than a store bought cake.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      November 04, 2021 at 5:12 pm

      Salted Caramel buttercream sounds amazing! Thanks for the review Akemi!

      Reply
    • Susana

      December 09, 2021 at 8:36 pm

      Hi Trang! I absolutely love the white round sprinkles that you used to decorate this chocolate cake.
      What are they exactly? They make for a very elegant cake.

      Reply
      • Trang Doan

        December 10, 2021 at 9:10 am

        Hi Susana, they’re just sugar pearl. I got them from Michaels.

        Reply
        • Susana

          December 13, 2021 at 10:38 am

          Thank you for your prompt response Trang! I’ll be making the chocolate cake for my husband’s 50th birthday this Wednesday and your recipe for red velvet cake for my daughter’s 16th birthday on Friday.

          Reply
          • Trang Doan

            December 14, 2021 at 7:50 am

            Oh wow, happy birthday to your husband and daughter! I hope they both enjoy their birthday cake 🙂

          • Susana

            December 14, 2021 at 11:46 am

            Thank you for your kind wishes!
            I noticed that in Step 3 of the cake instructions, it says eggs, could that be changed to egg since it only calls for one and so there’s no confusion?

          • Trang Doan

            December 15, 2021 at 7:20 am

            Thanks for catching that, I’ll change it.

          • chessy

            October 11, 2022 at 3:03 am

            A-M-Z-I-N-G

            This cake was too good ! incredibly moist, perfect sweetness and so easy to make!
            this was just my 2time to bake a cake ever , and even without videos I was able to make one!

          • Trang Doan

            October 11, 2022 at 5:10 pm

            So happy to hear! Thank you for making this recipe 🙂

        • Celena

          January 15, 2022 at 3:14 pm

          This cake turned out amazing! I was able to make 3 layers with a 6in springform pan. I used my own frosting recipe but this will be my go to chocolate cake recipe. Thank you so much!

          Reply
      • Cheyenne

        January 16, 2022 at 9:56 am

        Can you use something other that buttermilk?

        Reply
        • Trang Doan

          January 17, 2022 at 12:45 pm

          I have a list of buttermilk substitutes in this post.

          Reply
  7. Ella Derbyshire

    September 26, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, I’m in lockdown in Australia right now and I’ve been trying new recipes every week and this is by far my favourite. I’m 13 so i haven’t had as much experience compared to others but this recipe was easy to do, I made it for my family and they all enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      September 28, 2021 at 8:23 am

      Thanks for trying the recipe Ella! I’m glad you found it easy. Hope everything goes well there and you’ll be out of the lockdown soon. Take care.

      Reply
  8. Erica

    September 26, 2021 at 9:05 am

    5 stars
    Have used this recipe a few times now – always prefect and delicious. I call it my “secret cake recipe” so thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      September 28, 2021 at 8:24 am

      Thanks Erica! So happy to hear 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jan

    August 28, 2021 at 10:27 pm

    Hi This recipe is the best! ☺️ I’ve been baking for almost one year and all my customers are very satisfied. 🥰 But i have noticed that the cake is easily break especially when i sliced it. Moist but crumbly. Uhm what could be the problem? 😢 Any suggestion how to fix it? ☺️ Thank you so much ♥️

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      August 31, 2021 at 8:41 am

      Hi Jan, I’m glad to hear you and your customers enjoy this cake. I don’t remember it being very crumbly. I’m not sure if I can be of much help here. Maybe you can try using 2 eggs for more binding property but reduce the buttermilk by 1/4 cup.

      Reply
  10. Debbie Fennell

    August 13, 2021 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe makes a very delicious cake, and I have been baking for 50 years. I have some miniature cake pans that belonged to my great-grandmother (she was born in 1902). I found this wonderful recipe today and used her cake pans to make a miniature tiered birthday cake for my neighbor. The pans are small…the largest one is 5 inches round but only about 1 inch deep. The cake is light, moist, and very delicious. I made cupcakes with the left over batter, and they turned out perfectly. I frosted them with an easy strawberry cream cheese frosting made from 1 tub (7.5 oz) of whipped strawberry cream cheese, 1/4 cup of butter, and 2.5 cups of confectioners sugar. I plan to garnish it with fresh strawberries.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      August 14, 2021 at 12:58 pm

      The frosting sounds delicious, Debbie. How fun it was to use your great-grandmother’s antique cake pans!! Thank you for the review.

      Reply
  11. Jessica Lopez

    June 02, 2021 at 6:29 am

    Hi! I’m about to make this for my nephew’s birthday but I only have one 6″ cake pan. I just want to know what’s the best way to store the remaining cake batter while I’m still waiting for my first batch to bake? It’s pretty hot here right now so I’m worried the batter will melt.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      June 05, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      Hi Jessica, apology for the late reply. You could keep the remaining batter in the fridge if it’s too hot out. Though I suggest getting an extra pan to bake them together because the batter has baking soda which will activate as soon as it is mixed.

      Reply
    • Ruth

      July 06, 2021 at 1:45 am

      Hi Trang
      My pans are 6″ x 4″ so they are deep, do you think I can still make this cake? Any helpful tips would be appreciated.
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Trang Doan

        July 06, 2021 at 12:07 pm

        Hi Ruth, it shouldn’t be a problem if your pans a deeper. It might just be a bit harder to gage how much batter to put into each pan if you don’t have a scale. But there should be no different at all if you’re baking the cake in 2 pans. If you’re baking the whole thing in 1 pan and then cutting it in half, then there will be a difference in baking time since the cake would be much thicker.

        Reply
        • Ruth

          July 15, 2021 at 3:47 pm

          Thank you so much 💓

          Reply
    • Amy

      September 30, 2021 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      This made an incredibly delicious chocolate cake!!! I used cake flour 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. But everything else the same.

      Reply
  12. Lorianne

    May 19, 2021 at 12:46 pm

    5 stars
    Hello Trang! I am a chocoholic. My mother is a chocoholic ~ I believe it is part of our plasma! I needed something special to bring to my Mom ~ she is 88 and living in a retirement community. This is by far the most decadent chocolate cake with the BEST crumb that I have ever made!! I also bravely made my first batch of Italian buttercream frosting. Thank you so very much for this recipe and for your excellent instructions. I made oversized cupcakes and the recipe made 6 cupcakes with clouds of frosting! Thank you again Trang for sharing your amazing talent!

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      May 21, 2021 at 10:03 am

      Thank you so much!! Your comment made my day, and I hope your mother enjoyed the cake too. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Sakura

    May 19, 2021 at 4:10 am

    I baked this one week ago it was delicious 😋
    I recommend this recipe <3

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      May 21, 2021 at 10:03 am

      So glad to hear Sakura!

      Reply
  14. Yaslin Dhillon

    April 25, 2021 at 7:08 am

    Hi, I use this recipe all the time and love it! Thank you so much. Just wondering, if I want to make this in a half sheet cake pan, would I need to double it?

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      April 25, 2021 at 12:54 pm

      Thanks Yaslin! I’m so happy to hear you love this recipe. I think for half sheet, you might need to 4x the recipe.

      Reply
      • Louise Ritchings

        May 15, 2021 at 12:13 pm

        Hi,

        Can I use self raiding flour instead of plain flour?

        Thank you xx

        Reply
        • Trang Doan

          May 17, 2021 at 7:26 am

          Hi Louise, you can, but you may need to skip the baking powder and salt called for in the recipe. Self raising flour typically includes baking powder and sometimes salt too I believe, see if you can tell what ingredients is in your self raising flour and adjust accordingly. Let me know if you have other questions.

          Reply
  15. Jooz

    April 20, 2021 at 1:18 am

    5 stars
    The best chocolate cake I have ever made, perfect.
    Will be making all the 6in recipes, thank you.

    Reply
  16. Katie

    April 17, 2021 at 4:08 pm

    Hello! I dont have oil at the moment, so can I use just 1/2 cup of melted butter instead? Thanks alot!

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      April 18, 2021 at 7:51 am

      Hi Katie, you can sub with melted butter, but 1/2 cup is too much to replace 1/3 cup of oil, use 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp to replace the oil. You’ll still need the other original 1/4 cup of butter called for in the recipe. Oil is 100% fat and butter is usually 80% so you’ll want to use a bit more butter when subbing for oil to try and keep the fat content the same.

      Reply
    • Jessica

      April 21, 2021 at 12:30 pm

      Hello can I use avocado oil instead of vegetable or canola oil?

      Reply
      • Trang Doan

        April 21, 2021 at 6:17 pm

        Yes, it should be fine.

        Reply
  17. Mary Kathuyn Anderson

    April 10, 2021 at 8:56 am

    5 stars
    I love the cake it the so good

    Reply
  18. Helen King

    March 08, 2021 at 10:39 pm

    5 stars
    Gorgeous cake! So moist and very chocolatey 😃. I used caster sugar instead of granulated and added a tsp of espresso and it came out perfect. I frosted mine with your peanut butter frosting…., yum. Hoping I can now find a bigger version in your recipes for a chocolate birthday cake I need to make next week.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      March 09, 2021 at 5:32 am

      Thanks Helen! The addition of espresso is genius! You can check out this PB chocolate cake or this Mocha cake for a bigger version if you’d like.

      Reply
    • Nicole

      April 19, 2021 at 3:21 pm

      Love this Chocolate Cake recipe! It’s been a hit each time I make it! I’m curious if I can substitute flour for gluten free flour at a 1:1 ratio?

      Reply
      • Trang Doan

        April 19, 2021 at 6:17 pm

        Hi Nicole, King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill has an all-purpose gluten free flour that you can sub 1:1 ratio. However, I’ve never made this cake using gluten free flour so I don’t know how it would turn out. I suspect it will be a bit denser.

        Reply
  19. Erica Semerdzhiev

    March 06, 2021 at 3:36 am

    Was perfect for us!! Will be making again today 😀
    Thank you!!!

    Reply
  20. Ray

    March 01, 2021 at 10:35 pm

    5 stars
    This was the by far the best thing I have made. Thank you for such a perfect recipe!

    So silly question, does this icing recipe work for any flavor, and if so, how would you go about doing so? Sorry if that’s a stupid question.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      March 02, 2021 at 5:55 am

      Hey Ray, yes, you can certainly modify it for other flavor. I wrote more about it on this Swiss Meringue buttercream post, hopefully it will give you some tips and ideas.

      Reply
    • Sarina

      March 23, 2021 at 5:03 pm

      Hi there, do you think this recipe would work for 2 6×3 sphere cakes?

      Reply
      • Trang Doan

        March 24, 2021 at 5:06 pm

        Oh boy, I have no idea, I’ve never made sphere cake before. These cake layers are about 1″, maybe a tad taller… if you want to estimate the cake volume of your sphere cake and see if you need to increase the batter recipe.

        Reply
  21. Lizzy Pittin

    February 27, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    2 stars
    Ugh I struggle so much writing this review because I don’t want to blame the recipe. This cake had an amazing texture but the taste was super faint. It tasted like a chocolate cake made from hot chocolate powder. It was just not present. I tried it two different times to make sure with two different brands and it’s just a no for me.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      February 28, 2021 at 3:01 pm

      Hi Lizzy, I’m sorry this cake didn’t live up to your expectation, substituting half the buttermilk with coffee can help enhance the chocolate flavor, or adding instant coffee or expresso powder. Thank you for giving it a try!

      Reply
  22. Varsha

    February 06, 2021 at 10:05 am

    Hi Trang!

    I am planning on making this cake next week. I do not have a stand mixer, can I make the frosting with a handmixer? thank 🙂

    Varsha

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      February 06, 2021 at 10:26 am

      Yes, handmixer will work fine!

      Reply
  23. Aki

    January 23, 2021 at 6:12 am

    5 stars
    Hi I tried your recipe and the sponge came out really nice! So moist and soft! Also I’ve read some comments regarding 6inch deep pan, I made my cake in a 6×4 cake pan, however as I was pouring the batter in I found that I was over filling it (I have had a bad experience from before) so I kept a little aside, after baking I realised I could’ve used the whole batter so next time will sure to use whole batter! I baked for 1hr 5mins at 350. Hope this helps.

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      January 23, 2021 at 3:57 pm

      Great to know Aki! Thanks for leaving a review and letting us know about your modifications.

      Reply
  24. Elsa

    January 21, 2021 at 6:37 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! We followed the recipe exactly with the exception of one substitute (milk with 1 tbsp of vinegar for buttermilk, where we let the milk and vinegar sit for a few minutes before mixing into the wet ingredients).

    This will be a go-to recipe for our family! Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      January 22, 2021 at 1:06 pm

      Thank you Elsa! Happy to hear you enjoyed this cake 🙂

      Reply
  25. Candi

    January 18, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    HI there
    I only have 7 inch cake pans, if I did this just as is, would the layers be too thin? or would it make much of a difference?

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      January 20, 2021 at 3:06 pm

      You can use 7″ pan, the layers will be thinner and make bake faster but it should be fine.

      Reply
      • Priyadarshini Thirumal

        January 28, 2021 at 5:57 am

        Hi Trang!

        Can the recipe be baked in one 7inch pan? I plan to bake two of the 7inch but will bake it twice separately
        Can it be frosted with ganache and covered with fondant?
        Thanks in advance

        Reply
        • Trang Doan

          January 28, 2021 at 6:08 am

          Yes, you can bake in 7″ pan, just watch for the bake time cuz the thinner layer will bake faster. You can pretty much use any frosting you want, with ganache, make sure it is firm enough to be used as a frosting. I’m sure there should be no problem with using fondant, but I do not have a lot of experience with using fondant so I can’t give a whole lot of input here.

          Reply
          • Priyadarshini Thirumal

            January 28, 2021 at 6:22 am

            Thanks for the prompt response!
            Will give it a try❤️

          • Trang Doan

            January 28, 2021 at 6:29 am

            You’re so welcome!

  26. Behnaz

    January 04, 2021 at 9:05 am

    Hi Dear,
    Can I halve the amount to make one cake? I mean one 6 inch pan
    Thanks 🙏🏻

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      January 04, 2021 at 4:03 pm

      Hi Behnaz, you’ll need to cut all the ingredients in half. The egg would be the trickiest one, I would just beat the egg and divide in half. The easiest way to half the recipe is to weight all the major ingredients that might not be straight foward to divide.

      Reply
  27. Mo

    December 31, 2020 at 10:34 am

    Hi Trang! Just wondering if it would be possible to make this cake in 1 deep 6 inch pan, and would I have to adjust timings, I am having serious equipment issues cake pan wise!

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Trang Doan

      December 31, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      Yes, you would definitely need to adjust timing, longer bake time for sure, I don’t have an idea how much longer but I would go 40-50 mins and just check as you go to make sure you don’t over bake. I’m also afraid that the cake might turn out a bit dry due to having to bake much longer to cook the thicker layer, so it is crucial to pull it out just when the center is about done. Let me know how it turn out.

      Reply
  28. Dakota

    November 11, 2020 at 8:29 pm

    5 stars
    I made this cake with gluten free flour and it turned out delicious! Only took about 15 minutes to put together plus the baking time. Forgot to grease my pan, but the cake came out solid yet moist which made flipping the cake out extremely easy. Will definitely be using this recipe in the future.

    Reply
    • Vi

      January 19, 2021 at 6:20 pm

      Would it be possible to make this in four inch cake pans? How full do you fill the 6 inch pans (so I know how high to fill the smaller pans). Thanks!

      Reply
      • Trang Doan

        January 20, 2021 at 3:08 pm

        Hi Vi, I don’t remember how high I fill the pan, but half full to 2/3 full is a safe bet.

        Reply
  29. Ariana

    November 09, 2020 at 8:46 pm

    5 stars
    Very moist cake and super easy to make.

    Reply
    • Mel

      September 11, 2021 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      Omg this cake was perfect… I made it with your peanut butter frosting which was amazing and turned it into a pinata cake for my nephews 4th bday. Definitely saving this recipe!! Thank you: )

      Reply
      • Trang Doan

        September 13, 2021 at 9:35 am

        Thank you Mel! Pinata cake is so fun!! Hope you nephew had an awesome birthday 🙂

        Reply
  30. Alissa

    October 28, 2020 at 12:14 pm

    Hi!
    How much does the frosting yeild in cups?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Trang

      October 29, 2020 at 6:12 am

      About 2 cups.

      Reply
      • MKMINH

        November 03, 2020 at 12:14 pm

        I GOT ABOUT AS BIG AS A THE TABLE

        Reply
  31. Jessica Banks

    October 25, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    Perfect chocolate cake! Thanks for making it easy to do and so delicious!

    Reply
    • Jem

      December 07, 2020 at 7:30 am

      5 stars
      Perfect chocolate. I only made one layer but this cake came out super moist. Store bought cakes are usually dry so I lean towards cupcakes more but this recipe was absolutely delicious. Loved it when I was pregnant and have made it since having and baby and it’s been a hit with all ages.

      Reply
      • Trang

        December 07, 2020 at 6:23 pm

        Thank you so much! Congrats on the baby too! Hope all is well with the whole family 🙂

        Reply
  32. Baker Betty

    October 23, 2020 at 3:22 pm

    Hi Trang!

    Can you tell me if the dark chocolate is sweetened or unsweetened for the frosting. Making it today!

    Reply
    • Trang

      October 24, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      Yes it is sweetened, the one I linked to in the recipe ingredients is 63% cocoa.

      Reply
  33. Chelsea

    October 21, 2020 at 3:41 pm

    Hi Trang!
    Could this be baked into 3x 4inch pans?

    Reply
    • Trang

      October 22, 2020 at 7:29 am

      You may need 4x 4inch pans or they may turn out to be really thick layers. Try it but keep it reasonable when you fill the batter, you could just bake leftover into cupcakes. Smaller layers will be faster so make sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake, I want to say check around 20 – 25 minutes and let them bake longer as needed.

      Reply
  34. Annie

    October 15, 2020 at 6:55 pm

    5 stars
    This little cake is shockingly delicious. I made it for my husband’s birthday and his best comment was “It tastes like we’re at a high end restaurant.” Rich, dense but not heavy, and oh so chocolatey–I seriously think this is the best cake I’ve ever made. My only substitution was coconut oil in place of canola oil, and I added 1 TBS espresso powder. Thanks so much for including weights along with measurements, and for the fab suggestion of buttering the parchment paper. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!

    Reply
    • Trang

      October 16, 2020 at 7:50 am

      Thank you so much Annie! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed the cake and happy belated birthday to your husband!

      Reply
  35. Chelle

    October 06, 2020 at 8:35 am

    5 stars
    Very good and easy to make, definitely going to bake this again. Thanks

    Reply
  36. Liz

    September 25, 2020 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars
    Great moist chocolatey cake…I’ll definitely be making it again… everyone loved it. Thank you!

    Reply
  37. Mbali

    September 04, 2020 at 2:18 am

    I tried it and shared it with my colleagues. They all loved it! Moist and yummy

    Reply
  38. Eva

    August 25, 2020 at 11:11 pm

    Hi there

    I plan to double this cake and use it in a 12 slice bundt pan, hope it will be the right amount! I am new to baking, can I substitute the canola/vegetable oil with coconut oil?

    Reply
    • Trang

      August 26, 2020 at 8:14 am

      I think double will fit in a bundt pan, but I don’t know how it will turn out exactly since you’ll have to bake longer and it may dry the cake out. Also if you’re not making a frosting for it, you won’t get the same intended texture and flavor. You can use the same amount of coconut oil.

      Reply
  39. Vanessa

    August 24, 2020 at 9:12 am

    Hi,
    How tall will this cake get? I am wondering if I should do a single or double batch. (2 or 4 cakes) My idea is to make and m&m cake with m&ms spilling out its mouth but I want the cake to be at least 6 in tall.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Trang

      August 24, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      Hi Vanessa, each layer is about 1 – 1.5″, the frosting adds a little bit of height but not much. If you want to do the filled cake, I would make at least 3 layers so you can cut out the center of 2 bottom layers. If you do double batch, it will make 4 cakes and definitely taller than 6″ for sure.

      Reply
  40. Christine Domingo

    August 22, 2020 at 6:30 pm

    OMG this cake was soooo good! I doubled it and made three 6 inch layers and a few cupcakes. It was moist and tasty and delicious. It was a gift and the recipient LOVED it.

    Reply
  41. Dharani

    August 19, 2020 at 1:30 am

    5 stars
    hey!! i just love this recipe. i am very young to be baking , and i could never find the proper recipe for a six inch pan ! and when i saw your recipe it was like puzzle pieces put together !! amazing. I am going to try making this tomorrow.
    can you please tell me what the consistency of the wet ingredients should me , i m scared if i will under mix it or over beat it ?? that is the thing i am scared of ….
    and can I use plain milk instead of butter milk plus what should i change if i want to add chocolate (melted )?
    😀 thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Trang

      August 19, 2020 at 7:02 am

      Hi Dharani, it’s never too early to start baking 🙂 You can check out the consistency of the batter from the process photos within the post. If you use plain milk, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to activate the baking soda. I can’t tell you exactly what to change to add melted chocolate since the recipe was not written with melted chocolate and I have not tested it that way. It is not as simple as switching out the cocoa powder for the chocolate since cocoa powder is a dry ingredient whereas chocolate contains cocoa butter and other things. I recommend sticking with the recipe as written if it is the first time you try the recipe for higher chance of success.

      Reply
  42. Jenn

    July 23, 2020 at 7:59 pm

    Hi there, I’m planning on halving your mini chocolate and mini vanilla cake recipes to make a layered cake :). Would halving the recipe for each change the baking time in any way? I’m guessing I will have to bake them separately since they’re baked at different temperatures.

    Reply
    • Trang

      July 24, 2020 at 7:04 am

      If you half the recipe and bake 1 pan at a time, it will probably get done a couple of minutes earlier than baking 2 pan at a time, but not by a whole lot, so check your doneness about 2-3 minutes before and see.

      Reply
  43. Aviva

    July 20, 2020 at 5:19 am

    5 stars
    My 3-year-old twins ordered chocolate cake with chocolate icing for their birthday, so I doubled your recipe to make two cakes, one for each. Came out amazing! I did a chocolate cream cheese frosting with it.

    Reply
    • Trang

      July 20, 2020 at 6:40 am

      Happy birthday to your twins, Aviva! Chocolate cream cheese frosting sounds amazing!

      Reply
  44. Nela

    July 11, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    Hey! So I know I am sort of young but I wanted to try this recipe out since I am starting baking and I wanted to ask if I could make a one layer cake with an 8 inch pan would that work?

    Reply
    • Trang

      July 11, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      You can but make 1 modification to the recipe and use 1/4 cup of oil instead of 1/3 cup. The bake time will need to lengthen to 37 minutes. And it’s never too young to bake!

      Reply
      • Kylie Brown

        July 12, 2020 at 8:18 pm

        Thank you Trang, it made 3 x 7inch round cakes. Just what I needed!

        Reply
  45. Kylie Brown

    July 06, 2020 at 11:51 pm

    I Trang, I made this yesterday and it was the most delish cake I’ve eaten! Thank you for sharing 🙂 My question is, can I double this recipe to make a 7 inch or 8 inch cakes? I wanting to make a 3 layer 7 inch cake on the weekend for a party I’m hosting!
    Many thanks
    Kylie x

    Reply
    • Trang

      July 07, 2020 at 6:30 am

      Glad you enjoyed the cake Kylie. You can double the ingredients except the oil, instead of doubling to 2/3 c, use 1/2 c instead. This should make 2 or 3 layers of 8″ cake. Double the frosting also.

      Reply
  46. Anna

    June 17, 2020 at 11:48 am

    5 stars
    Oh and I forgot to rate your recipe, sorry! It deserves all the stars, thanks again!

    Reply
    • Trang

      June 17, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      Hi Anna, I’m so happy everyone loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to review this recipe 🙂

      Reply
    • Myra

      June 23, 2020 at 2:41 pm

      Can I use water instead of buttermilk

      Reply
      • Trang

        June 23, 2020 at 6:20 pm

        You can, but I recommend using buttermilk for more richness or use regular milk. If you don’t use buttermilk in this recipe, you must use natural cocoa powder because baking soda needs something acidic. If you only have dutch-process cocoa powder and using water, you need to substitute the baking soda for baking powder.

        Reply
  47. Anna

    June 17, 2020 at 11:46 am

    I made this cake for my sibling’s birthday two weeks ago and the whole family loved it, even those who aren’t really “chocolate people”. This is definitely something I’ll come back to if I ever need to make a smallish cake for future gatherings. Thanks a lot for the recipe, it was easier than I thought it would be!

    Reply
  48. Lina

    June 11, 2020 at 1:37 pm

    Looks delicious! Can I add sour cream ? What difference will it make to the cake ?

    Reply
    • Trang

      June 13, 2020 at 10:08 am

      Hi Lina, what do you mean by “add sour cream”? Are you trying to substitute an ingredient with sour cream? You can substitute the buttermilk with sour cream, 1:1 ratio, if you don’t have buttermilk on hand. But I do not recommend altering the ingredients list by adding extra ingredients.

      Reply
  49. anna brayson

    June 04, 2020 at 12:58 pm

    Hi, what was the height of each layer before you put together with filling ?.

    Reply
    • Trang

      June 04, 2020 at 4:54 pm

      Hi Anna, to be honest I don’t remember, but maybe 1.5″-2″ give or take.

      Reply
      • Soumya Menon

        December 28, 2020 at 12:49 am

        5 stars
        The cake turned out so well and moist. I used 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of preferred sugar instead of the sugar mentioned. As my oven tends to become hotter compared to others in the market I had to bake at 170° C for 26 mins. Thank you so much for the yummiest recipe

        Reply
        • Trang Doan

          December 28, 2020 at 9:42 am

          Hi Soumya, thank you for leaving a review and your modifications. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it 🙂

          Reply
  50. Mary

    May 24, 2020 at 11:09 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Trang! My daughter’s birthday is coming up and I have in mind to make a chequerboard cake. I wanted a one egg recipe and I liked your chocolate recipe very much. Do you have a mini vanilla cake recipe? Or can I halve the vanilla cake recipe on your blog? Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes.

    Reply
    • Trang

      May 25, 2020 at 8:58 am

      Hi Mary, my mini vanilla cake is linked within the post but it is a 2 egg recipe. You can certainly half it, but it will only make 1 layer of 6″ cake if that’s what you’re looking for. A chequerboard cake sounds like fun!! Happy birthday to your daughter, I hope she’ll love the cake 🙂

      Reply
  51. Lana

    May 24, 2020 at 8:34 am

    Hi, can I replace buttermilk with yogurt? If yes, does it have to be Greek yogurt or any kind of plain yogurt?

    I have a convection oven, can you tell me if your baking time and temperature is with or without fan?

    Reply
    • Trang

      May 24, 2020 at 1:39 pm

      Hi Lana, yes you can replace with yogurt, any kind of plain yogurt or even sour cream will work. I do not have a convection oven, my temperature and time are for a conventional oven without fan.

      Reply
  52. Wendy

    May 21, 2020 at 4:14 am

    5 stars
    I made this today and it’s SO GOOD!! A perfect recipe for a 6″ chocolate cake. Will definitely make this again!!

    Reply
    • Trang

      May 21, 2020 at 8:57 am

      Thank you Wendy! I’m so glad you enjoy this cake, one of my favorites for sure 🙂

      Reply
      • Ping

        January 21, 2021 at 6:25 am

        Can the sugar melt with the mixture since the wet ingredients are not hot? Cause the recipe only call for them to be mixed together.

        Reply
        • Trang Doan

          January 21, 2021 at 6:01 pm

          There are certain cakes that call for hot milk but it is not to melt the sugar. Hot milk cake partially cook the cake and create a denser crumb. It is a different style of cake. You don’t have to worry about melting the sugar, when you mix the ingredient, the sugar will get incorporated in the mixture.

          Reply
      • Louise Ritchings

        May 02, 2021 at 1:19 am

        Hi,

        I make this cake all of the time and absolutely love it 🙂

        I’ve been asked to make a 4 layer, 8 inch chocolate cake…could you advise the measurements for 2, 8inch cake pans?

        Thank you x

        Reply
        • Trang Doan

          May 02, 2021 at 2:15 pm

          Hi Louise, one recipe of the 2 layer 6″ cake will make 1 layer of 8″ cake. If you need 4 layers, I would 4x the recipe.

          Reply

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Hi! I’m Trang and welcome to my blog. This is where I share recipes from my kitchen. From cookies to cupcakes, to pies and ice cream, to treats for your fur babies, I hope you’ll find something you like and stay a while. Read More…

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