Description
Chocolate lovers will adore this mini naked chocolate cake hearts recipe, perfect for intimate celebrations. Rich layers of moist chocolate cake showcase delicate design with minimal frosting, creating an elegant dessert experience that delights personal sweet cravings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups (157 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (50 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) buttermilk (or ½ cup milk + ½ tsp vinegar)
- ½ cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) hot coffee (or hot water)
- ½ cup (113 grams/4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup (80 ml/2.7 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 1 ¾ cups (210 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsps heavy cream or milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries)
- Chocolate shavings or curls
- Powdered sugar
- Edible gold leaf or sprinkles
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and ready a 9×13-inch baking pan by lightly greasing with butter and lining with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and both sugar varieties until completely smooth and free of lumps.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: In a separate bowl, vigorously mix buttermilk, hot coffee, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until achieving a uniform, glossy consistency.
- Batter Creation: Gently fold the liquid ingredients into the dry mixture, stirring carefully to produce a silky chocolate batter without overmixing, ensuring all components are thoroughly incorporated.
- Baking Process: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 22-25 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should come out clean and free of raw batter.
- Cooling and Finishing: Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature, providing optimal conditions for slicing and shaping into delicate mini heart designs.
Notes
- Optimize Coffee Intensity: Use freshly brewed, high-quality espresso or strong coffee to enhance the chocolate cake’s deep, rich flavor profile and complexity.
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold wet and dry ingredients together just until combined, stopping as soon as no flour streaks remain to maintain a tender, light cake texture.
- Master Room Temperature Ingredients: Allow eggs and buttermilk to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before mixing, ensuring smoother incorporation and more consistent baking results.
- Handle Heart Cutting Technique: Use a clean, sharp heart-shaped cookie cutter and ensure cake is completely cooled to room temperature before cutting to achieve clean, precise mini heart shapes without crumbling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg