Mini Chocolate Cake Hearts
These mini heart layer cakes are perfect for Valentine's Day or anytime you want a special treat! They are super easy. This recipe makes 2 mini layer cakes, perfect for yourself and one to share! No mixer needed.
Ingredients
Cake
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbs cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbs vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 Tbs cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbs butter melted
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8x8-inch baking pan.
- In a bowl whisk the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup mix together the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mix. Pour the liquid over the mix, stir to combine starting at the center and working out toward the sides. Mix until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Cool until pan is no longer hot to the touch, approximately 10 minutes. Flip cake out of the pan and place on wire cooling rack.
- While the cake is cooling prepare the frosting: In a bowl combine the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Stir in the melted butter, mix until smooth. Add vanilla and milk, beat with whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter that’s approximately 3-inches, it needs to be small enough to cut out 4 pieces of cake. Place the cooled cake on a cutting surface, using the cookie cutter cut out 4 pieces of cake.
- Spread chocolate frosting over the tops of all 4 cake hearts. Designate two hearts as bottoms, top each of the bottoms with one of the remaining hearts, this should give you two 2-layer mini cakes. Decorate as desired. Sprinkles, sugars, have fun with it!
Video
Notes
I adapted from a recipe in a BH&G Hometown Cooking magazine from February 2000, the article said it came from Hershey’s kitchens. The magazine is no longer in print, a recipe close to the original can be found at www.hersheys.com/kitchens