Mini Chocolate Cakes with Raspberry Glaze
There are very few exceptions to my fruit-and-chocolate feelings (which are that they can be near each other but not together as one), and this is one of them. The chocolate raspberry balance of these mini chocolate cakes makes them one of my favorite afternoon tea treats.
Plus, I mean, look at them, they’re cute as hell. These are perfect for a party or even a Valentine’s Day treat. They also freeze deliciously!
So get to impressing your gathering or simply yourself and make these pretty little cuties.
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MINI CHOCOLATE CAKES
They’re truly like a homemade, better version of a boxed Betty Crocker Devil’s Food cake (that most of our childhoods knew and loved). Topped with the perfect raspberry glaze that complements the chocolate with just the right zing.
Heed my warning, people! Grease and line your mini pans! This is not a drill, do not skip this step (even if you have nonstick pans) because this cake is moist.
She doesn’t come to play with all that soft deliciousness and is highly likely to prove her point by sticking in the pan if you don’t prep properly.
How do you make a smooth cake glaze? Sift and strain! For this raspberry glaze, we’re using a fine mesh sieve to both strain out the seeds from the fruit as well as sift out any lumps that might be in the powdered sugar or cornstarch.
INGREDIENTS
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cakes while helping create a soft, tender texture.
- All-purpose flour: Provides the structure and stability for the mini chocolate cakes.
- Cocoa powder: Gives the cakes their rich chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder & Baking Soda: Helps the cakes rise and creates a lighter texture.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Egg: Adds structure, richness, and moisture while helping bind the batter together.
- Half-and-half: Adds moisture and richness for a soft cake bite.
- Canola oil: Keeps the cakes exceptionally moist and tender for days.
- Pure vanilla extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor and adds warmth.
- Boiling water: Blooms the cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor and creates a smooth batter.
- Raspberries: Bring bright, tart berry flavor to balance the rich chocolate cakes.
- Lemon juice: Enhances the raspberry flavor.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the glaze slightly so it’s spoonable, but sets on top of the mini cakes
- Butter: Adds richness and helps create a silky raspberry glaze.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the glaze while giving it a smooth finish.
Why do recipes say to grease AND line a pan? Greasing and lining a pan helps baked goods that tend to be more moist (cheesecakes, certain cakes, etc.) release smoothly from the pan by providing extra insurance.
HOW TO MAKE MINI CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH RASPBERRY GLAZE
Preheat your oven and make your chocolate cake batter…
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease three 3½” x 2¼” x 1” mini cake molds. Line each mold with parchment paper, leaving a small overhang to easily lift the mini chocolate cakes out after baking.
In a large bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Sifting the dry ingredients creates a soft cake with no unwanted dry ingredient lumps!
Add the egg, half-and-half, canola oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Carefully pour in the boiling water, gently mixing in on low speed until the chocolate cake batter is fully combined.
Bake and cool your mini chocolate cakes…
Fill each prepared cake mold halfway with batter for evenly sized mini chocolate cakes. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for 12 minutes before lifting them out using the parchment paper handles. Remove the parchment paper and transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Make the easy raspberry glaze…
Combine the raspberries, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a pot over low heat. Cook until the berries release their juices, and the mixture begins to thicken, stirring occasionally and smashing the raspberries as they soften.
Remove the raspberry mixture from the heat and pulse a few times with an immersion blender until mostly smooth. Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, then allow it to cool slightly.
Whisk together the raspberry puree, softened butter, and powdered sugar until smooth and glossy. Spoon the raspberry glaze over the cooled mini chocolate cakes and let them sit at room temperature for a few hours until the glaze is fully set and dry to the touch.
3 reasons you’ll love these mini cakes
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- Make sure you sift all of your dry ingredients! Both in your cake and your glaze. You don’t want lumps in either, nor do you want to overmix your dry ingredients in your batter
- Have no fear, this is a very “wet” and liquid batter. Trust the process, this cake is moist!
- Don’t overfill your cake pans! If you’re using smaller-sized tins, only fill up halfway so your cakes don’t puff too high above the lip of your pan
- Make sure to strain your raspberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove all the seeds. This will give you a silky smooth glaze to pour over your mini chocolate cakes!
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
I prefer my cake at room temperature for the best flavor and texture. Just store these in an airtight container where they will keep for about 2 days (or in the fridge for 5-6 days).
If you can’t eat them all, you can easily freeze them for up to 2 months (just not with the fresh fruit garnish, ok?). Remove them from the freezer in advance and allow them to come to room temperature before serving!
MORE CHOCOLATE RECIPES
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt
- Yellow Cake-Inspired Cookies with Chocolate Frosting
- Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Mint Chocolate Ganache
- Simple Pistachio & Dark Chocolate Biscotti
- Sea Salt Chocolate Mousse with Cookie Crumble
Equipment
- 8 Cavity Mini Loaf Pan 9×16 cm cavity
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisks
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Spatulas
- Parchment Paper
- Immersion Blender
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 7 tbsp cocoa powder sifted
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder sifted
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup half-and-half
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup water boiling
- 4 ounces raspberries fresh or frozen
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1½ tablespoon butter softened
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Grease and line your 3 ½”x 2 ¼” x 1” cake molds and set aside. I recommend you leave a lip of parchment paper sticking out of each tin, to make it easy to lift each cake out after they’re baked
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed. Make sure to sift your dry ingredients!
- Add the eggs, half-and-half, oil, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Carefully, pour in the boiling water, stir with a spatula to gently incorporate, and then mix on low briefly until fully combined.
- Fill each cake tin halfway with batter
- Bake 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 12 minutes and then lift out each cake by the parchment paper “handles,” remove the parchment paper, and place on a wire rack to cool completely
GLAZE
- Combine the raspberries, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, until the juices start to release. Stir occasionally, smashing the berries against the side to break them up. Once it starts to thicken, pull off the heat, and give a few pulses with an immersion blender
- Press the raspberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer and allow the mixture to cool slightly
- Whisk the butter, powdered sugar, and raspberry mixture together until combined
- Spoon your glaze over your cooled cakes and allow to sit at room temperature for a few hours, until the glaze has completely set and is “dry” to touch
