6-inch chocolate cake with chocolate frosting
I no longer blog about food. But don’t fret!
You can find the recipe for this 6-inch cake and frosting in this ebook:
Behold a petit two layer, 6-inch chocolate cake. Simple and delicious.
This cake is a shout out to simplicity – moist, flavourful and light.
The frosting has coffee in it. It makes the texture soft, silky and easy to spread. A hat-tip to the classic, homestyle frosting you probably gobbled up as a child. You get a little of the coffee flavour, but I’m reluctant to call it a mocha frosting as it doesn’t pack a weighty punch. You’ll taste a hint of java which pairs perfectly with the chocolate layers below it. Bonus: you’ll have just enough frosting to fill between the layers and frost the cake. No waste!
I have started making small cakes for just the two of us or even just the 4 of us if I take it to the nursing home for coffee time. It’s much better than eating too much cake or tossing it out. This cake is gorgeous and that icing looks fudgy. Yum.
It really is the perfect size! And you can still serve 8 people handily, so it’s practical for small events as well. Like, say, nursing home parties.
Made this chocolate cake for a birthday tonight. Incredibly light, moist and delicious. I used a chocolate buttercream/cream cheese frosting. Exceptional.
Wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know!
only you would know that brown + blue are my favorite colour combinations.
chocolate
+ sky
go well together.
thank you again for another recipe to print + put in my homemade Movita cookbook
x-x-x
The phrase “homemade Movita cookbook” is music to my ears!
this. right here. i was thinking of your vanilla 6″ cake yesterday and i how i wish there was a smaller version of chocolate cake too. i think 6″ cakes are the most perfect size, without going into the mini cake thing (which makes me want to punch people).
When I see a pretty cake online, and then read that it is only 2-4 inches in diameter? I FREAK OUT. I’m not buying those pans. Also, I’m human, and can eat more than your average mouse.
I’m going to make this today. I’m not questioning you or second guessing you, but wanted to be sure: no eggs in this recipe????
NO EGGS!
Hate to mention modifications in someones recipe but I added 1 egg and it was still moist, light and delicious. Sometimes these cakes need an egg to help give it some extra rise and density.
Thanks!
Oh dear lordy this looks so good! As a kid we always made chocolate cake with cocoa powder and it was so good, I actually find cakes packed full of melted chocolate and ganache to actually be TOO rich and want something simpler! It’s definitely time to give this another go 🙂
Agreed! I like kickin’ it old school in the kitchen. Tried, true and nothin’ fancy!
Ughhhh I hate chopping chocolate. I do totally dig those photos, though. And the cake. And you.
I love chocolate, but loathe chopping it. It flies all over the place and manages to get all melty at the same time. Why, chocolate, why?
Know what I like more than chopping chocolate? You.
<3 The fact that chocolate carries a static charge always blows my mind. Until I find that it has gotten itself stuck in my hair.
Yep – the best kind of cake – easy and made with store cupboard ingredients.
I get so sad when I think I’m going to have cake and then find out I have to go to the grocery store. I mean, I’d have to put on pants! Super frustrating.
I will be adding a couple 6″ cake pans to my shopping list! Perfect for our dwindling household!
I use my 6-inch pans all the time! When I bought them, I wasn’t entirely convinced. Now? I use them as often as my big pans!
Total perfection. If I ever graduate to real cakes, this 6-inch masterpiece is going to be what I go for first.
Maybe you should just get other people to bake you six-inch cakes? That would be far easier than doing it yourself, and you’d still get to eat cake!
Pixie pants? Are those what the leprechauns wear? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Chocolate cake with espresso though, is perfection. Possibly like 2.0.
Pixie Pants are huge at Old Navy right now. They are very, very tight. You’d have to be an actual pixie to look good in them. If you wore them whilst eating cake, the seams would burst open. (Which is why I eat cake in my pyjamas. EXPANSION.)
And yes, 2.0 is perfect.
my favorite cake is a 6-inch cake. Always! because, cute slices. and i don’t feel so bad eating 3 of them.
[…] This adorably tiny chocolate cake (which I very well may make to accompany my Momofuku creation) […]
I only just discovered your super cute blog and am loving the wonderful photography and genius creations on show! 🙂
Dear Sarah,
Let’s be best friends.
xox movita
Alas, no 6 inch cake pans in my cupboard stash. Looks like I need to get right on that. Lord knows I don’t need to keep eating all those 9 inch cakes by myself…though they do make a dandy breakfast. HomeSense here I come!
There’s no polite way to ask this — what are the blue balls made of? 🙂
Dear Elizabeth,
Thank you for my first snort of the day.
The blue balls are made of chocolate and covered with a pretty candy coating. I found them at a party store!
Sincerely yours,
movita
In my house, a 6 inch cake is called a “Nancy sized” individual portion. These are beautiful photos, Movita! Thanks for reminding me of my checkered sexual history. I’d buried it deep in my memory but this post has brought it right back to the surface! Now I need cake!
you know…every day i wake up and i think to myself “shannon: WHYYYY don’t you live in nova scotia? you could be eating like a QUEEN if you did.
this MUST be remedied someday. I see you all are working on the next Ice Age up there so i guess after that, maybe?
About to make this for my son’s 2nd bday! Just making sure there’s no typo- no eggs at all?
No eggs!
This recipe was absolutely fantastic. Any tips on making it in a bigger, rectangular pan? Double the batter? How would the cooking time change? I need to increase the serving size to 35 🙁
I suspect you could double this recipe with no trouble! The baking time won’t necessarily change because there’s more batter – it really depends on the size of your pan (the depth/thickness of your batter) – so I’d keep a close eye on it in the oven. If it were me, I’d do a test run before making it for 35! (Alternatively, I’d look for a larger scale recipe.) I wish I could be more helpful – I haven’t tested this recipe for a large scale batch. Good luck!
Thanks for your reply. How would this cake work on an 8-9″ pan instead?
I’m not sure – I’ve only tested the recipe as printed. You could try doubling it!
If I only have 1 6 inch round cake pan, can I pour all the batter in and then cut the cake into layers?
I’ve only tested the recipe as printed, and can’t guarantee that baking in only one 6-inch pan would work. If you try that method, you’d need to be sure the pan was quite deep (to avoid overflow), and the bake time would definitely increase. The cake is very tender, so I’m not sure that it would hold up to slicing into layers – it’s very delicate. Sorry I can’t be of more assistance!
This is the best frosting I’ve ever tasted! Thank you for the recipe!!
You are most welcome!!
omyfingerinthefrostinggoodness!
I made this again, but into cupcakes.
hmmm. deliciousioso.
I’m going to be the “hit” at the party.
Thanks to yOU, my silly northeasterner.
yum
teri
Can i substitute the butter milk with full cream milk instead?
Buttermilk makes for a more tender crumb and lighter batter, so I’d be reluctant to substitute. The recipe has only been tested with buttermilk, so I can’t personally recommend anything else. The baking soda in this recipe needs something acidic to react with (the buttermilk) in order to work properly. You can make buttermilk out of regular milk by stirring in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and then letting it stand for about 10 minutes to curdle and thicken a bit.
Noted.Thank you so much for your help!
Almond Milk worked for me in this cake. Helps keep it non-dairy.
This looks like the perfect cake to make for my baby’s first birthday smash cake! That being said…do you know of any substitute for the coffee (which I don’t have around the house anyway) in the frosting that will make it just as smooth and spreadable?
I’ve only tested this recipe with coffee, and I’m reluctant to recommend alternatives that I haven’t tried. If I had to guess, I’d say cream or milk might work, though they would change the texture slightly, as coffee is basically water! The coffee is also in there for flavouring, as it brings out the chocolate tones. You could look for another recipe without the coffee – there are bazillions of frosting recipes out there. You might even want to do a search for recipes that have been specifically made for smash cakes – I’m betting there are some great options out there. Good luck – I hope your baby’s first birthday is perfection!
I cut the ingredients in this cake in half and make a single layer. After it cools, I pour a chocolate ganache over the top and let it drizzle down the sides. Perfect dessert for 2 or 4. Pic at https://www.instagram.com/p/9CRrGjRvSu/
Genius!
Also, I’m pretty sure that would be a perfect dessert for 1. (Me.)
I made this cake last weekend as the top tier of a 2 tier cake for a birthday party. We loved it!!! I’m making it again today for a birthday party and I’m going to pair it with salted caramel buttercream! Thank you so much for the awesome cake recipe!
This is wonderful to hear, Charlotte! I used this recipe yesterday to make a dozen cupcakes for a party, and they were a hit! It’s one of my favourite recipes. So glad you like it!
The Salted caramel buttercream paired with the cake was AMAZING! I will definitely try it as cupcakes! Is it the same baking time? Thanks again????
You might have to adjust the bake time slightly, as cupcakes tend to bake faster. It will also depend on the colour of your cupcake tin, as dark vs. light pans can affect the bake time a little. Check them at about 18 minutes and go from there!
18 minutes was perfect! Thank you:)! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I followed this recipe exactly and after 22 minutes it’s so gooey! This is my second time trying and i put it in for twice the amount of time. Still gooey and had to put it in for another 10 min… then the middle sunk in. It’s absolutely delicious but a huge pain in the butt. Is my oven broken or is this recipe off??
Brittney, I can’t answer that. I don’t believe the recipe is off, as I’ve made it many times and haven’t had any problems. In addition, several readers have made it without trouble. Assuming you used 6-inch pans and didn’t adjust any ingredients (even slightly), it could be that your oven is off (test with an oven thermometer) or that your oven requires a longer bake time. I wish I could help you, but given that I’m not at your house, it’s hard for me to know what’s happening!
[…] the scientist in me, but I believe in citing my sources, and I totally forgot to link to the chocolate cake recipe I used. I know some people spend forever tweaking a recipe to be just right, so I want to give […]
I received my 6 inch pans from Amazon today and will bake this charming beauty tomorrow. The cake calls for cocoa powder and the icing calls for cocoa? Same thing?
Same thing!!
Hi! Greetings from Ireland! I need to make this recipe as one tier in a 3 tier christening cake. Is it suitable for freezing by any chance?
Regards,
Sarah
I can’t see why not!
Comments on this post are now closed as it was published in March 2015.