Small Chocolate Cake

This small chocolate cake is made in a single layer 6-inch cake pan for the perfect tiny cake. It’s rich, moist, luxurious and topped with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting.

This tiny chocolate cake is the perfect cake to make when you don’t need to serve too many people.

So think date night, anniversaries, Valentine’s day, these are all perfect occasions to make a tiny cake, for you and your love! Without much (or any) leftovers.

Of course it’s also perfect for small dinner parties or birthday parties or any occasion where you don’t have too many people to cater for.

It packs in all the flavor and richness of a larger cake, just made small.

If you’re looking for more romantic dessert inspiration then definitely also check out our red velvet ice cream!

Ingredients You Need To Make The Cake:

Ingredient Notes:

• Espresso powder – is just there to bring out the chocolate flavor. Your cake won’t taste like coffee at all. You can switch this for any instant coffee powder or you can omit it.
• Canola oil – can be switched for any vegetable oil.
• Buttermilk – can be proper store-bought buttermilk or a homemade buttermilk subsitute (consisting of lemon juice (or vinegar) + room temperature milk and letting it curdle).

Ingredients For The Frosting:

How To Make Small Chocolate Cake

Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

• Sift all purpose flour and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and add white sugar, baking soda, salt and espresso powder. Mix together.

• Add buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla and mix into a batter.

• Transfer the batter to a 6-inch cake pan (sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with a circle of parchment paper along the bottom).
• Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing it from the pan and transferring the cake to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

• While the cake is cooling, prepare your frosting.
• Add softened butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and milk to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat together until light and fluffy.

• When the cake is completely cooled, top with the frosting and then decorate with chocolate shavings.

Recipe Tips For Success

• Measure the flour correctly. The correct way to measure flour is to use the spoon and level method. Spoon flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop the flour and don’t pack it into the cup. Alternatively, if you have a food scale, then simply weigh out the correct amount for total accuracy.
• Cake pan sizes: this can also be made as a single layer 7-inch cake. It works great in a 7-inch cake pan, the cake just turns out slightly thinner. Baking time is 25-30 minutes.
• Make a layer cake: if you’d like to make this as a layer cake then that also works. You can make this as a two layer 6-inch cake. Baking time is 15 minutes. The frosting is enough to frost the middle, top and sides.
• Make cupcakes: you can also make 6 cupcakes from this recipe. Bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe FAQ

More Delicious Cakes

1. The Most Divine Chocolate Cake
2. Red Velvet Cake
3. Chocolate Orange Cake
4. Vanilla Cake
5. Carrot Cake
6. Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below.