Mini Chocolate Valentine Cakes

On Saturday, we had hubby's family over for dinner.  I wanted something that I could make ahead of time and then put together at the last minute. These mini chocolate cakes were the ticket.

The great thing about this recipe is that there are no special ingredients, unless you do not stock cake flour. 

I modified the recipe some from the original. You can find the original here. They made a meringue topping and I used real whipped cream. They added mint and I added red raspberries. Personally, I loved the raspberries. I think they go great with chocolate. Yum!!

As you can see from this photo, the whipped topping is melting. I had to take the pictures quickly since the cake is served warm, (I heated the cakes for a few seconds in the microwave) with the warm chocolate sauce on top. I thought the whipped cream and raspberry would end up on the plate before I could get the rest of the pictures taken.

The chocolate sauce was so heavenly. I will use this on other recipes. I actually doubled the recipe and was glad I did. If you don't want to make the cake, try the sauce. It would go great on ice cream as well.

It was a huge success. Everyone loved it. The size was just right. I like making smaller sized desserts, then I don't feel so guilty. 

Recipe                                                                            Print

5 Ingredient Chocolate Mini Cakes

Ingredients:

Cake:

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 large egg yolks

2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) cake flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

Dash of salt

3 large egg whites

Sauce:

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon cake flour

Topping:

Whipped cream

Raspberries (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, coat 6 (8-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray. Sprinkle ramekins evenly with 3 tablespoons sugar, tapping out excess.

3. Combine 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons butter, and egg yolks in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk until completely combined. Weigh or lightly spoon 2 ounces flour (1/2 cup) into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine 2 ounces flour, 1/3 cup cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to yolk mixture, stirring until well combined (mixture will look a little grainy).

4. Place 3 egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating mixture at high speed until medium peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into batter; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife around edge of ramekins; carefully invert cakes onto dessert plates.

5. To prepare sauce, combine 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon flour in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; keep sauce warm.

6. Either make your own whipped topping or use Reddy Whip (my choice). Garnish with raspberries, if desired. Serve immediately. 

This would make a great Valentine's dessert for your special someone.

 

The post  Mini Chocolate Valentine Cakes first appeared on Eclectic Red Barn.