Small Chocolate Cake
Your favorite homemade chocolate cake just got a mini makeover! This small chocolate cake recipe makes a two layer, 6-inch cake that yields six to eight slices. It’s perfect for smaller gatherings when you don’t need a full-sized layer cake!
This adorable cake is a smaller version of my go-to chocolate cake recipe. It’s just as rich, moist, and chocolatey as its full-sized counterpart, but scaled down to fit two 6-inch cake pans instead!
Made with pantry staples and no complicated measurements, this recipe couldn’t be any easier. The cake batter is whisked together in one bowl, baked, then topped with my favorite chocolate buttercream frosting.
This cake would be perfect for Valentine’s day and it even makes an adorable smash cake for a first birthday party. I’ve also included several other frosting options below that pair beautifully with this cake!
Recipe Video
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Cocoa Powder
I recommend sticking with natural cocoa powder when making the cake batter. If you use Dutch process, your cake layers will sink in the middle (speaking from personal experience here!). If you’re curious about the difference between the two, I have a post that explains more about natural vs Dutch process cocoa powder.
Buttermilk
This keeps the cake nice and moist, while also creating a more tender crumb. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own buttermilk substitute using some whole milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
Hot Water & Instant Espresso Powder/Coffee
The instant espresso powder will give your cake a deeper, richer chocolate flavor. Don’t worry though! There’s not enough in the batter to make it taste like coffee, I promise.
If you don’t have any or can’t find some you can swap it with instant coffee or replace it entirely with ½ cup of brewed coffee. If you prefer not to use coffee, just be sure to still use ½ cup of hot water in the batter.
Don’t Forget To Line Your Pans
To prevent the cake layers from sticking to the pans, make sure to spray the bottoms and sides with some non-stick cooking spray, then line each pan with a parchment paper circle.
The cooking spray is going to help the parchment paper stick to the bottom of the pan and prevent the sides of the cake from sticking. This is an incredibly moist cake and a layer of parchment paper at the bottom will make it MUCH easier to remove the cake layers from the pan.
You can buy 6-inch parchment paper circles, but I typically only keep 9-inch ones on hand. I will either cut those down or cut my own circles out of a piece of parchment paper. Here’s a quick video that shows you an easy way to make a parchment paper round.
Tips For A Moist Cake
- Measure your flour correctly. It’s really best to use a food scale to weigh the flour so you don’t measure out too much (too much flour = a dry cake). If you don’t own a food scale, just make sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Don’t reduce the sugar. Yes, sugar is added to the cake for sweetness, but it also adds moisture. Especially the brown sugar! Trying to cut back on the sugar will cause your cake to dry out much faster.
- Avoid over mixing the batter. You only want to mix in the wet ingredients until just combined! Over mixing the cake batter can overdevelop the gluten and cause your cake to be dense or gummy.
- Make sure not to over bake the cake layers. This is a guaranteed way to wind up with a dry, crumbly cake. The cake layers are done when the tops spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Keep in mind that the cake layers will bake a little faster if you use darker pans.
Tips For Decorating Your Cake
Once you’ve let the cake layers cool completely, you can decorate your cake however you prefer. If you’re newer to cake decorating and need a little more guidance, it may help to look through my post on how to decorate a layer cake.
For this cake, I used my chocolate buttercream which I think pairs really well with it. If you want to try something else, my Oreo frosting, strawberry frosting, peanut butter frosting, or chocolate cream cheese frosting would all work great too!
I used the Wilton 1M piping tip to add a simple border around the top as well as some sprinkles. You can feel free to use your favorite piping tip for the border or keep things simple and just leave it off.
Want to add more? My strawberry cake filling or raspberry cake filling would be delicious in the center of this cake. You could even top it with a chocolate ganache drip (using the 1:1 ratio) or some salted caramel sauce!
Can I Use A Larger Pan Instead?
Yes! If you don’t have two 6-inch cake pans, you can bake the batter in one 9-inch pan instead. The baking time will need to be adjusted to roughly 30 minutes (give or take a few minutes).
How Many Does This Recipe Serve?
This cake yields 6 larger servings or 8 smaller ones.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe! Let me know how you wind up decorating your chocolate cake and if you try a different frosting with it.
P.S. If you’re looking for a vanilla version, you can try my 6-inch vanilla cake recipe instead!
Small Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned & leveled (125 grams)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder (34 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ⅓ cup canola vegetable, or avocado oil (80 ml)
- ½ cup buttermilk (120 ml)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot water (120 ml)
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder or 1 teaspoon instant coffee optional (If you don’t use this, you still need to add the hot water)
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226 grams; 2 sticks)
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder sifted (45 grams)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk (45 to 60 ml)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To make the chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray, line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper circle (this will prevent the cake layers from sticking to the pans), and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined.1 cup all-purpose flour,¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder,¾ teaspoon baking powder,½ teaspoon baking soda,½ teaspoon salt,½ cup packed light brown sugar,½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the oil, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.⅓ cup canola,½ cup buttermilk,1 large egg,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the instant espresso powder (or instant coffee) to the ½ cup of hot water and mix until fully dissolved. Add to the mixing bowl and mix until everything is just combined. The batter will be thin, this is normal!½ cup hot water,½ teaspoon instant espresso powder or 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 28 to 33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 to 20 minutes or until they’re cool enough to handle. Slide a knife around the outside of each cake layer, then carefully remove the cakes from the pans, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If you want the cake layers to be firmer so they’re easier to frost, place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you start frosting the cake.
- To make the chocolate buttercream frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute until smooth and creamy.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition, then add the cocoa powder and mix until fully combined.3 cups powdered sugar,½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- Add 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream (or milk), the vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the frosting is too thick, you can mix in an extra tablespoon of heavy cream or milk.3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract,⅛ teaspoon salt
- To assemble the cake: Use a knife or a cake leveler to level the tops of each cake layer.
- Place the first cake layer on a cardboard cake round, large plate, or cake stand.
- Scoop about ¾ cup of frosting on top and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it around into an even layer.
- Add the second cake layer upside down on top of the first one. Apply a thin coat of icing to the outside of the cake to catch any crumbs. Freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 20 minutes. This is optional, but it will allow the crumb coat time to firm up and make it easier to apply the final layer of frosting.
- Use the rest of the frosting to decorate the top and sides of the cake.
What can I substitute the canola oil with. Trying not to have seed oils
You could use avocado or coconut oil instead. If you use coconut oil, just make sure all of your other ingredients are at room temperature so that it doesn’t solidify when you mix everything together.