Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes

Happy February, y’all! I made an actual boat load of these Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes over the weekend and I can confidently tell you how delicious and easy they are to make. I also dug all of my heart-shaped cake pans out of the giant plastic tubs that are home to my various baking vessels and I really think we should all make heart-shaped baked goods year round. Who says they have to be a Valentine’s only sort of thing? I’m glad we’re all in agreement about this.

These Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes are rich, y’all. They are decadent. They’re so good all by themselves without any topping. They have this wonderfully dense but soft interior and it’s the best. My dad said it was almost as luxurious as cheesecake. Originally, I wanted to coat them in chocolate ganache, but instead I opted for a chocolate drizzle and, in keeping with the chocolate theme here, some little swirls chocolate whipped cream. The strawberries were sweet but a tiny bit tart and actually went so well with the intense cocoa flavor, helped balance it out a little.

BAKING PANS AND SIZES

Yes, you can and should definitely still makes these even if you don’t have heart-shaped cupcake pans! Here’s how:

• A regular muffin/cupcake pan will get you about 12 cupcake-sized mini pound cakes and should bake around 25 minutes. The heart cupcake pan I used for some of these (the ones with cherries in the photos) holds the same amount of batter as a regular pan.
• For half of these mini pound cakes, I used my Wilton Mini Heart Cake pans. Growing up, whenever my mom and I would bake something, I loved this pan! It’s one of my favorite things. I was lucky enough to come across another one in a thrift store a few months ago and snatched it up. The cavities are about 3″ x 3.5″ and not very deep, so if you happen to have anything along these lines, you’ll get about 12 of these. Because they yield thinner cake, they bake for less time, about 15 to 18 minutes.
• The amount of batter this recipe makes should also work in a loaf pan. I haven’t tried it this way myself, but I feel like it would be an excellent loaf! I’d bake it for about 40 to 45 minutes and check for doneness. It might need some extra time after that.

I love these Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes as fun little treats for Valentine’s Day, but I think I’d also be happy with them just about any day of the year. They’re the perfect little indulgent cakes. Not too big and perfect for those times you just need a few bites of something sweet. Catch me with one of these and a cup of coffee before I head off to work just because I can!

Happy baking, y’all!

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5 from 1 vote

Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 12 mini cakes

Ingredients

Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes:

• ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp salt

Chocolate Whipped Cream:

• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ tbsp powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the cakes:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and spray muffin pan (or similar baking pan) with baking spray.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until combined. Add sugar and mix until combined and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and eggs; mix well.
• Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt; mix until fully incorporated.
• Use a cookie scoop to fill each cavity about three quarters full. If using a regular muffin/cupcake pan (or heart-shaped cupcake pan), bake for about 25 minutes. If using a Wilton Mini Heart Cakes Pan, bake 15 to 18 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the center each cake; if it comes out clean, they’re done!
• Let cakes cool in pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter, making sure to wipe out and re-spray pan as needed.

To make the whipped cream:

• Combine heavy cream, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cakes. Garnish with chocolate sauce and berries if desired.

Notes

If using a regular muffin/cupcake pan, this recipe makes about 12 mini cakes. Yield may vary depending on the size of the pan used.

All images and text ⓒBethcakes.

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