With Valentine’s Day coming up right around the corner, it’s important to have some options for dessert. Traditionally the most popular recipes during Valentine’s Day include Red Velvet Cupcakes (recipe coming soon), or anything that involves chocolate. If you haven’t noticed, I am a huge fan of mini cakes, primarily because they are easy to make and can be shared between 2 – 5 people. Cakes are fantastic, but if you don’t have many people to share the cake with, then it goes to waste. Mini cakes are a great alternative because you get to make your cake and eat it too, without having a huge amount of leftovers.
This year for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to come up with an easy mini cake recipe, that evoked all the flavours of this romantic holiday. I believe I came up with the perfect recipe! A Spicy Chocolate Cake for Two! This chocolate cake is moist and tender, with a kick of spice that is complemented by a combination of chocolate and cream cheese frosting.
What is great about this recipe (aside from its miniature size), is the fact that you can bake and frost the cake all within a couple of hours! That way you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time in bed with your loved one! 😉
INGREDIENTS FOR ROMANCE
I can think of no better way to end your Valentine’s Day meal than with a dessert that has ingredients made for love. For my spicy chocolate cake recipe, I wanted to create a flavour of cake that not only tastes amazing but also makes you feel amazing! The three primary ingredients in this cake are chocolate, chili powder, and coffee. According to the Holy (Women’s) Bible Cosmopolitan, these ingredients contain aphrodisiac properties that can impact your sex drive. And since this is a holiday about love, what better way to celebrate than by eating this libido increasing cake!
So what exactly do these ingredients do? Chili powder stimulates nerve endings on the tongue, releasing epinephrine (adrenaline). This chemical increases your heart rate and releases endorphins making you feel excited and happy. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine — a stimulant that elicits excitement and a sense of happiness. Dark chocolate that has at least 75 percent cacao also contributes to your heart health! Finally, coffee’s caffeine, similarly to chocolate, increases stamina and can elevate your mood. Coffee increases dopamine levels in the brain, which is responsible for increasing desire and pleasure. So yeah… you can thank me later 😉 !
Finally, I decorated my spicy chocolate cake with minimal frosting for a naked cake effect (no pun intended 😉 ). I piped rosettes on top with a Wilton 1M tip, and I used a cream cheese filling for the inside. Feel free to use whichever frosting flavour you prefer, I used what I had on hand from my cupcake recipes! I personally loved the combination of chocolate and cream cheese- something I would never have tried before. But I mean, this is holiday is all about experimentation, am I right?
Of course, if you aren’t a fan of these flavours, or want to try something else, click here to check out other mini cake recipes of mine!
SPICY (LOVE INDUCING) CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR TWO
*This recipe makes enough to fill 2, 4-inch springform pans. You do not need to double the recipe. You can, however, half the recipe, to make enough for 2 people, but it would not be a layer cake at that point. Unless you cut the cake in half, which personally I do not recommend.
Spicy Chocolate Cake For 2
This spicy chocolate cake is perfect for a romantic date night meal. The mixture of chocolate is enhanced by the rich velvety flavour of espresso and the spicy bite of red chili powder.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup cool, espresso (can use water instead)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp chocolate extract (optional)
Chocolate Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup icing sugar (may need to use more)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (or more to taste)
- 1 tbsp cream (optional, use only if you need to loosen the consistency of your frosting)
Instructions
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Butter and flour two, 4 inch springform cake pans (I put a layer of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking). In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.
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Next, add the egg, espresso, buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla and chocolate extract. Combine the ingredients until the batter is smooth, and there aren't too many clumps. Be careful not to overmix. The batter will be relatively thin and should fall off your spoon like a ribbon.
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Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake in a preheated oven (350 F degrees) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool completely before frosting.
Chocoalte Frosting
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Cream the butter in your stand mixer. Add the icing sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder. Incorporate on slow, building up speed as the ingredients mix. Whip on high for 3-5 minutes to increase the fluffiness of your frosting. Transfer to a piping bag.
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This love inducing cake is the perfect way to end Valentine’s Day. The rich combination of chocolate and coffee is enhanced by the spicy kick of chili powder. Valentine’s Day is all about love, romance and spending quality time with your best friend. However, I personally think everyday should be Valentine’s Day. Especially if it means consuming an aphrodisiac filled mini cake made for looooove <3
