Chocolate Cake For Two Recipe

4.84 from 12 votes

Chocolate Cake For Two Recipe

This Chocolate Cake for Two is perfect for Valentine's Day. This cake is perfectly moist, chocolate-y with the most decadent crumb. On top, are piped out roses, topped with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Decorating20

Total Time1 10

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American, Valentine's Day

Servings:

Author: Adrianna Adarme

Cost: $9

Ingredients

Cake:

3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups white granulated sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon, buttermilk
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon, warm water
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar sifted
3 ounces dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate melted and cooled
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Flaked sea salt for topping

Instructions

To Make the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 6-inch cake pans. This batter is sticky so I also lined the bottoms with parchment. I highly recommend this. You don’t want to bake the whole thing up and have it stick. Set the pans aside. See below for link in the *notes* on baking cake layers flat. I do this every single time and it’s SO helpful.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment), add the all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. Next, crack in the egg, pour in the buttermilk, warm water, olive oil and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth, about 1 minute. The batter will be thinner than cake batter that you’re probably used to—that’s ok!
Divide the cake batter amongst the two cake pans and transfer to the oven to bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Clean out the bowl you used to make the cake and dry it thoroughly. While the cake is cooling, use it to make the frosting.

To Make the Frosting:

Add all of the ingredients to the the cleaned large bowl or the bowl of the stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment), add the butter, powdered sugar, melted chocolate, cream or milk and vanilla extract. Beat until thoroughly combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix one last time, just to ensure everything is combined.

To Decorate the Cake:

Add a few tablespoons of frosting to the center of one of the rounds of cake. Smooth it around, until it reaches the edges. Add a pinch of salt all around. Place the second layer on top. Since I was going for a “naked cake” look, I added more frosting to the seam of the two cakes and smoothed it all around. Neat is not the goal! Add the remaining frosting to piping bag with a star tip attached. In the center of the top layer of cake, pipe out a rose by starting in the center and going all the way around twice. Complete the cake by adding smaller roses around the center rose. Don’t be shy to practice on a piece of parchment first and then simply add the frosting back to the piping bag—no waste!
Top the cake with a sprinkling of flaked sea salt.

Notes

Baking Flat Layer Cakes:

How to Bake Flat Layer Cakes

To Make this Cake Ahead:

You can freeze these cake layers up to 3 months ahead. Bake the cakes, allow them to come to room temperature and then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.

The frosting can be made up to 3 months ahead. Make the frosting, transfer to a freezer-safe container and transfer to freezer.

To keep in the fridge: make the cake layers up to 2 days ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Frosting can also be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Equipment and Tools:

Nutrition