Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

This mini pumpkin chocolate cake with brown butter frosting is a decadent little mouthful for fun and festive times. 

Two little layers of chocolate, two little layers of pumpkin, all covered in brown butter frosting! Why didn’t nursery rhymes go like that? I would have learnt them much more easily. I am so in love with this cake. It is decadent but the fact that it is so tiny, helps in alleviating some guilt – that is if you share.

How are your Halloween preparations going?… this is only my second Halloween and I am as confused as ever. Last year we got around 200 kids and for 2 hours I was at the door with only a short a pee break. So I am like, will we have as many kids this year as well?? How much candy do I buy because, last year, our supplies started to dwindle pretty soon and then I had to be the ‘mean-boring lady who wore jeans and sweater and gave out one candy each’ Uggghhh! This year, we stocked up pretty good! What do I dress up as?? I have no ideas you guys.. is it time to hit Pinterest for Halloween costumes? Do you buy or rent costumes each year? Do you make your own? Are you the super creative types who does DIY? This is making me a touch nervous clearly! You will probably find me having a meltdown over what to wear one hour before the wave of candy-hungry-kids strikes!

Since there are no kids in this household, I can get away with making a cute little layer cake as a Halloween treat! I am sure the kids will still enjoy it but can it compete with scary spider cookies and marshmallow ghosts??? I doubt it. But the adults definitely will. Anyone who loves the pumpkin-chocolate combination will definitely dig this one.

Notes

•  If planning to make the entire cake on the same day, I would recommend starting with browning the butter since it takes time to chill and solidify.
• This cake is actually pretty easy to make in one day since the chocolate and pumpkin cakes come together super quick as there is no creaming required. Make the batter for one cake while the other is baking up.
• If you bake the cakes in slightly bigger pans, adjust time accordingly. They will bake quicker.

Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Cake w Brown Butter Frosting

Ingredients – 4-inch 4 layer cake
For the chocolate layer
6 tbsp (55g) all-purpose flour
2 ½ tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp tsp vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2tbsp buttermilk
2tbsp cooled coffee

For the pumpkin layer
¼ cup (30g) all purpose flour
2 tbsp (12g) almond flour
¼ tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
½ – 1 tsp pumpkin spice
3 tbsp (40g) brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp (25g) maple syrup
1 tbsp (25g) sour cream / yoghurt
1/3 cup (78g) pumpin puree
2tbsp (26g) veg oil
¼ tsp vanilla extract

For the brown butter cream cheese frosting
2oz (57g) butter
2oz (57g) cream cheese, softened
4oz (113g) icing sugar
splash of vanilla
pinch of salt

Bake the mini chocolate cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 4inch round cake pan. I used a 4inch springform.
2. Mix flour, white sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt together. Whisk well and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, vanilla extract, vinegar, oil, buttermilk and coffee till evenly combined.
4. Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk just until no dry lumps are visible.
5. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 – 25 mins or till skewer inserted comes out clean.
6. Let cool in pan till completely cool. Run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen sides and invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Carefully cut the cake horizontally in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate till ready to use.

Bake the mini pumpkin spice cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 4inch round cake pan. I used a 4inch springform.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, maple syrup, sour cream, pumpkin puree, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk well.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk just until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 – 35 minutes until skewer inserted comes out with some wet crumbs stuck to it.
5. Let cool in pan till completely cool. Run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen sides and invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. Carefully cut the cake horizontally in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate till ready to use.

Whip up the frosting

1. Heat butter in a small saucepan on high heat. Once it starts to bubble, stir intermittently with a rubber spatula and keep an eye on it. Once you see specks of dark brown and smell deliciousness in the air take it off the heat. As it cools, stir it once in a while so that it solidifies evenly or all the good brown bits will settle at the bottom. It should be completely cooled (slightly chilled) and solidified but still a little soft.
2. In a medium bowl, using a hand-held mixer, beat the browned butter till smooth and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat again till smooth.
3. Add the icing sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until smooth. If too runny, add more icing sugar 1tbsp at a time.

Assembly

Place one half of the chocolate cake on a plate or cake stand. Spoon butter cream into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe buttercream onto the chocolate layer, or you could simply smooth the frosting on with an offset spatula. Place pumpkin layer and spread frosting. Repeat process two more times. Frost top and sides. Decorate as you like! It’s the fun part.

Chocolate cake adapted from Two Red Bowls
Pumpkin Cake adapted from Pumpkin Mini Maple Cakes

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