I’ve taken my moist chocolate layer cake and modified it to create the perfect small batch chocolate cake recipe. This recipe makes three, 6-inch cake layers that are the perfect height.
I initially modified my vanilla layer cake recipe to make a small batch vanilla cake recipe. You all were quite enthusiastic about it, and several of you asked me to do the same with my chocolate cake recipe.
So here we are, ready to make the perfect 6-inch chocolate cake.
What Does Small Batch Mean?
In this case, small batch just means I’ve updated the amount of ingredients you use to make a smaller cake.
At first I thought I could just cut the recipe in half and make three cake layers. You can do this but the cake layers turn out quite a bit thinner than I’m used to.
I wanted each cake layer to be at least an inch tall, so I knew I’d have to play around this.
In the end, it turned out that making 2/3 of a batch is the ideal amount of batter to make a 6-inch cake.
How Many Layers Does This Recipe Make?
Like I mentioned above, this small batch chocolate cake recipe bakes three, perfect little 6 inch layers.
It may seem like you’re filling your pans pretty full, but this batter doesn’t rise much as it bakes.
That’s part of what makes my chocolate cake recipe so great though. With that in mind, you should end up with cake layers that are just a bit taller than 1 inch once they’re leveled.
If you want to make a taller cake with four cake layers, I recommend following my standard sized chocolate cake recipe.
If this small batch recipe is used to make 4 cake layers, they will end up being a bit thinner, and should be baked for slightly less time (24-27 minutes).
How Many People Does This 6-Inch Layer Cake Feed?
My chocolate recipe is great but it makes a pretty big cake and can feed about 24 people.
This is great if you’re making a cake for a party or a large group of people. But sometimes you don’t need to make that big of a cake. This cake feeds about 16 people.
Dressing Up This Small Batch Chocolate Cake Recipe
At its core, this is a classic chocolate cake recipe. It’s made with moist, rich chocolate cake layers and frosted with a decadent chocolate buttercream.
As I photographed this small batch chocolate cake recipe, I had a little fun decorating it!
I started by adding a chocolate drip. Blackberries and figs were in season, so I threw some of those onto the cake too!
I also added a bit of my blackberry freezer jam between the cake layers, to tie the garnish and the flavor of the cake together.
It might sound like an odd flavor combination, but I swear blackberries and chocolate are delicious together!
You can also keep things a bit more simple, and just focus on chocolate if you prefer. There is nothing wrong with a classic chocolate cake!!
Tips for Making The Best Small Batch Chocolate Cake
- Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake to make it easier to stack and frost.
- Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
- Use a serrated knife to level your cake layers once they’re fully cooled. This makes it easier to assemble and frost your cake.
- I do not recommend using this recipe to make cupcakes! Instead, try my moist chocolate cupcake recipe. It makes the perfect amount of batter for a dozen cupcakes.
- Use my regular chocolate cake recipe to make a 7- or 8-inch layer cake.
Making These 6-Inch Cake Layers in Advance and Storage Tips:
Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Let Me Know What You Think!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this small batch chocolate cake recipe! Do you like making smaller cakes like this? Let me know by sharing a rating and comment below.
And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so that I can see your delicious creations!
Other Recipes You Might Like:
Small Batch Chocolate Cake Recipe
This small batch chocolate cake recipe makes just enough batter for a perfect, 6-inch layer cake! It's moist, delicious, and frosted with decadent chocolate buttercream.
Ingredients
6-Inch Chocolate Cake
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (167g)
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar (266g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (50g)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6g)
- 1 tsp baking soda (6g)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
- 2/3 cup warm water (160g)
- 1 tsp instant espresso of coffee (3g)
- 2/3 cup buttermilk (160g)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (75g)
- 1 large egg + 1 egg white, room temperature (85g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups (or 3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (339g)
- 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa, sifted (67g)
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (454 grams or a 1 lb. bag)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (76g)
- 1 cup dark chocolate, melted and cooled (170g)
Optional Filling and Decorations:
- 6 oz. blackberry jam
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 pint figs
- 1 pint blackberries
- Chocolate Ganache Drip
Recommended Tools
- 6-inch cake pans
- Spinning cake stand
- greaseproof cake board
- Large offset spatula
- Bench Scraper
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
Instructions
Chocolate Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Line and grease three, six-inch cake pans.
- Combine 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1/2 cup baking cocoa, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
- In a separate, large bowl, add 2/3 cup of hot water and 1 tsp instant espresso or coffee. Stir until dissolved.
- Add in 2/3 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup oil, 1 egg + 1 egg white, and 1 tsp vanilla extract into the instant espresso mixture. Give the mixture a quick stir to combine the ingredients.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be on the thin side, but that’s the consistency you're after!
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for about 23-26 minutes. I like to use a kitchen scale to weigh the pans. It ensures each pan has the exact same amount of batter and helps the cake layers bake up to be the same height.
- Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them onto wire racks to finish cooling.
- Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer. If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- While the cake layers bake and cool, make the chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Beat 1 1/2 cups of butter and 1/2 tsp of fine salt on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
- Add in 2/3 cup of sifted cocoa powder and mix on low until the cocoa is fully incorporated and no clumps remain.
- Slowly mix in 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through, pour in 1/3 cup of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
- Then mix in 1 cup of melted and cooled chocolate.
- Beat on low until the ingredients are fully combined and the desired consistency is reached.
- If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
- Stir by hand with a rubber spatula for a couple minutes to get the frosting SUPER smooth. This frosting will crust if it sits out, so cover it with plastic wrap until you're ready to use it.
Assembling This 6-Inch Chocolate Cake:
- Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
- Spread an even layer of chocolate buttercream on top of the cake layer. Repeat with the second cake layer, then place the third cake layer upside down to make it easier to frost.
- Spread a thin coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers.
- Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (10 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
- Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake, and smooth using a bench scraper. Then decorate as desired!
Notes
Recipe Variations
This recipe can also be used to make a sheet cake! One batch will make one, 9 x 13-inch cake that's about 1-inch tall.
Tips for Making the Best Small Batch Chocolate Cake
- Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
- Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
- Bang your cake pans on the counter before putting them in the oven. This brings any big air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
- Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
- Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
- I do not recommend using this recipe to make cupcakes! Instead, try my moist chocolate cupcake recipe. It makes the perfect amount of batter for a dozen cupcakes.
- Use my regular chocolate cake recipe to make a 7- or 8-inch layer cake.
Making This 6-Inch Chocolate Layer Cake in Advance & Storage Tips
Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 451Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 31mgSodium 346mgCarbohydrates 77gFiber 4gSugar 60gProtein 4g
Bre
Monday 15th of January 2024
Quick question! If I wanted to make an additional layer how much would I need to add to the recipe so the layers wouldn’t have to be thinner?
Chelsweets
Saturday 20th of January 2024
Hi Bre,
I would recommend making 1 1/3 batches of this recipe if you want to make 4, 6-inch cake layers! However, it might just be easier to make a regular-sized batch of this recipe (the calculation is basically the same!), which can be found here: https://chelsweets.com/the-best-chocolate-cake-recipe/
Hope that helps, happy baking!
Diana
Wednesday 29th of November 2023
Honestly? This is probably one of the best chocolate cake and frosting recipes I've ever made. I gave half to my neighbors, who raved about it. My husband, who isn't a big chocolate guy, ate a quarter of it. It is outstanding. Definitely a keeper. Thanks!
Chelsweets
Tuesday 5th of December 2023
Your comment put the biggest smile on my face Diana!!!! Thank you so much for sharing :)
Rachael
Friday 4th of August 2023
Hi! I was looking at this recipe AND your full chocolate layer cake recipe and I noticed this recipe omits butter from the cake but the full recipe has it. Wondering the difference why this one cuts out the butter? (I saw your comment as to why the espresso powder was missing, so I won't ask about that one). Thanks for your help!
Rachael
Friday 4th of August 2023
Looking at it more closely, I see this recipe adds oil. Sorry - missed that the first time I was comparing them.
Stephanie
Monday 31st of July 2023
Hi chels! Does this cake and your 8" chocolate cake recipe stack well? I want to make them for a rehearsal dinner and since they aren't butter based I'm wondering if they'll stack nicely.
Chelsweets
Thursday 17th of August 2023
Hi Stephanie,
Great question! These do have a really soft, fluffy texture and do tend to crumb a bit when they're stacked and frosted. I make layer cakes with both recipes all the time, but crumb coating them can be a bit messy. However, if you chill the cake layers in the freezer for like 30 minutes (so that they're cold to the touch, but not frozen solid), it greatly reduces the crumbing.
If you want a more sturdy chocolate cake recipe, I'd recommend using my buttermilk chocolate cake recipe: https://chelsweets.com/the-best-chocolate-layer-cake-recipe/
It's essentially the chocolate version of my vanilla layer cake recipe, and it stacks and frosts like a dream. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Jennifer Jackson
Sunday 24th of July 2022
Delicious cake!!! I used my homemade blackberry jelly. Super fabulous. Thank you. I got 10 generous slices and 10 very happy smiles.
Chelsweets
Sunday 31st of July 2022
So happy to hear that Jennifer!! Thank you for sharing :)