Chocolate Mini Flower Cakes with Mocha Ganache (GF)

Happy Chocolate Monday everyone! I have a really fun dessert for you today, these chocolate mini flower cakes and boy oh boy you can’t believe how great my house smelled while these beauties were baking! Deep chocolate cake covered with a lush chocolate ganache is the best way to end a meal!

Did you know that “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro has a new line of bakeware and tools to help the home baker? They are being carried at Michael’s stores across the country! 

I chose to try the flower-shaped cake pan because it looked like a fun and easy way to create really beautiful little individual cakes. And it didn’t disappoint. The pan is very well made, nice and heavy. It has a nonstick coating that was very effective, though I did butter it just to be sure the cakes released. The edges have a wide margin making them easy to move in and out of the oven even while wearing oven mitts.

The cakes baked up beautifully, even with the gluten-free flours that I used! That is a sign of even heat distribution and quality bakeware. Sometimes gluten-free baked goods have trouble rising because of a lack of support normally supplied by the gluten in wheat flour and they may require smaller baking vessels because of this. I was warned that the cakes would rise and mound nicely, but they exceeded my expectations.

As a matter of fact, my only complaint is that the pan won’t hold all of the batter in a normal cake recipe. I filled the cake pan too full and still was able to get 6 cakes and 7 cupcakes. If I had filled the pans correctly, I would have gotten 10 to 12 cupcakes. The directions on the pan suggested filling each one 3/4 full. I wouldn’t fill them more than 2/3 or you will be wasting a lot of batter.

If you use the recipe below with the cake pan, make sure you have cupcake tins on hand ready for the overage. It is better to be prepared! Also, the cupcakes will need about 5 minutes less baking time, so be sure to check them first and remove them from the oven when they are done.

Now on to the recipe … These cakes have a rich, deep chocolate flavor with just a touch of something special that you can’t quite identify … oh yeah, coffee!

That’s right, I added a splash of coffee because I love what it does for chocolate, but you can leave it out or use cream instead. I use espresso a lot and like the intensity it gives chocolate. I used it in both the cakes and the ganache and I have to say, Wow, it was great!

The cakes come out of the oven tender and moist. If you dislike the typical sweet American desserts, they will be perfect with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar. But if you are a chocoholic and want intense chocolate flavor, add the mocha ganache glaze. I liked them both ways and am not sure which I prefer. I suggest you make them and try one without the glaze and one with to see which you like better. Then come back here and let me know!

 

Aren’t these chocolate mini flower cakes adorable? Wouldn’t they be perfect for parties? I could see them for baby showers, little girls birthday parties, wedding showers, or reunions with close friends. Because the pans are so well designed, you really don’t have to do much to decorate them, or you can go hog wild, it’s up to you!

If you are making these for a shower, I would use a vanilla cake batter and a white chocolate ganache. You can color the ganache with several colors and sprinkles to add a lot of fun to your dessert buffet!

I hope you make these chocolate mini flower cakes soon and enjoy every single bite! Have a very happy Chocolate Monday and a wonderful week ahead!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!

 

Ingredients needed for Chocolate Mini Flower Cakes:

• Butter, flour or GF flour blend, xanthan gum, sugar, cocoa powder
• Baking soda, salt, oil, egg, coffee, vanilla, water, heavy cream
• Semisweet or milk chocolate

 

PRO Tip:

If you don’t want to use the coffee in the ganache, you can replace it with more cream. I would recommend you increase the vanilla to 2 teaspoons.

 

How to make Chocolate Mini Flower Cakes:

1. Make the Cakes and Cupcakes: Whisk together the dry ingredients until evenly combined in the bowl of your stand mixer, place it on your machine, and insert the paddle attachment. In a bowl, whisk the oil, egg, coffee, vanilla, and water together and pour into the dry ingredients, beating until smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Fill the buttered mini flower cake pan about 2/3 full in each indentation, and about a dozen lined cupcake tins. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. The cupcakes will bake faster than the cakes. 
3. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and when cool enough to handle, move the cupcakes out of their pan and onto the rack to cool. Leave the mini cakes in their pan until completely cooled, shave off the bottoms if they are domed, then invert them onto the wire rack set over a sheet of parchment or waxed paper.
4. Prepare the Mocha Ganache: Heat the cream, coffee, and vanilla and bring to a low boil whisking often. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl; pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and set aside for about 5 minutes to start melting the chocolate. Whisk the chocolate until smooth with no streaks
5. Finish the Cakes: With the cooling rack over a sheet of parchment or waxed paper and working with a small ladle, slowly pour some of the ganache over the top of each mini cake, letting it drip over the edges. Set aside at room temperature for a while to let the ganache set slightly before serving.

 

PRO Tip:

I over-filled the cake pans and wound up with very tall cakes that required me to shave off the dome of each one. Only fill them about 2/3 full and you shouldn’t have to trim them much. And you’ll have enough batter left over to make 10 to 12 cupcakes.

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Kitchen scale
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Mini flower cake pan
• Stand mixer
• 4-cup measuring cup
• Large cookie scoop
• Wire cooling rack
• Serrated knife
• Saucepan
• Small ladle

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

Make certain that your cocoa powder, baking soda, and espresso powders are gluten-free. If you don’t have almond meal, you can use more of your gluten-free flour blend in its place.

*You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

 

 

 

Create a New Tradition Today!

 

Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in Oct 2013. The article was updated in 2023.