Strawberry Frosted Mini Chocolate Cakes

Ingredients

• Makes 8 (1 cup capacity) mini cakes

Cake

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

Frosting

• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 3500F.
2. Grease 8 (1 cup capacity) mini cake molds.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.
6. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beating in well.
7. Fill the prepared cake molds to 3/4 full.
8. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and let cool for 5 minutes.
10. Remove the cakes from the pan directly onto the cooling rack and let cool completely.
11. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Reserve a few cake crumbs for garnish.

Frosting

1. Wash and hull the strawberries and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Place strawberries in a food processor or blender and process until pureed into liquid.
3. In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and salt using medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add confectioners’ sugar, beating in slowly until combined.
5. Add vanilla extract, and 4 Tablespoons of the pureed strawberries.
6. Mix until just blended.
7. Chill until ready to use.
8. Place the frosting into a piping bag and frost between the cake layers and on top of the mini cakes.
9. If there are extra pureed berries, you can spoon them between the layers.