Small cakes are certainly convenient for small celebrations. This 1-layer 6-inch chocolate cake serves 4, so it’s perfect for date night, a Valentine’s Day dessert, a small family birthday celebration, or for whenever you need a scaled-down cake. We all love it with chocolate ganache on top. You can also use this chocolate cake batter to make a small batch of cupcakes.
This Is a 1-Layer 6-Inch Chocolate Cake
Over the past year, I’ve received many requests for smaller variations of normally large desserts. My team and I have directed a lot of bakers to our 6-inch cake recipes blog post, where I teach you how to turn cupcake batter into a 6-inch layer cake. But what if you don’t need 3 layers?
Here’s my 1-layer 6 inch chocolate cake recipe. I worked on this recipe with Valentine’s Day on my mind. Wouldn’t it be nice to make a tiny cake without a ton of leftover slices? But even beyond Valentine’s Day dessert recipes, it’s massively convenient to have a dessert option for small gatherings or celebrations, as part of your Mother’s Day recipes or Father’s Day recipes, or just an at-home date night.
If you need a chocolate cake recipe that’s just a smidge larger, this mint chocolate cake will give you one 9-inch round cake.
Small Chocolate Cake Details
- Flavor: This cake is sweet with divine chocolate flavor, especially when you pair it with deep dark chocolate ganache (recipe included below). Wait for the cake to cool completely before digging in. I find its chocolate flavor develops after a few hours.
- Texture: If it’s not over-baked, this cake is soft, rich, and indulgently moist. Have you ever made the sour cream version of my larger layered chocolate cake? The texture is pretty much identical. Any unfrosted edges become delicately crisp (not in a bad way!), which adds a little textural dimension to each slice.
- Ease: Since the cake is so small and there’s no elaborate decorating required, this is a very manageable recipe for beginner bakers. The ingredient list is pretty straightforward and you don’t even need to use a mixer.
- Time: Set aside a few hours to complete this cake recipe. The cake is pretty thick, so it takes close to 30 minutes to bake through. The longest stretch of time, however, is waiting for the cake to cool.
- Equipment: Nothing special except for a 6-inch cake pan (affiliate link to the exact cake pans I use and love).
Overview of the Ingredients & Process
Though you can find the full printable recipe below, let me walk you through a couple steps and answer some possible questions that may arise.
The batter comes together in 2 mixing bowls. Whisk flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together in one bowl. The espresso powder is optional, but definitely use it if you have it. Espresso powder accentuates and deepens the chocolate flavor. In another bowl, whisk oil, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Buttermilk is our acidic ingredient and crucial for this cake’s rise. If you don’t have buttermilk, use the DIY version detailed in the notes below.
Expect a semi-thick cake batter.
Like I recommend with all my 6-inch cakes, use a parchment paper round. Trace the bottom of your 6-inch cake pan on a piece of parchment paper. Cut out the parchment circle. Very lightly grease the cake pan. Place the parchment round inside. Grease the parchment round too. Yes, grease the pan AND the parchment (I use nonstick spray). This promises an ultra-nonstick environment for your small chocolate cake.
Though its diameter is small, this is a thick chocolate cake. It’s pretty moist, too. Because of its thickness and delicious moisture, the cake may sink a little in the very center. Don’t fret over that. (Cover it up with ganache!) As long as a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, it’s done.
Toppings
You can top this small chocolate cake with chocolate ganache (recipe included below), buttercream, or whipped cream. For a thick layer of buttercream, I recommend halving this chocolate buttercream, this strawberry buttercream, this peanut butter frosting, or this vanilla buttercream. For a lightly sweetened whipped cream topping, you could halve the mocha whipped cream paired with my flourless chocolate cake or halve this vanilla whipped cream recipe.
The pictured heart sprinkles are no longer available, but here is a similar set. (Affiliate link.) And I bought this adorable pink cake stand from Home Goods a few years ago.
Use This Batter for 6 Chocolate Cupcakes
So what if you want a smaller batch of chocolate cupcakes? Yes, you can absolutely use this recipe. This chocolate cake batter yields about 1 and 1/2 cups of batter total, which makes 6 standard size cupcakes. How does it weigh up against my standard chocolate cupcakes recipe? Well, this batter is a little thicker so the cupcakes aren’t quite as light, delicate, and spongy. They’re soft and moist, but have a slightly heavier crumb.
- For a cupcake topping, use any of the topping options listed above.
- For the pictured frosted cupcakes, I used the chocolate ganache recipe below. After the ganache cools completely, you can beat it with an electric mixer for about 3–4 minutes to make whipped ganache. Tastes like chocolate mousse! You can read more about it in the recipe below or in my chocolate ganache post.
What About a Vanilla Version?
I don’t have a vanilla version of this recipe at this time. Though I haven’t tested it, I’m confident you could halve this 1-layer sprinkle cake recipe to yield a 1-layer 6-inch vanilla cake or 6 vanilla cupcakes. Feel free to omit the sprinkles for a plain vanilla cake.
PrintSmall Chocolate Cake (6 Inch)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cake and ganache cooling)
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This 1-layer 6-inch chocolate cake serves 4, so it’s perfect for any occasion calling for a scaled-down cake. You can also use this chocolate cake batter to make a small batch of 6 chocolate cupcakes. For best success, review the recipe Notes before starting.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
Chocolate Ganache
- one 4-ounce (113g) quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bar, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- optional garnish: raspberries, mint, and/or sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 6-inch round cake pan, line with a parchment paper round, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cake seamlessly release from the pan. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk together in a medium bowl. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth and combined.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into prepared cake pan.
- Bake for around 27–30 minutes or until the cake is baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Avoid over-baking. Cake is thick and moist, so the center may slightly sink. That’s normal. Allow cake to cool in the pan set on a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
- Make the chocolate ganache as the cake cools because the ganache must cool too: Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. With a metal spoon or small silicone spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Ganache will be thin, so let it cool and thicken for at least 30–60 minutes before using. Refrigerating speeds this up, but the ganache will not cool evenly. Stir it a few times as it sets in the refrigerator so it remains smooth. You can also let the ganache fully cool and thicken (takes about 2 hours). After 2 hours, you can whip the cooled ganache with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light in color and texture, about 3–4 minutes on medium-high speed. (Whipped ganache can be spread or piped. It is pictured on the cupcakes in the post above. I used Wilton 1M piping tip.)
- Spread ganache on cooled cake. If ganache has cooled and thickened enough (or if you whipped it), you could pipe it with a piping bag/tip. Decorate with optional garnishes, if desired. Slice and serve.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Frosted or unfrosted cake can be frozen up to 2–3 months. If desired, see my How to Freeze Cakes post. Thaw cake overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving. For make-ahead instructions for the chocolate ganache, see step 5 in my chocolate ganache post.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 6-inch Round Cake Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Saucepan | Silicone Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) *optional for whipping ganache | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
- Cocoa Powder: Use natural cocoa powder, not dutch-process. (See dutch-process vs natural cocoa powder for more information.)
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder will not make the cake taste like coffee. Instead, it deepens the chocolate flavor. It’s optional, but for best taste, I highly recommend it. You can use the same amount of instant coffee (the powder) instead of espresso powder if desired.
- Amount of Sugar: I tested this recipe with 6 Tablespoons of sugar and the cake wasn’t as sweet, of course, but it tasted pretty plain. I recommend sticking with 8 Tbsp (1/2 cup). Topping with chocolate ganache definitely balances out the sweetness.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/4 cup. (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- 6 Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a standard muffin pan with 6 liners. Prepare the batter as directed in step 2 above. Pour or spoon the batter into the liners. Fill each 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides or sinking. Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t over-bake, which will dry out the cupcakes. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Chocolate in Ganache: Ganache will only set if the correct chocolate is used. You can use high-quality chocolate chips if needed (I prefer Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips), but I recommend using pure chocolate baking bars. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. You can use other varieties of chocolate too, such as milk chocolate (aka German chocolate), bittersweet, or dark chocolate. If using white chocolate, reduce the cream to 1/3 cup (80ml). White chocolate is softer, so you need less cream.
- Dairy-Free Alternative for Heavy Cream in Ganache: Use 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk. Shake it up before opening and measuring. Whisk on the stove as it heats and bring to a simmer.
- 8-inch Pan or 2-Layer Cake: You can use this cake batter in an 8-inch round cake pan in step 1. The cake will be thinner and the bake time is about 24–25 minutes, but use a toothpick to test for doneness just as instructed above. I don’t recommend doubling this recipe to make a 2-layer cake because it will be quite thick and taste heavy. Instead, divide the batter between 2 6-inch cake pans (bake time would be shorter) or divide the batter from these chocolate cupcakes in 2 6-inch cake pans. Start checking with a toothpick at 26 minutes.
This was not as expected. No flavor. Very flat. Tasted like a dull brownie. Sorry for negative review.
Made this last night on a whim for my hubby for Valentine’s Day. Topped with some leftover Swiss buttercream frosting I had in the freezer. He and I loved it
I had a larger pan and doubled the recipe. Watched the baking time and pulled it out before it was completely done. Honestly one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had! Really fudgy which was great. Loved the idea of just making a few cupcakes also.
Can sour cream be used in place of buttermilk?
Hi Cheryl, You should be able to use a mixture of 2 Tbs sour cream and 2 Tbs milk to replace the buttermilk. You can also make your own DIY buttermilk – see recipe notes for details!
Hi. I want to make this cake tomorrow. My question – can I use cake flour? Thanks
Hi Susan, We don’t recommend it. Cake flour is simply too light to hold up with an already light cake batter that includes cocoa powder. Best to stick with all-purpose flour here!
Can this cake be made in a small spri form pan?
Hi Helen, this should work well in a similarly-sized springform pan.
Any chance we can used dutched cocoa powder and use baking powder instead of soda?? No natural cocoa in the pantry and the snow is deep!!
Hi SS, You can read more about the difference between the two in this cocoa powder post. Recipes that call for natural cocoa require acidity to react with other ingredients in order to bake properly and won’t swap well, without quite a bit of recipe testing. We would search for recipes that specifically call for dutched cocoa instead! These homemade brownies are a favorite.
Can this recipe be used for a small bundt cake?
Hi Sally, we haven’t tested it in a small Bundt cake, but it should work to use this batter for a few mini Bundt cakes like these. We’re unsure of the exact bake time. Let us know if you try it!
Absolutely wonderful. There are only two of us and a whole cake is too much. I made 6 cupcakes with the whipped ganache. I didn’t have vegetable oil so I used melted butter.
I am making this cake for some real chocolate lovers. I am so pleased that you specified the type of chocolate to be used in making the ganache for best results.
It is also nice to have recipes for smaller cakes too.
Thank you. 🙂
Hi – do you have an approximation for how tall this one layer cake is? I don’t have a 6: round pan, I have 7″ round pans. I know the cake would be thinner, or I could scale it up for the 7″ pan. A tiny one layer cake is fantastic for 2 people! Thanks!
Hi Janet, we haven’t taken down the exact height, but it’s pretty high in 2-inch pans—so nearly 2-inches. You could use your 7-inch pans for slightly thinner layers. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Could I use a 6 inch cast iron skillet to bake this cake?
Hi Chari, we haven’t tested it, but we fear it may not release as seamlessly from a skillet. If you plan on eating it directly from the skillet, that could work though. Let us know what you try!
Thank you for giving us a small cake recipe. Sometimes I need a little something delicious. I haven’t tried this recipe but having tried your triple chocolate cake recipe, I have faith in this one.
Perfect size to give a friend and his wife for their birthdays. Looked and smelled delicious! I whipped the ganache, piped it and then garnished the little cake with strawberries. Definitely a winner! And will be made many times in the future – I have lots of neighbors.
Hi Sally, just wondering how you think this recipe would go in an air fryer. The size of the baking pan would surely fit in an air fryer. Just thinking of ways to bake it without heating up the whole oven (I have a very large oven) for a very small cake.
Hi Robbie, we’ve never tried it but let us know if you do!
Hi I have just made this cake in my little fan oven to save energy here in UK. I mixed up the liquids with a handmixer because I was worried the sugar wouldn’t melt. Then I looked up to see if the US has caster sugar. It turner out that your granulated sugar is more like our caster sugar and our caster sugar is rather heavy for cakes. Nonetheless the cake is fine and hasn’t sunk as yet – it is cooling. I am sure it will do the job however I will use caster sugar next time.
This cake was pretty to look at but lacked flavor. I would not recommend the cake but the frosting was very good.
Good recipe for cake for one person
Batter was almost brownie consistency but it baked up well
Didn’t have a 6 inch round, use 8 inch square. It still turned out very good. Would definitely make again
Hi there,
I baked this for my husband’s birthday and it came out perfectly. I did add 1 tsp instead of 1/2 tsp of the coffee(ooops) but that was the only mistake I made. Tastes so good the next day with a cold glass of milk. The ganache is so good. This was very easy and I think I’ll make a ganache in the future instead of the typical chocolate frosting. It’s so light and airy and so easy to make!
Made this cake for Friendsgiving and it did not bring my friend Joanne’s taste buds any joy. I do Make other recipes of yours and they turn out great. This one did not make the list of worth making again. However I do Live in high altitude denver and know sometimes that can make a difference. I did enjoy the Ganache. Thank you.
We LOVED this cake recipe so much that I had to multiply the recipe to make a much larger batch for birthday cakes! For reference, I am the one that NEVER eats cake because I don’t like it and between my husband and, we demolished this chocolate cake! This recipe went straight into the recipe book!
This recipe is awesome!! I’ve made it several times and it turns out super every time. I bake it in my air fryer since it is so small and it works great. I tried the ganache with milk chocolate and it wasn’t as good either in flavor or consistency as darker chocolate. My friend doesn’t like dark chocolate so made her a birthday cake with the milk chocolate ganache. Perhaps less cream with milk chocolate. This cake is perfect for four people and is great for my husband and I who are retired and want just a smaller dessert. Thanks Sally!
Is there a reason why we can’t add hot water to the batter at the end similar to the larger chocolate cake recipe? Thanks!
Hi Nav, the batter does not need the extra liquid provided by water/coffee, and the optional espresso powder will help deepen the chocolate flavor.
I’m really, really digging this cake…its so moist and the flavor, please give me a napkin for my drool. I try a lot of recipes and have never left any comments or reviews, but I need to with this one. I followed the metric version to the letter, including the minimum bake time. I ended up at exactly the 30 minute mark. Cooled and completed the ganache, again following the recipe. This cake is dense, but not heavy, rich chocolate, but not too sweet. This was awesome. I can’t wait to try the vanilla <3
Made this cake 4 times & was always complimented. Tq Sally! Since its soooo good, can I double the recipe to make a single layer 9inch cake?
Hi Ani, we’re so glad you love this one! We don’t recommend doubling this recipe as the batter would be quite thick and taste heavy. For a 9-inch round chocolate cake, you can use the cake from this mint chocolate cake recipe instead. Of course, feel free to decorate it without the mint frosting and chocolate ganache. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, how would you scale this to a size 8, 10 and 12 inch cake for a naked wedding cake?
Hi Morgan, here is our larger chocolate cake recipe, although we find it’s not quite sturdy enough to stack as a tiered cake. If you do find another chocolate cake recipe you love (and that is sturdy enough to stack), our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be a helpful resource.
Hi Sally. I love this recipe. I’ve been making passion fruit curd a lot lately. It’s such a great flavor. I want to pair it with this chocolate cake and ganache. Have you tried this flavor combination yet? Would appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks!
Hi Tammie, we haven’t tried this cake with passionfruit curd, but please do let us know if you give it a try here!
I’m looking forward to making this cake. Would halving your yellow sheet cake with chocolate frosting work in the 6″ pan?
Hi KC, we’d use our yellow cupcakes batter instead. You can halve the recipe, fill your pan no more than half way, and then use any leftover batter for a cupcake or two on the side.
Is it possible to substitute the vegetable oil with coconut or butter? My husband doesn’t eat veg oil but I really like this recipe.
Hi Zuhayra, melted coconut oil would be the best swap. You can use the same amount of melted butter instead but the cake won’t taste as moist. We recommend sticking with an oil. Hope it’s a hit!
I’ve made this recipe before & gave it 5 stars, but this time I failed! The cake was baked for 27 minutes, tested done, but rose in the center. (I cut off the dome to level it.)
The real issue was the ganache. I let it cool for 3 hours, then whipped with a handheld mixer for 4 minutes. Although the color did lighten as expected, it was so loose, that it ran down the sides of the cake onto the cake platter. Any idea what went wrong? The finished cake is no way resembles the frosting in the photos- Are those of ganache or buttercream? Fortunately, this cake will still be enjoyed by my husband & son, with no one else to witness the unsuccessful effort!
Hi Katherine, I’m sorry to hear the whipped ganache didn’t turn out this time! You can review the instructions and troubleshooting tips in this chocolate ganache post, to see if anything rings a bell about something you did or didn’t do this time. What kind of chocolate did you use? The finished cake pictured in this post is topped with chocolate ganache, not whipped chocolate ganache. I hope you’ll give it another try!