This Espresso Chocolate Cake with Mini Gingerbread Houses is brought to you by Peet’s.
Baking Time!
It is officially my favorite time of the year when it smells like cinnamon and rosemary. Everyone is so cheerful and full of merry.
It’s also the time of year when I bake like crazy. Normally I don’t need that cup of espresso to get me through, but I bake off hundreds of cookies and package them up and send them all over the country. I need all the help I can get.
I Love Me Some Peets
Like with everything else, if you are going to have something – have the good stuff. I love my Peet’s. They are a tried and true San Francisco Bay Area brand that I hold dear to my heart. Now I don’t even have to leave my house while I am super busy to have a good cup of espresso. I mean, really, I don’t have to leave the house. I can order them on Amazon and on peets.com or ask my husband to get some at Safeway.
With a press of a button using my original Nespresso machine, I made a cup (or maybe two) of Peet’s Espresso while baking off some Spiced Cookies.
These Spiced Cookies are super easy to make and the dough is very forgiving. It will be very moist when you initially mix them, but after some resting in the refrigerator the ingredients start to bind together. You can find the recipe here.
I cut out some mini bears, trees and gingerbread houses. Once you put them in the oven the house really starts smelling like Christmas.
Once they are baked I tie some with some festive twine and put them in the freezer until they are ready to be mailed off.
Espresso Chocolate Cake
I keep some Mini Gingerbread houses and trees so that I can use them as a topper for my super easy Espresso Chocolate Cakes.
This cake is very easy to make. The batter can make about four multi-layered mini cakes or one standard layered 8 inch cake. They are perfect to bring as presents when doing the house rounds during the holiday season.
Happy Baking!
I wish you all well in your holiday baking endeavors. If you have any questions about the cake or the cookie recipe let me know either in the comments below, via Instagram or email. I am so happy to answer any of them.
Photo by: Rachel Radcliff
Espresso Chocolate Mini Cakes
Super decadent chocolate cake that is enhanced by a shot of Peet’s Espresso
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 Four Inch Mini Layer Cakes
Espresso Chocolate Cake
- 1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 Teaspoon salt
- 2 Large Eggs at Room Temperature
- 1 Cup Almond Milk at Room Temperature
- 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter Melted
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Shot of Peet’s Ristretto with added boiling hot water to make 1 full cup.
Cocowhip Frosting
- 1 16oz Can Very Cold Coconut Cream
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 Cup Chestnut Marscapone Filling
Pre-Heat Oven to 350F. Grease and line four 4 inch cake tins and dust with each with cocoa powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix the flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside.In a separate bowl mix the eggs, milk butter, vanilla. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.Add in the cup of Peet’s Ristretto with the added water to the batter. It will be very runny, but that is a good thing. Equally pour the batter into each of the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool in the tins for 10 minutes and then take them out of the cake tins and cool the cakes to room temperature on a wire rack.
To make the coco whip place the cold coconut cream and vanilla in a stand mixer and whip until fluffy.
To decorate lay one chocolate cake layer on a cake stand and cover with some Chestnut mascarpone filling. Add another layer on top and cover with some coco whip. Place some Christmas Spice Cookies on top to decorate.
This post is sponsored by Peets, however all recipes and opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting brands that support me.