Mini Brownie Cakes {Heart Edition}
Simple. Fun. Love-ly! Looking for a sharable and kid-friendly sweet treat that will please even your pickiest guest? My Mini Brownie Cakes are a delightful cross between a fudgy brownie and a raspberry frosted cupcake for the ultimate, rich, and creamy dessert!
These beautiful brownie cakes need no artificial colours or flavours to look and taste irresistible! Freeze-dried raspberry powder packs a tart raspberry note and beautiful pink colour to this creamy vanilla buttercream. These Mini Brownie Cakes are also my favourite simple treat to make for Valentine’s Day parties! So, if you are looking to entertain kids and have 30 minutes to spare, this one bowl, sprinkled dessert recipe is for you!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I use Boxed brownie mix for these brownie cakes?
Absolutely! While this simple recipe is made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, if you have boxed brownie mix on hand, go ahead and use it to form the basis of these cakes. Simply follow the package directions for brownies, divide the filling into your 12-cupcake tins, and bake for a 1-3 min less than listed.
I don’t have freeze-dried raspberry powder. What can I use as a replacement?
Freeze-dried raspberry powder is very concentrated in its raspberry flavour and perfect for baking. If you aren’t able to find it in store or online, it can be easily replaced with raspberry jam! I would use at least 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam for this recipe, however this can be modified to your taste. You may need to add additional cream to the frosting to achieve the correct consistency. Additional food colouring can also be added for a more intense pink colour.
How can I make these brownies gluten-free?
By replacing all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour mix (at a 1:1 ratio – or 1 cup all purpose flour to 1 cup gluten-free flour) this recipe becomes gluten-free!
To make this recipe you will need:
- Butter (unsalted, melted)
- Sugar (granulated, brown, and icing)
- Cocoa (unsweetened, Dutch-processed)
- Espresso Powder (to enhance the chocolate flavour)
- Eggs (large, room temperature)
- Flour (All-purpose flour)
- Semi-sweet Chocolate (Roughly chopped or chocolate chips)
- Freeze-dried Raspberry Powder (or raspberry jam)
- Heavy Cream
- Baking essentials: salt, vanilla extract
Let’s make some Mini Brownie Cakes!
Mini Brownie Cakes
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, mix melted butter with sugars and cocoa powder.
Add vanilla, and eggs to your mixture. Whisk, whisk, and whisk some more! (note: the more you whisk the sugars with the egg – the more crackly your topping will be after baking!)
Add flour, espresso powder, and salt. Mix until all flour has been incorporated. Mixture will resemble a thick, glossy, paste. Mix in your semi-sweet chocolate (as desired).
Equally distribute brownie mixture into 12 lined cupcake tins.
Prepare 12 x 1/2″ tin foil spheres (note: I do this by cutting an approximately 3″x6″ rectangle out of tinfoil and crumpling it into a ball. This is a rough measure! No need to be precise here :).
Place one tinfoil ball between the cupcake mould and paper liner of each of the 12 cupcake moulds. The placement of each ball should create a heart appearance.
Bake brownie cakes into a preheated oven for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre shows moist crumbs attached (note: the brownies will continue to bake in the cupcake pan after removing from the oven so having a bit of batter on the toothpick is fine! Just make sure the edges are set). Cool in a cupcake tin until firm enough to be held with one hand and then cool completely on wire rack.
Clean/dry your large bowl and you are ready to prepare your frosting while the cupcakes are cooling!
Raspberry Buttercream
In your large bowl with an electric mixer set to low speed, beat softened butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar until smooth and silky (1-2 min)
Increase mixer speed to medium and gradually add remaining powdered sugar. Beat for an additional minute, then add 1 tbsp of heavy cream to the frosting. Continue to beat on medium speed.
Add freeze-dried raspberry powder and mix to combine. Finally, 2 additional tbsp of heavy cream and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.
Add frosting to piping bag, decorate each cupcake with frosting, and top with sprinkles! (note: this icing forms a crust quickly so add your sprinkles fairly soon after frosting each cupcake).
Enjoy!
Happy Heart Brownies
Easy Chocolate Lava Cakes
Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Mini Brownie Cakes {Valentine Edition}
Ingredients
Mini Brownie Cakes
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter measured cold, then melted
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar densely packed into measuring cup
- 1/3 cup Cocoa unsweetened
- 2 Eggs large, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour scooped into measuring cup and levelled with a knife
- 1/2 tsp Instant Espresso powder
- 1/2 tsp Flaked Salt
- 1/2 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate (chips or roughly chopped) optional
Raspberry Buttercream
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 3 cups Icing Sugar
- 1/4 cup Freeze Dried Raspberry Powder
- 3 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Flaked Salt
Instructions
Mini Brownie Cakes
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix melted butter with sugars and cocoa powder.
- Add vanilla, and eggs to your mixture. Whisk, whisk, and whisk some more! (note: the more you whisk the sugars with the egg – the more crackly your brownie surface will be after baking!)
- Add flour, espresso powder, and salt. Mix until all flour has been incorporated. Mixture will resemble a thick, glossy, paste. Mix in your semi-sweet chocolate (as desired).
- Equally distribute brownie mixture into 12 lined cupcake moulds.
- Prepare 12 x 1/2" tin foil spheres (note: I do this by cutting an approximately 3"x6" rectangle out of tinfoil and crumpling it into a ball. This is a rough measure! No need to be precise here :).
- Place one tinfoil ball between the cupcake mould and paper liner of each of the 12 cupcake moulds. The placement of each ball should create a heart appearance.
- Bake brownie cakes into a preheated oven for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre shows moist crumbs attached (note: the brownies will continue to bake in the cupcake pan after removing from the oven so having a bit of batter on the toothpick is fine! Just make sure the edges are set). Cool in a cupcake tin until firm enough to be held with one hand and then cool completely on wire rack.
- Clean/dry your large bowl and you are ready to prepare your frosting while the cupcakes are cooling!
Raspberry Buttercream
- In your large bowl with an electric mixer set to low speed, beat softened butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar until smooth and silky (1-2 min)
- Increase mixer speed to medium and gradually add remaining powdered sugar. Beat for an additional minute, then add 1 tbsp of heavy cream to the frosting. Continue to beat on medium speed.
- Add freeze-dried raspberry powder and mix to combine. Finally, 2 additional tbsp of heavy cream and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.
- Add frosting to piping bag, decorate each cupcake with frosting, and top with sprinkles! (note: this icing forms a crust quickly so add your sprinkles fairly soon after frosting each cupcake).
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You can control whether these brownie cakes are more brownie-like or cake-like with a few less or a few more minutes in the oven!
- This frosting quickly forms a crust after being piped so if hoping to add sprinkles – try to do this right after frosting each brownie cake!
- This recipe freezes well stacked between sheets of parchment in an airtight freezer bag for up to 2 months.