Chocolate Valentine’s Day Cake for Two (How to Make Just 2 Slices of Chocolate Layer Cake!)
Perfect for date night or Valentine’s Day dessert, this luscious Chocolate Valentine’s Day Cake for Two uses one layer of rich, moist chocolate cake that's cut into four pieces and stacked with silky-smooth chocolate buttercream to make two decadent bakery-quality slices of cake.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Place a piece of parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit inside in the bottom of the prepared pan, and then lightly spray it with cooking spray.
Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the vanilla, vinegar, oil, and water, and whisk to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Put the cake pan on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, and then turn it out onto a parchment paper-lined cooling rack. Let the cake cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes), and then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4 hours (or overnight).
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
Add the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, espresso powder, salt, and milk to a large bowl. Use a handheld mixer to beat until well-combined.
Add the melted chocolate and beat again until well-mixed.
To Frost and Assemble the Cake:
Spoon ⅔ of the Chocolate Buttercream onto the cake round, and spread the buttercream as evenly as you can.
Cut the cake in half, and place one half on top of the other.
Cut the stacked cake in half again, and place one half on top of the other. You should now have a 4-stack of cake.
Lightly frost the back of the cake with some of the remaining Chocolate Buttercream. If desired, lightly press chocolate sprinkles into the buttercream on the back of the cake before it stiffens.
Transfer the rest of the Chocolate Buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe stars or flowers on the top.
To Serve:
Cut the cake in half for 2 large pieces. Each piece is 2 servings, so share it with someone you love!
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Notes
Chilling: The cake needs to be fully chilled before you frost it. There are a few reasons for this. Like any other cake, this helps make sure that the frosting doesn’t melt on warm cake. But it’s even more important with this cake in particular! Because we’re cutting this cake in half and stacking it, we need the cake to be more set than it would be at room temperature. Chilling the cake in the fridge is the way we get the job done! I like to bake this cake in the evening the day before I want to serve it. I let it cool to room temperature, and then pop it in the fridge to chill overnight so I’m not stuck waiting for it.