My Favorite Chocolate Cake, Tiny Version

Behold, the adorableness of a tiny bundt cake! This is my favorite chocolate cake ever, my mom's Scotch Chocolate Cake (full-sized recipe in this post). I halved it and baked it in my little 3-cup bundt pan. I grew up with this cake, so it's serious comfort food, but I didn't want to make a large one just for the two of us. Well, I did, but you know what I mean. Happily, tiny desserts turn out so stinkin' cute you really don't miss having the large version. You get to enjoy a little taste of something home baked, without the guilt of single-handedly plowing through a dessert that's supposed to serve you and all your friends.

Scotch Chocolate Cake (mini version)

Sift together:
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Bring to a boil:
4 Tbsp. (1/4 c.) butter
1/4 c. Crisco
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c. water

Pour boiling ingredients over dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon. 

Allow to cool a bit (you don't want to cook the egg!) before adding:
1 egg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix well; pour into a greased 3-cup bundt pan or other small baking dish and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes (depending on the pan/dish you're using). You may have a tiny bit of batter left over if using a 3-cup bundt.

Allow to cool 10-15 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a rack to cool completely.

If not overbaked, this is a very moist cake and doesn't really need any glaze or frosting. My mom never used it, but feel free to drizzle your favorite recipe over it, or dust it with a little powdered sugar. 

I found my 3-cup bundt pan at Wal-Mart (it's Wilton), but when I get another one it will probably be Nordic Ware. The tiny cake stand (8 1/4" w x 3" h) is a Michael's springtime find from a few years ago. I've also seen them at Hobby Lobby.

The absence of baking ingredients in the grocery stores means a lot of folks are baking, or attempting to bake, or intending to bake, and if you're one of those folks, I would highly recommend experimenting with smaller recipes. It's a lot of fun, and since we're all probably at least a little concerned about emerging from lockdown ten pounds heavier, it's nice to feel you can still enjoy something you baked without feeling guilty about having so much of it. Now is not really a time for guilt. Baking is enjoyable and comforting, and we really need that right now. Click on the "tiny baking" label at the end of this post to check out all my previous posts on this topic, which is near and dear to my heart (and my tummy).