Small Batch Churro Cake
My favorite churro cake in mini form! Layers of soft and moist churro-inspired cake with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream and spiced Mexican chocolate ganache, scaled down to the perfect size for 2-4 people.
Servings 4 slices
Equipment
- 3 4-inch cake pans OR
Ingredients
Churro Cake
- 3/4 Cups (79g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 Cups (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp (30g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 Tbsp (90ml) whole milk, room temperature
Mexican Chocolate Ganache
- 1/3 Cup (62g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 Cup (80ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- small pinch of cayenne pepper
Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/2 Cups (420g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
- pinch of salt
Garnish (Optional)
- 1 small churro, sliced into two pieces
Instructions
Make The Churro Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare three 4-inch cake pans or one 6-inch cake pan by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted cake flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer and medium bowl), beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes, until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl and paddle as needed.
- Turn the mixer down to low and mix in the egg. Add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high speed and beat for one full minute.
- Add all of the dry ingredients at once with the mixer on low speed until just combined, then add the milk all at once with the mixer still on low. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and mix on low until it all just comes together, about 30 seconds. You might need to hand whisk at the end to get rid of some lumps, but be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter evenly between the prepared 4-inch cake pans (or all into one 6-inch cake pan). If using 4-inch cake pans, bake for 18-22 minutes. If using a 6-inch cake pan bake for 24-28 minutes. The cake is done when it springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before assembling and decorating.
Make The Mexican Chocolate Ganache
- Place the chocolate chips into a heat proof bowl (glass or metal) and set aside.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper into a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Whisk frequently until it begins to simmer, then remove from heat and pour it over the chocolate chips.
- Let the cream and chocolate chip mixture sit for about 30 seconds before whisking together until the ganache is uniform in consistency. Let this cool on the counter to room temp before filling or dripping the cake.
Make The Cinnamon-Vanilla Buttercream
- In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer and medium bowl), beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy (about 5 minutes), scraping down bowl and paddle a few times in between.
- Add the powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture in two additions, mixing at low speed and scraping down the bowl and paddle between intervals.
- With the mixer still on low, add the vanilla, milk, and salt. Mix for another minute on low speed until fully incorporated and smooth.
Assembly
- Once the churro cake is completely cooled, level the cake layer(s) to your desired height. Add a swipe of cinnamon-vanilla buttercream onto a cardboard cake circle and place the first cake layer on top. Fill a piping bag with some of the cinnamon-vanilla buttercream and snip off about 1/4 inch opening. Then, pipe a circle around the edge of the cake layer and fill the center with cooled Mexican chocolate ganache until it's about 3/4 of the way to the top of the buttercream dam height-wise. Top the Mexican chocolate ganache with a thin layer of cinnamon-vanilla buttercream and place the next layer on top. Continue filling and and stacking the cake with the Mexican chocolate ganache and cinnamon-vanilla buttercream with any additional layers, then crumb coat the cake with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream, before placing it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to let the buttercream set firm.
- To create the look pictured, frost a smooth buttercream finish with the cinnamon-vanilla buttercream and place the cake back in the refrigerator to let the frosting firm up for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, gently heat the ganache in 10 second intervals until it's just slightly warmer than room temperature. Drip the cake with the Mexican chocolate ganache, then place the cake back in the refrigerator to let the ganache set for about 5 minutes.
- Top with your favorite local churros or garnish of your choice. In this design I’ve also piped a few open stars with cinnamon-vanilla buttercream using Wilton tip 32.
Notes
*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: if you can’t find cake flour locally, here’s how to make a homemade version using all purpose flour and cornstarch.
Make Ahead Tips:
- The churro cake layer(s) can be made ahead, wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- The Mexican chocolate ganache can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. To bring back to dripping consistency, heat in the microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until room temperature.
- The cinnamon-vanilla buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Bring back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add milk, one tsp at a time, if buttercream is too thick.