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Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes with Butterscotch Glaze

These Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes are dense, rich, moist, and perfectly portioned for a party. Even better, they come complete with a rich butterscotch glaze that you’ll want to eat with a spoon!

Mini chocolate pound cake topped with butterscotch and chocolate chips

Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes with Butterscotch Glaze

Did you know that pound cake gets its name because it was originally made with a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of eggs, and a pound of sugar? While this recipe doesn’t quite have those proportions, you get the idea here: pound cake is pretty dang rich and dense. As it should be! Along with all that denseness comes a moist, tender crumb and a lovely browned outer layer that can only be described as irresistible.

Since pound cake is so rich, you’ll appreciate that this recipe divvies them up into individual portions. If you have a sweet tooth, a mini pound cake is just the right size for an afternoon pick-me-up. They’re also a great addition to a holiday dessert table, or for serving at any get-together, any time of year!

Overhead view of Mini Chocolate Pound Cake and Butterscotch Glaze ingredients

What You’ll Need

This recipe is made with everyday baking ingredients, so you likely have many of these items on hand already!

For the chocolate pound cakes: 

  • All-purpose flour
  • Cocoa powder – Use Dutch process cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor.
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter – There’s a lot of butter in this recipe and you’ll struggle to beat it into the other ingredients if it’s too cold. Take it out of the fridge before you start baking so it can properly soften.
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs – Your eggs should be at room temperature.
  • Sour cream – You guessed it—the sour cream needs to be taken out of the fridge so it can come to room temperature, too!
  • Vanilla extract 

For the butterscotch glaze: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • Light brown sugar
  • Lemon juice
  • Whipping cream – This is sometimes labeled as heavy whipping cream.
  • Salt 

What is butterscotch?

There’s no scotch involved in butterscotch, but there is plenty of butter! As you’ve probably guessed from the flavor, butterscotch is closely related to caramel, but it has a milder flavor and it’s a bit easier to make. Caramel uses granulated sugar and it relies upon some complex chemical reactions for its flavor; butterscotch starts with brown sugar, which has acid and moisture that white sugar lacks. What this means is that butterscotch cooks more gently, is slower to burn, and doesn’t run the risk of crystallizing. 

Plated mini chocolate pound cake glazed with butterscotch and topped with chocolate chips

How to Make Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes with Butterscotch Glaze

Here are step-by-step instructions for making your own chocolatey mini pound cakes.

To make the pound cakes:

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease 12 cups of a standard-size muffin pan. 

Overhead view of dry ingredients for chocolate pound cake in mixing bowl

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, use an electric mixer set to medium speed to beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.

Overhead view of chocolate pound cake batter in mixing bowl

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three portions, alternating with two portions of the sour cream.

Bake. Divide the batter into the 12 muffin cups and bake the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan.

To make the glaze:

Overhead view of butter and brown sugar in saucepan

Combine the ingredients. Add the brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, and salt in a heavy-bottom saucepan set over medium heat.

Overhead view of butterscotch being cooked in saucepan

Cook. Continue to cook the mixture over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. This should take about 5 minutes.

Overhead view of butterscotch ingredients in saucepan

Add the cream. Reduce the heat to low and slowly pour in the whipping cream, stirring occasionally. Cook for 7 or 8 minutes, until the glaze thickens a bit.

Overhead view of butterscotch in saucepan with spoon

Cool. Remove the saucepan from the stovetop and let the butterscotch cool completely in the pan.

Overhead view of mini cake topped with butterscotch

Glaze. Once both the glaze and cakes are cool, drizzle the glaze onto the pound cakes and scatter chocolate chips over the top, if desired.

Mini chocolate cakes on marble baking slab after being drizzled with butterscotch and chocolate chip topping

Tips for Success

These tips and tricks will help you make perfect mini pound cakes!

  • Don’t overcook the glaze. The butterscotch will continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t cook it down too much or it won’t be pourable.
  • Make it ahead of time. You can store the pound cakes and the butterscotch glaze separately, and drizzle the cakes with the butterscotch glaze just before serving. 
  • Switch it up. Swap the chocolate chips for chopped pecans or walnuts, use salted caramel instead of butterscotch—there’s a lot of room to play around with different toppings!

How to Store

The pound cakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. The butterscotch glaze can be stored for up to 1 week at room temperature and up to 10 days in the fridge. 

Two mini pound cakes on white plates, topped with chocolate chips

Mini Chocolate Pound Cakes with Butterscotch Glaze

Yield 12 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes 25 seconds
Total Time 50 minutes 25 seconds

These mini chocolate pound cakes are rich and moist, with a strong chocolate flavor. The butterscotch glaze adds a perfect rich, caramel-like flavor to the mixture making these mini cakes a perfect snack for when that sweet tooth strikes! 

Plated mini chocolate pound cake glazed with butterscotch and topped with chocolate chips

Ingredients

For the chocolate pound cakes:

  • 2 & 1/2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup (85g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
  • 
1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 cup (226g) sour cream

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the butterscotch glaze:

  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup (118ml) whipping cream, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

    TO MAKE THE POUND CAKES: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 12 cups of a standard muffin pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
  4. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with two portions of the sour cream.
  5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Let cool in the pan while making the butterscotch glaze. 

TO MAKE THE GLAZE: 

  1. In a heavy-bottom saucepan, add the brown sugar, butter, lemon juice, and salt. 
  2. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved (5-6 minutes). 
  3. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the whipping cream, stirring occasionally. 
  4. Cook for 7-8 minutes, until the glaze thickens up a bit.
  5. Remove from heat and let cool in the pan completely.
  6. When the glaze is cool, drizzle on top of the chocolate cakes. Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top, if desired. 

Notes

The glaze will thicken as it cools, so don't let it thicken too much when cooking.

You can store the mini chocolate pound cakes and the butterscotch glaze separately and drizzle with the butterscotch glaze before serving. 

The mini chocolate pound cakes can be stored at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. The butterscotch glaze can be stored for up to 1 week at room temperature and up to 10 days in the fridge.

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