tiny food is fun!
Have you ever heard of wacky cake? It’s an older recipe, created when dairy wasn’t readily available. Wacky cake has no eggs, no butter, nada. Weird, right? That’s why it’s “wacky” … that, and the fact that you mix everything in one pan before you bake it. Obviously it’s super easy, and It is actually my favorite chocolate cake of all time. BUT, I wanted to put a fun twist on my favorite recipe, so I made it into miniature wacky cake cupcakes. 🙂
This is another small batch recipe, and makes sixteen little tiny cupcakes! (It would make roughly 5-6 regular sized cupcakes, and you can absolutely do that instead if you’d like!)
There’s a neighborhood in Kansas City which is comprised of rundown warehouses. Most of these warehouses have been transformed into antique shops, artist studios, or the occasional bar. The first weekend of each month, all of the antique shops open to the public, and locals love to spend their lazy Saturdays or Sundays browsing through buried treasures from the past. For my last “first weekend” in Kansas City, my mom and I pursued the warehouses for a few hours in hopes of finding some buried treasure of our own. 🙂
We stumbled upon this miniature muffin tin, and I fell in love with it. First of all, it says “Chicago” on it, which is truly my home at heart. 😉 Secondly, it had that amazing rustic look and feel; the one that makes you wonder what tiny baked goods have been lovingly baked in it before.
It since it is miniature, it’s a perfect fit for my small batch recipe plans. My little muffin tin came all the way to North Carolina with me, and I finally had the chance to use it this week!
The wacky cake recipe and this older, rustic miniature cupcake tray are meant to be. They both come from harder times, and it only made sense to pair them together. PLUS, bonus! One of these unfrosted miniature cupcakes is only 70 calories, so if you can actually stop at just one, you’re good!
I frosted mine, because I wanted to attempt a cool, vibrant, tie-dye idea that’s been lurking in my mind lately. Wacky cake isn’t as rich or dense as most chocolate cakes, so it’s okay to use a rich frosting on these cupcakes. Think cream cheese, or maybe a salted caramel! I used a typical white frosting, and it was perfect. We used to make this amazing chocolate glaze for wacky cake back when I was a kid – and I loved it. I’ll be sharing a recipe soon for a miniature layered wacky cake, and we will use that recipe when I do!
I hope you love these little guys. They’re so easy to make, and they’re fun to decorate! If you like the gold balls I used in my photos, these are the exact ones that I ordered from Amazon.
! There’s also silver ones, or dark metallic gray. I love them!
– Sara Rose
miniature wacky cake cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 Tbsp. white distilled vinegar
- 1/2 cup cold water
Instructions
- Turn the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Use a fork to completely mix together.
- Form three wells in the dry ingredients. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into another well, and water into the third. (The water will most likely run over into the other wells - don't worry!)
- Use a fork to stir everything together. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get all of the dry ingredients.
- Line a miniature cupcake pan with miniature liners. (These are 3/4" liners). Fill each liner 3/4 of the way full, repeat until all liners have been filled.
- Pop in the oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes. The tops will be set and firm. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the pan for five minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack for another 10-15 minutes, then frost with desired frosting. Keep in an airtight container for up to two days if not eaten immediately. 🙂
Nutrition
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