The perfect small chocolate cake recipe from Kiki's Delivery Service

All you Ghibli lovers out there, this is the perfect place to be, for, we have the perfect small chocolate cake recipe gifted to little Kiki by the kind of lady in Kiki's Delivery Service. The good news is this cake is absolutely simple and fun to make as well.

Quick recap, in case you forgot where the chocolate cake makes an appearance: Kiki helped an old lady who asked for her delivery service, by helping her bake the pie that needed delivery and also fixed her lightbulbs. To express her gratitude, the old lady baked her a chocolate cake with her silhouette done in white chocolate, on her broomstick with her magical cat Jiji on it. The silhouette also has her signature huge red bow, a little tree, and her name on it. It moved her to tears, as it felt like the first rain after a particularly hot summer in Kiki’s solo and lonesome journey as a witch. In fond memory of the beloved Ghibli film, do try this cake!

Kiki’s Delivery Service Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Figures:

• 1 bar of white chocolate, chopped
• Red food coloring
• Green food coloring

For the Chocolate Cake:

• 120 gm all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• 1 large egg
• 120 ml buttermilk
• 140 ml vegetable oil
• ½ tbsp vanilla extract
• 150 gm granulated sugar
• 25 gm Cadbury Cocoa Powder
• 80 ml hot coffee

For the Coffee Buttercream:

• 85 gm butter
• 125 gm powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp hot water + 2 tsp instant coffee
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• For the Chocolate Glaze:
• 100 gm Cadbury Bournville 50% dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 100 gm heavy cream

Instructions

1. Let’s start with the chocolate figures first, add the white chocolate to a large microwave-safe bowl and heat for two minutes. Pause every 20 seconds to stir the chocolate. Stop the microwave when it's just about melted.
2. Divide the white chocolate into two portions, for the second portion further divide it into two bowls. Mix a few drops of the red and green food coloring into the small bowls and mix.
3. Transfer the chocolate into three piping bags and snip off the tip when ready to pipe.
4. Position a reverse-printed template of Kiki’s silhouette, the tree, and her name beneath a sheet of parchment paper on a flat, sturdy surface.
5. You will need to pipe in reverse to get the correct orientation on the cake.
6. Start with the largest design elements first, carefully pipe the melted candy following the template lines, and work meticulously with each color, ensuring clean edges and proper detail.
7. Transfer the completed designs to the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to harden.
8. Now, to make the chocolate cake, preheat the oven to 180°C.
9. Grease a 6-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
10. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and whisk to mix.
11. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and sugar until mixed and slightly frothy.
12. Next mix the hot coffee with cocoa powder, stirring until velvety smooth. Then pour this into the egg bowl, whisking until smooth.
13. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients, into the bowl, mixing just until you achieve a smooth, uniform batter. Do not keep mixing once you achieve that smooth consistency.
14. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and tap gently against your kitchen counter to get rid of any air bubbles.
15. Bake for 30-35 minutes, and poke the center with a toothpick to check for doneness.
16. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for complete cooling
17. Let’s make the coffee buttercream next. Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to whip butter until light and fluffy. Gradually incorporate powdered sugar at low speed to avoid mess.
18. Add the coffee mixture, vanilla, and salt, beating until smooth and combined well.
19. Once the cake is completely cool, divide it into three even layers, then stack layers with generous amounts of buttercream, spread between each.
20. Chill the assembled cake for 30 minutes to set in the fridge.
21. As the cake chills, prepare the chocolate ganache or glaze. Heat cream in a saucepan and pour it over chopped dark chocolate. Let it sit undisturbed for one minute.
22. Stir from the center outward until smooth and glossy and let it cool slightly until it reaches the perfect pouring consistency.
23. Pour ganache over the chilled cake, ensuring you cover the cake well. Then, while the ganache is still slightly wet, carefully arrange the hardened chocolate decorative elements.
24. Allow the cake to set completely before serving and enjoy your Ghibli-inspired cake!