Can I Make A Mini Chocolate Guinness Cake?

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake (from FEAST) is a moist but not too sweet cake that is mixed in just one large saucepan. The cake is baked in a 23cm (9-inch) springform pan. When converting cakes from one pan size to another you need to consider the original pan size and the new pan size, so adjustments can vary from recipe to recipe.

If you were making a mini 4-inch Chocolate Guinness Cake then you would, in theory, only need 1/5 (20%) of the original ingredients. For eggs this is a little difficult, so you would probably need to use just one egg yolk. However, you need to remember that the cake is baked in a springform pan, which is deeper than a normal cake pan. Springform pans are usually around 7.5cm (3 inches) deep, whereas regular cake pans are 4-5cm (1 1/2- 2 inches) deep. So unless you have a small springform pan or a very deep cake pan, there is a risk that the cake batter will overflow as the cake bakes. We would guess that the baking time is around 20 minutes, as the cake size is not much bigger than a cupcake, but it could take slightly longer. The cake is done when it is risen, firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean. Please note that as we have not tried the cake in this size, we are unable to guarantee the results.