Chocolate Surprise Desserts

This is a simple and playful dessert inspired by the buttercream filled marzipan frog at the Swedish Bakery in Chicago. They're great for a dinner party because everyone likes chocolate (for the most part), they're small therefore promoting the portion control idea, and they're just the cutest.

To assemble, make a half recipe of the vanilla cake and a half recipe of the buttercream from the strawberries and creme cake (which can be elevated a little more with some fresh vanilla bean), and 12 ounces of good dark chocolate.

Prepare the cake and let cool and prepare the buttercream. To assemble, use a small biscuit cutter (1.5") about the same size of a shot glass and cut out circles of the cake. Cut these in half horizontally so they're not too tall. Top with a cookie scoop of frosting or a large rounded tablespoon. Now you want to temper the chocolate and the trick here is to melt it very slowly. Remove from heat before the chocolate is completely melted and stir until smooth. Now pour over your assembled cakes and make sure they're completely covered. Let these sit at room temperature for a half hour or so until it's hardened.

Now it's time for creativity. Decorate these however you want. If you want to be more classy, steer away from the faces and use the buttercream to pipe an elegant pattern. However, if you're going for the whimsical presentation, have a great time.

These taste wonderful with the sweet and dense cake, light airy buttercream, and the intense bitter chocolate. Everyone will be impressed and satisfied.