Mini walnut cakes with cocoa and cinnamon
I made mini sweet bread with walnut, cocoa, and cinnamon for a group of children at kindergarten, just before Christmas. I needed something suitable for small hands and sturdy enough to be placed on a platter for the celebration without crumbling immediately. The individual sweet breads saved the day: they are easy to transport, stay soft, and look good even after a few hours. I started with a classic recipe but adapted it along the way.
Quick Info
Total time: approx. 3 hours (including rising)
Servings: 16 mini sweet breads
Difficulty: medium (especially the shaping part)
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 300 ml sweet milk (warm, not hot)
- 100 g soft butter (not melted)
- 3 whole eggs
- 200 g raw sugar (or white)
- a pinch of salt
- grated zest of one orange
- 700 g white flour (sifted)
- 1 packet of dry yeast (7 g)
For the filling:
- 300 g ground walnuts
- 4 tablespoons cocoa
- 4 tablespoons raw sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For brushing:
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 tablespoons sweet milk
For sprinkling:
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar
Preparation steps
1. I heated the milk until it was warm (I check with my pinky to make sure it’s not too hot).
2. In the mixing bowl, I added: warm milk, soft butter cut into pieces, whole eggs, sugar, a pinch of salt, and the grated orange zest.
3. I sifted the flour over the other ingredients and then added the dry yeast.
4. I selected the dough kneading program. You can also do it by hand: first mix the liquids with the flour and yeast, knead for 15-20 minutes until the dough is elastic and slightly sticky.
5. I let the dough rise, covered, for about 1.5 hours until it doubled in size.
6. For the filling, I mixed the ground walnuts with sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. I set it aside.
7. I prepared 16 muffin molds or aluminum cups lined with muffin paper (the paper helps to remove the sweet breads from the molds).
8. After the dough has risen, I turned it out onto a lightly oiled surface. I divided it into 16 pieces as evenly as possible; no need for a scale.
9. I rolled each piece with a rolling pin to about the size of my palm (it shouldn’t be too thin).
10. I sprinkled 1-2 good teaspoons of filling on each sheet and leveled it as evenly as I could.
11. I rolled each piece tightly like a log, then shaped it like a snail, with the ends underneath.
12. I placed each snail in the prepared mold.
13. I arranged all the molds on a large tray, leaving 2-3 cm between them.
14. I let them rise for another 15-20 minutes above the preheated oven.
15. I preheated the oven to 175°C, top and bottom heat.
16. Before baking, I mixed the egg yolk with the milk and brushed the sweet breads with a wide brush. I sprinkled a little raw sugar on top.
17. I baked for 30-35 minutes on the middle rack until the sweet breads were nicely browned. They can be removed when they have an even golden color.
18. I let them cool for 5 minutes in the molds, then took them out, peeled off the paper, and transferred them to a rack to cool completely.
Why I make this recipe often
These mini sweet breads are practical: they portion easily, don’t make a mess, and stay soft for several days. I can pack them for gifts or take them on the go. For kids or carolers, they are a better option than a large slice of sweet bread, which tends to crumble. They store well and don’t take up much space for transport.
Tips and variations
Tips
- If the dough seems too stiff, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Preheat the oven in advance; the dough needs a constant warmth.
- Use type 000 flour for a finer texture.
- The butter should be soft but not completely melted.
Substitutions
- You can use white sugar if you don’t have raw sugar.
- Walnuts can be replaced with ground almonds or hazelnuts.
- Instead of orange, lemon zest works too.
- Fresh yeast (25 g) instead of dry yeast: dissolve it first in a little warm milk with sugar.
Variations
- For the filling, you can add raisins, small chocolate pieces, or candied peel.
- Without cinnamon if you don’t want an intense flavor.
- For fasting: use plant milk, margarine, and replace the eggs with applesauce (the result won’t be identical, but it works).
Serving ideas
- They can be served for breakfast with milk or coffee.
- They are good alongside fresh fruit, especially apples or oranges.
- They can be individually wrapped for gifts, especially during the holidays.
Frequently asked questions
1. What do I do if the dough doesn’t rise?
Check the room temperature and the freshness of the yeast. If it’s cold, leave the bowl near a heat source.
2. Can the sweet breads be frozen?
Yes, after they have completely cooled, you can freeze them in bags. They thaw at room temperature, and the texture remains good.
3. How long do they last after baking?
They stay soft for 3-4 days in a closed box. If kept longer, they can be briefly reheated in the oven.
4. Can I do everything by hand, without a kneading machine?
Yes, but it requires 15-20 minutes of vigorous kneading. The effort is worth it, as the dough becomes more elastic.
5. Can I use oil instead of butter?
Yes, but the taste will be slightly different. Use 80 ml of oil for 100 g of butter.
Nutritional values
One serving (1 mini sweet bread) has approximately:
- 260 kcal
- 7 g protein
- 32 g carbohydrates
- 11 g fat
The value depends on the type of sugar and walnuts used. They are relatively high in calories but filling.
Storage and reheating
They are kept at room temperature in a well-closed box. After 3 days, they can be refrigerated or frozen. Reheating is done in the oven for 3-4 minutes at 150°C or 10 seconds in the microwave, just enough to regain their soft texture. Don’t leave them too long in the heat, so they don’t dry out.
I used the kneading machine. I added the following in order: warm milk, soft butter, whole eggs, a pinch of salt, sugar, orange zest, sifted flour, and finally yeast. I selected the kneading program. In the meantime, I prepared the filling. In a bowl, I mixed ground walnuts, sugar, cocoa, and finally ground cinnamon. I mixed well and set it aside. I started the oven. I prepared 16 aluminum cups lined with muffin paper. After an hour and a half, I took the dough out onto an oiled surface and divided it into 16 roughly equal portions. I rolled each portion of dough with a rolling pin. I sprinkled a few tablespoons of filling, leveled it, and then rolled each sheet into a scroll shape, which I then twisted into a snail shape. I placed each little cake in the aluminum form. After finishing all the dough, I placed the molds in a baking tray, spaced 2-3 cm apart, and put them in the preheated oven to let them rise for another quarter of an hour. Then, I baked them in the oven at medium heat for about 35 minutes until they turned nicely golden. After half an hour, I mixed the egg yolk with milk and, using a wide brush, I glazed all the cakes in the tray. Then I sprinkled raw sugar on top and pushed them back into the oven for another 5 minutes. I then took them out of the oven and let them cool. I removed them from the molds, took off the paper, and placed them on a rack to cool completely.
I couldn't follow Rocs' recipe exactly, but overall, it's pretty much the same, except I used whole eggs. The ingredients cost about 25 lei. They are great for giving to carolers.
Ingredients: 300 ml warm sweet milk, 100 g soft fatty butter, 3 whole eggs, 200 g raw sugar, a pinch of salt, 700 g flour, grated orange peel, 1 packet of dry yeast, 300 g ground walnuts, 4 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 4 tablespoons raw sugar for filling, 1 egg yolk + 4 tablespoons sweet milk for brushing, 3 tablespoons raw sugar for sprinkling.
