Mini Vanilla & Red Velvet Layer Cake

My daughter and I are obsessed with mini cakes. My mom gave me 6-inch cake pans for Christmas and we have been waiting for the perfect occasion to use them. Yay for Valentine’s Day! 🙂 ❤ I will admit that I’m not sure if a 3-layer cake is truly “mini”…. but it was really cute.

Some math is involved in order to adapt a recipe to make a mini cake. In this case, the vanilla cake recipe, originally for an 8-inch layer cake, was reduced to 57%. I made the red velvet cake, originally for 12 cupcakes, in its entirety in order to make additional cupcakes. The icing recipe makes enough to generously frost the layer cake as well as the cupcakes.

The vanilla cake recipe was adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book: Recipes for Irresistible Everyday Favorites and Reinvented Classics by Sarah Kieffer. The red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting recipes were adapted from Martha Stewart Living.

For the Vanilla Cake Layers:

Yield: Two 6-inch cakes

• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 5 1/2 T sour cream
• scant 2 T buttermilk
• 162 g all-purpose flour
• 169 g granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp plus generous 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp plus generous 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp plus generous 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 9 T (129 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the Red Velvet Cake Layer:

Yield: One 6-inch cake and 5 standard cupcakes (Alternatively, 57% of the recipe can be made to just make a single cake layer, if desired.)

• 148 g (1 1/4 cups) cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
• 1 large egg, room temperature (can put in a bowl of warm water to quickly change the temperature)
• 1/4 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

To Make the Vanilla Cake Layers:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Butter two 6-inch cake pans and then line them with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and then flour the pans. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk.
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low until combined.
5. With the mixer running on low, add the butter one piece at a time, beating until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
6. With the mixer still running on low, slowly add half the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
7. With the mixer running on low, add the rest of the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
8. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 20 seconds. (The batter may still look a little bumpy.)
9. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and use a spatula to mix the batter a few more times.
10. Divide the batter between the cake pans. Each well should be about halfway full. (I weigh them to make sure that the batter is evenly distributed. Each pan had about 360 g of batter.)
11. Using an offset spatula, smooth the tops. Tap the pan gently on the counter 2 times to help get rid of any bubbles.
12. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
13. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan. Then, remove from pan, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Red Velvet Cake Layer & Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection. Place 5 cupcake liners in a standard muffin pan. Butter one 6-inch cake pan and then line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and then flour the pan. Set aside.
2. Sift together cake flour, and cocoa; add salt and whisk to combine.
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined.
4. Add the egg, beating until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5. Mix in food color and vanilla.
6. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each.
7. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter; mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
8. Place 350 g to 360 g batter in the prepared cake pan, about halfway full. Divide the remaining batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
9. Bake the cake pan, rotating halfway through, about 23 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean. Transfer to wire racks to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely.
10. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for about 17 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Yield: 4 cups, enough to frost 1 6-inch cake and 5 cupcakes

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• gel food coloring, if desired
• decorative sprinkles, if desired

1. Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low.
2. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. (I sifted 1 cup of sugar at a time prior to adding it to the butter-cream cheese mixture.)
3. Tint the frosting with food coloring, if desired.
4. Fill between the cake layers and the frost the top and sides of the cake. Using a pastry bag with a large fluted tip, pipe onto cupcakes in a circular motion, starting on the outer rim.
5. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
6. Refrigerate the cake (and cupcakes) prior to serving.

Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys

Yes… I have a couple more strawberry recipes to share. This is what happens when your family picks over 12 pounds of fresh berries! 😉

Every year, I make strawberry-vanilla bean jam, strawberry shortcake cookies, fresh strawberry gelato, and pancakes with strawberries (both sourdough & simple but perfect)- at the very least. After adding a new strawberry cocktail and spoon cake to the list this year, we still had plenty of berries to enjoy.

This recipe was adapted from Gourmet, via Smitten Kitchen.com. I doubled the recipe to make 12 desserts, used lemon juice instead of zest, and used potato bread instead of white sandwich bread. I measured the berries prior to slicing them.

I loved the combination of browned butter with berries in these simple tarts. We ate them with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. They would also be wonderful served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Yield: 6 muffin-sized desserts

• 3/4 stick salted or unsalted butter
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 6 slices potato sandwich bread or white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest, finely grated OR 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp coarse salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 1/2 cup panko
• 2 (generous) cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
• vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350°F, preferably on convection, with rack in middle.
2. Make the Brown Butter: In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is less than a minute. Remove from heat.
3. Lightly butter muffin cups with some of brown butter, then sprinkle with granulated sugar.
4. Roll bread slices with a rolling pin to flatten.
5. Brush both sides with additional brown butter, then gently fit into muffin cups.
6. Stir together brown sugar, zest or juice, salt, and panko.
7. Add strawberries to the sugar mixture and toss to coat.
8. Stir in remaining brown butter.
9. Heap strawberry mixture into the prepared bread cups, pressing gently.
10. Cover pan with foil, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake until strawberries are very tender, about 10 to 15 minutes more. (I baked mine for 12 minutes more.)
12. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

My daughter is obsessed with donuts- specifically donuts with pink icing and sprinkles. Her new bicycle bell is a life-size pink frosted donut with sprinkles! 🙂

I must say that she was quite pleased with this cinnamon sugar variation. When we debated over whether or not they were too heavily coated with cinnamon sugar, both of my kids informed me that such a problem was not even possible. 😉

This recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Using my mini donut pans, this recipe made 12 donuts. I substituted 1/2 cup of buttermilk instead of a combination of yogurt and milk and I reduced the amount of butter in the topping. They made a very special breakfast.

Yield: 8 standard size donuts or 12 mini donuts

For the Donuts:

• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (65g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk (or skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk), at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60g) yogurt or sour cream (nonfat, low-fat, vanilla, plain, Greek or regular yogurt), at room temperature (I used another 1/4 cup of buttermilk)
• 2 T (30g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Coating:

• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4-5 T unsalted butter, melted

To Make the Donuts:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C), preferably on convection. Spray a donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk the egg, brown sugar, milk, and yogurt together until smooth. Add the melted butter and vanilla, whisking until fully combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thick.
5. Spoon the batter into the donut cavities—I highly recommend using a large zipped-top bag for ease. Cut a corner off the bottom of the bag and pipe the batter into each donut cup, filling 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake for 9–10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool for about two minutes and transfer to a wire rack set on a large piece of parchment paper or on a large baking sheet.
7. Bake the remaining donut batter and transfer to the wire rack. Allow donuts to cool down until you can handle them.

To Coat with Cinnamon Sugar:

1. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2. Brush the melted butter, on the top or on the top and bottom, as desired; dunk into the cinnamon sugar mixture coating all sides.
3. Donuts are best served immediately.

Notes:

• Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• You can freeze the donuts for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up to your liking in the microwave, usually a few seconds.

Mini Pear & Blueberry Upside-Down Cakes

My daughter has been asking for an upside-down cake! When I spotted this seasonal recipe, and had all of the ingredients on hand, I made it to surprise her. 🙂 A springtime spice cake was such a nice change of pace. The spices worked nicely with the blueberries and pears too. The mini size was just the icing on the cake. 😉

This recipe was adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics. I used my pretty Daisy cupcake pan- so pretty!

I’m bringing this tasty dessert to share with my friends at Fiesta Friday #72– hosted by Quinn @ Dad Whats for Dinner and Naina @ Spice in the City. Enjoy!!

Yield: 6 small cakes

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for tin
• 6 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 12 teaspoons packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed
• 1 ripe Bartlett pear, halved lengthwise, cored, and cut into thin wedges
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (I used freshly ground)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large whole egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees on convection.
2. Generously butter the cups and top of a muffin tin with six 8-ounce cups. (My 8-ounce cup muffin pan is a Daisy Pan! I used cooking spray instead of butter to coat the details more easily.)
3. Place 1 teaspoon butter in each muffin cup. Top each with 1 tablespoon corn syrup; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons light-brown sugar.
4. Arrange 7 to 9 blueberries in each cup.
5. Cut pear slices to fit the shape of muffin cups; place 4 or 5 pieces on top of the berries, spreading slices to cover berries.
6. Arrange remaining berries over the pears, and set tin aside. (I didn’t have leftover berries!)
7. Into a small bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger; set aside.
8. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar and remaining 5 tablespoons butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk; beat until smooth.
9. Combine the vanilla with the buttermilk.
10. With mixer on low-speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, and beginning and ending with flour.
11. Pour 1/3 cup batter over fruit in each muffin cup. Gently tap bottom of tin against counter several times to evenly distribute the batter.
12. Bake cakes until golden around the edges and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 17 minutes on convection, or up to 25 minutes in a standard oven. Remove from oven; let cool in tin.

One Year Ago:

• Oven-Baked Blueberry Pancake

Two Years Ago:

• Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
• Strawberry-Vanilla Bean Jam

Cheesecakes with Raspberry Hearts

This is a cute and super tasty Valentine’s Day dessert. My daughter wrote about them in her kindergarten cookbook. ❤

The recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I modified the proportions and the method. My husband could have easily eaten two!

Yield: 16 mini-cheesecakes

• 3/4 cup finely ground graham crackers (from 6 crackers)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
• pinch coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• raspberry jam, warmed in the microwave

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Line two standard muffin tins with 8 paper liners each. (I used the wells on the outside of the pan.)
3. Grind the graham crackers in a food processor.
4. Add the melted butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar; pulse until combined.
5. Place 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker crust mixture into bottom of each paper liner. Using the bottom of a glass, press mixture flat in the base of each well to form the crust.
6. Bake until set and beginning to color at edges, about 7 minutes on convection or up to 10 minutes in a standard oven. Transfer tins to a rack to cool.
7. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-high until fluffy.
8. Reduce speed to low and add remaining 3/4 cups sugar in a slow stream.
9. Add salt and vanilla and mix until well combined.
10. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each (do not over mix). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and briefly mix to combine.
11. Spoon 3 tablespoons filling over crust in each cup. (I used a cookie scoop.)
12. Drop two dots of raspberry jam on the surface of each cupcake. Drag the tip of a toothpick or wooden skewer down through centers of dots to create a heart. Alternatively, make one heart in each and drag to form the tip at the base of the heart shape.
13. To bake, set tins in oven in two separate roasting pans. Place on the oven racks in the preheated oven. Fill each roasting pan halfway with hot water.
14. Bake until set, about 30 minutes on convection or up to 34 minutes in a standard oven, carefully rotating halfway through.
15. Transfer tins to racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, uncovered, prior to serving. If made in advance, cheesecakes can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.