All You Need Is A Cupcake Tin For Perfect Mini Layer Cakes

Baby showers, birthday parties, and get-togethers with friends are all occasions that can call for cake. However, rather than baking a giant confection and slicing it into smaller pieces, why not try making mini versions for everyone? Not only do your guests get a guaranteed slice of cake, but they can also take it home as a souvenir if they're not ready to chow down while at your event.

Although making mini layer cakes sounds like a lot of work, it's surprisingly simple with the right equipment. To craft these, all you need to do is divvy up your cake batter into a cupcake tin and bake it. When those cupcakes come out of the oven, each will work as one layer in your mini cakes. This trick both helps you to avoid wasting cake and will make it much easier to get perfectly-sized mini cake layers that are easy to stack.

To make your own mini layer cakes, first grab a box of cupcake mix or follow your favorite cupcake recipe. Once the cupcakes are baked and completely cool and you've made a quick batch of buttercream frosting, you're ready to assemble your mini layer cakes!

To assemble the layer cakes, place a small amount of buttercream on a cake stand and set one cupcake on top. The buttercream underneath will help keep the cake from moving around. Next, spread a dollop of buttercream frosting onto the cupcake, and use an offset spatula to cover the cake. Top this with another cupcake, placed top-down, and repeat the process. For extra-even layers, you can level the cupcakes once they have totally cooled down.

At this point, you may want to add a small dowel to the middle of the cupcakes for support. Finally, for an extra-tall mini cake, add a third cupcake and frost. Finish by smoothing out the buttercream. Now, you're ready to move on to decorating!

Once you've finished smoothing out the frosting on your stacked cupcakes, you should have a mini three-tiered cake in front of you. However, without any decoration, the truth is that it might look a little bit bland. Try topping them with sprinkles, nuts, chopped-up fruit, or even edible flowers to give your cakes a pop of color.

Another fun and easy way to vamp up your mini layer cakes is to make use of any leftover buttercream you have. Try popping a few drops of food coloring into a portion of the buttercream, then piping it to create flowers or other designs on your cake. You can also add lettering to your cake, like initials or a cute phrase. Whatever you choose, these mini cakes are a perfect excuse to get creative and wow the crowd with tiny replicas of large-scale cakes!