How Do I Make Mini Cakes?

Decorating By sugarxosugar143 Updated 4 Aug 2011 , 5:36pm by sugarxosugar143

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sugarxosugar143 Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 12:47pm
post #1 of 29

i friend of mines wedding is next march, yes i know, months away but she asked me if i would make 100 mini cakes which i have never done so i need to start practicing now! lol I've seen threads about people making sheet cakes and then carving the mini cakes out with cookie cutters or whatever but i was hoping maybe there was a pan i could buy instead cuz hand carving 100 mini cakes would be insane and very time consuming lol! any hints, tips and pointers would be great! thank you!!

this is an example of the type of mini cake shes looking for:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LQ7lI3lp2XM/TWTbqYDxMaI/AAAAAAAAB-8/32VNSIDHq6o/s1600/rose-and-heart-mini-cakes.jpg

28 replies
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SteveJ Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 1:17pm
post #2 of 29

hmm a tricky one! if square would do it would be much easier! i've never seen a tin that could be used (unless you use an unlined muffin tin, with plenty of grease, chop the tops off and turn them upside down!).

i know you can get sets of round mini cake tins that sit together on a tray in a set of 16 or 25 that aren't too expensive but you would have to make a few batches to fill your order of 100!

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Sam_paggers Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 1:39pm
post #3 of 29

google 'Alan Silverwood round' and you'll find the tins:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330579238695

I ahd the square ones before and they are a nightmare to clean... not sure about the rounds though.
HTH sam x

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bakencake Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 1:40pm
post #4 of 29

I have also always wanted to know how to make mini cakes. my problem is how to buttercream and cover and still make them look even. mine come out wonky but not in the good way.

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Sam_paggers Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 1:42pm
post #5 of 29

on the squares i filled the pan so cakes would rise over the rim of the tin and then levelled while they were still in the pan....giving a straight bottom. Use buttercream and fondant jsut as you would on a larger cake. I use very little buttercream....the thinest layer so i can still see cake through it and then add fondant
sam x

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Alfiesmom Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 1:50pm
post #6 of 29

It is difficult, especially to cover in fondant. Those in the picture the bride wants are beautiful! I cut rounds from a sheet cake and it wasn't that bad (not easy, but not the worse part). You could start searching for & buying 4 or 5-in pans so that you have at least 20. That Alan Silverwood pan set looks ideal. Check AC Moore or Michaels for pans, there might be something new available, even a big novelty muffin pan. My best advice is to practice ahead of time. especially for quantity & consistency. When I had to make 15 3-layer small cakes, that was 9 sheet cakes for 45 rounds to complete the order. You've got 100. And ALWAYS do a few extra. Good luck

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RAZ Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 2:12pm
post #7 of 29

This pan might work, as long as the cake batter you're using isn't too thin. Personally I think making them in a sheet pan and cutting them out with a cookie cutter would be easier. Good luck with your mini cakes! icon_smile.gif

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/bite-size-cheesecake-pan

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imagenthatnj Posted 27 Jul 2011 , 2:17pm
post #8 of 29

Alan Silverwood pans as it's been said before.

But that is only half of the work. It will be hard and time consuming to cover them and make them as pretty as what you see. People usually have to pay from $15 to $20 per mini cake because they're a pain...even if you already have the pans to bake them. Just hard to decorate, that's all.

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sugarxosugar143 Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 1:28am
post #9 of 29

thank you to everyone for the links, info and tips! im def going to be doing LOTS of practice! im going to get the alan silverwood pan and also try the sheetcake method to see which i prefer! im going to have other friends helping with the decor when the time comes so hopefully it wont be too crazy! she wants them kind of like center pieces on a decorated plate/platter. the picture i used was just example of size, she actually wants shamrocks, swirls and hearts in green and purple on white fondant or buttercream(she hasnt decided on whether or not she wants them fondant covered yet)
but again, thank you all for the input!

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addietx Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 1:58am
post #10 of 29

The pans listed are 2" cakes! Do you realize that is smaller than a cupcake? Is that the size you want?
A baker on CC named sugartopped posted a photo of mini cakes. She used a mold from Kathy Scott. I saved it and here is what she wrote: "You cut the cake w/a cutter (included) and then coat the mold with chocolate, let it harden, put in the cake, and then cover w/chocolate again!! Great little set and this is probably the only way I'll do minis from now on. They feed at least 2 people. 4"wide. www. country kitchen sa. com also sells the mold http://www. country kitchensa. com/catalog/ product.aspx?productId =631434 remove the spaces They fit into a 3X3X3 clear plastic box.

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addietx Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 2:05am
post #11 of 29

Clarification: the mold from Kathy Scott is 4" in diameter the mold from CountryKitchenSA is 3" in diameter. I don't know much about the Kathy Scott mold but the CountryKitchen mold is silicone and can be used for baking not just chocolate.

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cakestyles Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 2:07am
post #12 of 29

I did something like this one time. Did you notice I wrote ONE time? lol

I'm warning you...they are VERY VERY time consuming and it's very difficult to get them all uniform. (which is important if you're displaying them on the same platter)

I used sheet cakes and cut 3" rounds out...I used 2 circles (which I torted and filled) per little mini cake. Mine were very similar to the ones in the link you posted.

Icing them was a nightmare and covering them with fondant was even worse.

They want to move around while you're trying to ice and cover them.

Make sure to try a few now so that you'll know if you even want to take on this project.

100 will feel like a thousand...trust me.

Also, make sure you charge enough because they are time consuming.

I remember after I made them my daughter told me that she might like something like that for her wedding one day. icon_cry.gificon_cry.gificon_cry.gif

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BlueMoon73 Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 2:09am
post #13 of 29

I found some round 2" pans at a thrift store, the bottoms come out, I have baked in them when I have extra for mini cakes for my family. I like them! I have never covered in fondant or anything yet but you could try the poured fondant, that sounds like the way to go with the mini cakes! Good luck!

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addietx Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 2:29am
post #14 of 29

Have you figured the time it will take? If it only took you a half hour to assemble and cover in fondant, which is very conservative. And you worked 10 hours a day, maybe more, it would take you 5 days to complete this order. Do you have space to put them as you assemble? How will you deliver them? Do you plan to place in clear boxes and then stack? These are questions that I ask myself.

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addietx Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 2:37am
post #15 of 29

I was just looking at the "most saved cakes posted today" Stacyscakes just posted some very lovely ones. Maybe she would share some "how to" tips.

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sugarxosugar143 Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 12:24pm
post #16 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by addietx

The pans listed are 2" cakes! Do you realize that is smaller than a cupcake? Is that the size you want?
A baker on CC named sugartopped posted a photo of mini cakes. She used a mold from Kathy Scott. I saved it and here is what she wrote: "You cut the cake w/a cutter (included) and then coat the mold with chocolate, let it harden, put in the cake, and then cover w/chocolate again!! Great little set and this is probably the only way I'll do minis from now on. They feed at least 2 people. 4"wide. www. country kitchen sa. com also sells the mold http://www. country kitchensa. com/catalog/ product.aspx?productId =631434 remove the spaces They fit into a 3X3X3 clear plastic box.




she wants them little little, like the size of cupcakes, i suggested cupcakes instead but she rather the "classy" look of the mini cake icon_eek.gif ! thanks for the link! icon_smile.gif

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sugarxosugar143 Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 12:39pm
post #17 of 29

im going to go to all my cake decor stores and craft stores and see what i can find for pans ect so i can test out everyones suggestions and see what works best for me! thanks again for all the input!

p.s. i cant seem to find where to buy kathy scott molds icon_sad.gif

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floursifter Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 1:03pm
post #18 of 29
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sugarxosugar143 Posted 28 Jul 2011 , 3:45pm
post #19 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by floursifter

Maybe the following will help.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MyNewSneakers?feature=mhsn#p/u/6/nhdMlhcVd-s




thank you! icon_smile.gif

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addietx Posted 29 Jul 2011 , 12:38am
post #20 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by sugarxosugar143

Quote:
Originally Posted by floursifter

Maybe the following will help.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MyNewSneakers?feature=mhsn#p/u/6/nhdMlhcVd-s



thank you! icon_smile.gif




That is a wonderful link. Thanks for posting.

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sugarxosugar143 Posted 30 Jul 2011 , 2:58am
post #21 of 29

anybody have any suggestions on how to pack them for delivery?? someone suggested putting each mini cake in its own little box then stacking them into a big box so they are all nice and snug...anyone else done that before?

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nikki4199 Posted 30 Jul 2011 , 3:32am
post #22 of 29

I use ring molds they are 3" and bake in them and then trim while in mold they come right out.

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nikki4199 Posted 30 Jul 2011 , 3:33am
post #23 of 29

you should also look up cupcakenvy she is the master of mini cakes. she ha slots of tutorials o you tube.

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addietx Posted 30 Jul 2011 , 2:37pm
post #24 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by nikki4199

I use ring molds they are 3" and bake in them and then trim while in mold they come right out.




Ring molds? Are they open at the bottom? Do you use parchment paper? So do you find this easier than using the rings as a cutter?

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ycknits Posted 30 Jul 2011 , 2:59pm
post #25 of 29

A friend and I experimented with petit fours and mini-cakes a couple of weeks ago. Squares are definitely the easiest to cut. It's surprising how much cake there is in a 2x2x2 inch square of cake!

For the circles, I used a circular pastry/biscuit cutter set from King Arthur Flour (but most kitchen stores have something similar). Here's what the look like:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/pastry-and-biscuit-cutters-round-set

For that many cakes, I'd bake a sheet cake 2" thick, carefully remove the golden brown layer from the top (easy to do as a frozen sheet cake is thawing after being frozen - you can even use a spatula then) - and then cut out whatever sized circles you want with the cutters. They are deep enough to work well on a standard 2" sheet cake.

We used the petit four icing recipe from the Marth Stewart website. The key was to keep it slightly warm and to dilute it to a thin, pourable consistency so that you get complete coverage of each minii-cake on the first pour. Also, the cakes should be at room temperature or even a little warm so that the icing does not instantly set up when it hits the cold cake. Our first ones were disasters. But the later ones were awesome! Very sophisticated and very tasty.

Do a practice run with the idea that you'll keep any that turn out well. Seal them up very well and freeze and then defrost while still wrapped so that you don't get any condensation.

Good luck and have fun!

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nikki4199 Posted 30 Jul 2011 , 5:44pm
post #26 of 29

I use the molds on a sheet pan i put parchment on the pan and spray the rings. Depending on the batter consistency sometimes it will leek out on the bottom. I just push down on the mold and circle motion just to cut it off, when cooled of course.

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sugarxosugar143 Posted 1 Aug 2011 , 11:37pm
post #27 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by ycknits

For the circles, I used a circular pastry/biscuit cutter set from King Arthur Flour (but most kitchen stores have something similar). Here's what the look like:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/pastry-and-biscuit-cutters-round-set




ive been looking for these but had no idea what they were called lmao!!! thank you!!!!

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patjobes Posted 4 Aug 2011 , 1:31pm
post #28 of 29

i know this is technically not a cake pan but i have used tins that pineapple rings came in for mini cakes i had to line them with greaseproof paper but i got to put 12 in my oven at once they came out great just an idea.

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sugarxosugar143 Posted 4 Aug 2011 , 5:36pm
post #29 of 29
Quote:
Originally Posted by patjobes

i know this is technically not a cake pan but i have used tins that pineapple rings came in for mini cakes i had to line them with greaseproof paper but i got to put 12 in my oven at once they came out great just an idea.




any ideas are welcomed! im going to try multiple different ways to make them to see what best fits me, so thank you! icon_smile.gif

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