Mini Cake Recipes

Looking for dainty and delicious mini cake recipes? You’re in the right place! From Mini Lemon Drizzle Loaves to Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes, this collection of mini cake recipes puts a bite-sized twist on your favourite classic cakes. Mini cakes are fun and easy to make, but still have the wow-factor and are perfect for any type of occasion! In this blog post, you’ll find plenty of recipe inspiration, baking tin recommendations and top tips for making mini cakes.

Reasons To Love Mini Cakes

There are so many reasons why mini cakes are a must-bake! Here’s just a few in case you need convincing:

• Adorable, dainty and impressive. Mini cakes have that natural wow factor without being complicated to make! The small size makes them adorable and irresistible.
• Perfectly portioned for an individual treat or dessert. No cutting, messy crumbs or uneven slices. Just pop them onto a plate and you’re good to go!
• The recipes are easy to scale up or down. Most of my mini cake recipes make 12 individual cakes. However, the ingredients can easily be divided to make a half batch of 6 cakes, or doubled to make a big batch of 24.
• Mini cakes are perfect for all occasions – parties, picnics, afternoon tea, bake sales, BBQs, weddings, and celebrations.

Mini Cake Recipes

1. Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes

These easy Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes have two soft sponge layers sandwiched together with whipped cream and strawberry jam, finished with a light dusting of icing sugar!

2. Mini Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cakes

These Mini Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cakes are a bitesize version of the classic and are jam-packed with zingy lemony flavour!

3. Mini Coffee and Walnut Cakes

If you’re looking for a comforting treat, look no further than these Mini Coffee and Walnut Cakes! Each delicious mini cake combines two fluffy layers of coffee-infused sponge studded with crunchy walnuts, with luscious and sweet coffee buttercream.

4. Mini Banana Bread Loaf Cakes

With three flavour options to choose from – melty chocolate chip, cosy cinnamon and walnut, or delicious Lotus Biscoff – these easy mini banana bread loaf cakes are sure to be a hit!

5. Mini Chocolate Birthday Cake

This adorable 4-inch Mini Chocolate Birthday Cake with chocolate fudge frosting is perfect for small but special celebrations!

6. Mini Cherry Bakewell Cakes

These delicious Mini Cherry Bakewell Cakes have a soft almond sponge filled with juicy cherry jam! They’re decorated with sweet glacé icing, a sprinkle of almond flakes and a fresh cherry for a super cute finish.

7. Mini Peaches and Cream Bundt Cakes

These beautiful Mini Peaches and Cream Bundt Cakes feature a soft cinnamon sponge filled with fragrant vanilla cream. They’re topped with honey-soaked fresh peaches, adding a burst of fruity flavour and summer sweetness. 

Let’s Talk Baking Tins

Mini cake recipes come in all different shapes and sizes! From mini loaf cakes to tiny 2-layer cakes, mini bundt cakes to mini celebration cakes to share. Here are my tried-and-test baking tins for making mini cakes:

• Mini round layer cake tin: Ideal for creating mini-layered cakes. Either slice each sponge horizontally to create two layers or use two sponges per cake to make a taller mini cake.
• Mini loaf tin: Make perfectly uniform mini loaf cakes with straight, neat edges using this baking tin.
• Mini decorative bundt tin: For mini cakes with a wow-factor! This tin will bake mini bundt cakes with an intricate swirly pattern.
• Mini 4-inch round cake tins: Perfect for making a small celebration cake for 2 or 4 to share. This tin is loose-based for easy cake removal and is deep enough to bake one chunky sponge that can be sliced into several layers.

Top Tips For Making Mini Cakes

• Always grease the baking tin: Even if your baking tin is non-stick, still grease it with a little butter or cooking oil spray so the cakes can be easily removed. If you have the time (and patience!) you could line the holes with greaseproof paper too.
• Don’t overfill the baking tin: All of my mini cake recipes use self-raising flour to give the sponges a lovely rise in the oven. That’s why it’s important not to overfill the baking tin otherwise the cakes will spill over! The safe bet is to fill the baking tin holes just over halfway full.
• Choose a buttercream finish: Piping buttercream will give a neat, professional and patisserie-like finish to your mini cakes. If you’re looking for a rustic, homemade finish, try spreading the buttercream on the cakes instead.
• Decoration ideas: Mini cakes need very little decoration as they’re already super cute and pretty! But if you want to add a little pizzazz try topping them with edible flowers, fresh berries, edible gold foil, sprinkles or buttercream swirls.
• Keep them covered so they keep fresh: Mini cakes can dry out more quickly so it’s best to keep them stored in a baking tin or airtight container right up until you’re ready to display or serve them.