Description

This easy mini cake recipe is so much fun to make! And guess what? Each mini cake has two beautifully baked cake layers and decorated just like a regular cake- only these mini cakes are just 4″ and the perfect tiny treat! With red velvet, pistachio, Funfetti, lemon, or vanilla, these small cakes are the perfect petit treat!

Ingredients

Scale

Equipment:

Mixing bowl
Whisk
Hand mixer
4″ cake pans or 8×8″ baking pan
3–4” cookie cutter (if using a baking pan)

Funfetti Mini Cake:

100 mL vegan dairy free milk with apple cider vinegar or Forager Project Drinkable Cashewmilk Yogurt, unsweetened, room temperature
157 g all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour + 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
150 g granulated sugar
75 g salted vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
65 g Forager Project unsweetened cashewmilk yogurt, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegan sprinkles
1 cups vegan butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups organic powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2–4 tbsp Forager Project dairy free milk of choice
Optional: vegan food coloring

Pistachio Mini Cake

100 mL Forager Project Drinkable Cashewmilk Yogurt, unsweetened, room temperature
157 g all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour + 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
150 g granulated sugar
75 g salted vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
65 g Forager Project unsweetened cashewmilk yogurt, room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios
1 cups vegan butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups organic powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2–4 tbsp Forager Project dairy free milk of choice
Optional: vegan food coloring

Red Velvet Mini Cake

100 mL vegan dairy free milk with apple cider vinegar or Forager Project Drinkable Cashewmilk Yogurt, unsweetened, room temperature
3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
157 g all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour + 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
1/3 tbsp all-natural cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
150 g granulated sugar
75 g salted vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
65 g Forager Project unsweetened cashewmilk yogurt, room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp vegan red food coloring
½ cup vegan butter, room temperature
½ cup vegan cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cups organic powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2–4 tbsp Forager Project dairy free milk of choice
Optional: vegan food coloring

Lemon Mini Cake

100 mL Forager Project Drinkable Cashewmilk Yogurt, unsweetened, room temperature
157 g all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour + 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
150 g granulated sugar
75 g salted vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
65 g Forager Project unsweetened cashewmilk yogurt, room temperature
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 tsp lemon extract
3/4 tsp lemon zest
½ cup vegan butter, room temperature
½ cup vegan cream cheese, room temperature
1 3/4 cups organic powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2–4 tbsp Forager Project dairy free milk of choice
Optional: vegan food coloring

Vanilla Cake:

100 mL vegan dairy free milk with apple cider vinegar or Forager Project Drinkable Cashewmilk Yogurt, unsweetened, room temperature
157 g all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour + 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp baking soda
150 g granulated sugar
75 g salted vegan butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
65 g Forager Project unsweetened cashewmilk yogurt, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cups vegan butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups organic powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2–4 tbsp dairy free milk of choice
Optional: vegan food coloring
1/2 batch vegan vanilla buttercream

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Instructions

Make sure to please read through all instructions before beginning. Measure and weigh out all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350F. The sheet cake version is found in the notes section. Grease two 4” cake pans with cooking oil, and line them with parchment paper.
To prep the vegan buttermilk: if you’re not using the dairy free drinkable yogurt, combine the unsweetened dairy free milk with the apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5-7 minutes to curdle.
Whisk together the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
Combine the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted vegan butter and sugar until combined. Add in the Forager Project cashewmilk yogurt and vanilla extract. If you’re making the pistachio cake, add in the almond extract as well. If you’re making the red velvet cake, add in the red food coloring and vegan sourcream. If you’re making the lemon cake, add in the lemon extract and lemon zest. Whisk until combined.
Finish the batter: Add in the dry ingredients, along with the Forager Project drinkable cashewmilk yogurt. If you’re making the funfetti cake, whisk the batter together just before the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Then add in the vegan sprinkles, and whisk once more just until combined. If you’re making the pistachio cake, whisk the batter together just before the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Then add in the chopped pistachios, and whisk once more just until combined. If you’re making the red velvet cake, add in the tablespoon of cocoa powder, and whisk the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. If you’re making the lemon cake, whisk the batter just until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Bake the cakes: Pour the batter into the two lined cake pans, and bake for 27-32 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean. Once baked, remove the pans from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting (about 30-60 minutes).
Make the frosting: In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, cream the vegan butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. If making the red velvet cake, add in the vegan cream cheese as well, and cream together. Then sift in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time while mixing until all of the powdered sugar is incorporated. Add in the Forager Project milk of choice along with vanilla extract to help with the consistency. Cream together on high until light and fluffy.
Frost the mini cakes: Torte the cake layers, and apply a crumb coat. Chill the cake for 10 minutes in the freezer, then frost the cake with the remaining frosting for the final coating.
Decorate and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

To make the sheet cake version, prep an 8×8 baking pan greased with cooking oil and lined with parchment paper. Continue on after you’ve made the batter:

Bake the sheet pan cake: pour the batter onto the prepared sheet pan, and spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Make sure that the batter is evenly spread. Place the sheet pan into the oven on the middle rack. Bake the sheet pan for about 17-20 minutes, or until the top of the cake is lightly golden and the toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cake: once the cake is baked, remove the sheet pan from the oven. Allow the cake to cool on the sheet pan for 10 minutes, then carefully flip and transfer the sheet cake to a cooling rack that’s larger than the sheet pan. Allow the cake to fully cool before creating the mini cake layers, about 20-30 minutes.
Make the mini cake layers: once the cake is cool, use a small round cookie cutter, about 3″-4″ in diameter, and use the cookie cutter to cut small round circles into the layer cake. I was able to cut about 15 circles, making 5 three-layer cakes. Place the rounds onto the cooling rack, and place the cooling rack onto the baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to a flat surface in the freezer and allow the cake rounds to chill while you make the buttercream. This will help when you’re frosting them.
Make the vegan buttercream: follow the instructions for making the vegan vanilla buttercream. If you want to color the frosting, first use the plain vanilla buttercream to crumb coat the cakes, then use the remaining frosting to make the colors.