How tall do my cake tins need to be for this mini layer cake?

They need to be between 2 to 3 inches tall. I use these 4 by 3 inch tall cake tins .

Why is my cake crispy & hard on the outside?

Buttering the sides of the pan with too much butter can lead the cake layers to be too crispy and hard on the outside. Use just a small amount of butter for the sides, and lightly dust the butter with flour.

How much frosting do I need for this mini layer cake?

The amount of frosting you will need entirely depends on the style of frosting you are going to use. Typically you can comfortably halve most frosting recipes and still be left with enough to cover this mini layer cake.

Mini Layer Cake - The Littlest Crumb

Description

This mini layer cake is just like a regular layered cake, but mini! Perfect for a special occasion with just a handful of people.

Ingredients

Scale

¼ (60g) cup butter
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup (43g) semisweet chocolate chips
⅔ cup (80g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp salt
¼ cup (56ml) milk
Frosting of choice*

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 365F. Prepare two 4 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Lightly butter and flour the sides of the pans, tapping out the excess flour.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for 10 to 15 seconds until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract one at a time.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate. Heat for 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Once fully melted and smooth, mix it into the egg and sugar mixture.
In a separate medium sized bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
In several parts, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, alternating with adding the milk. Mix only until just combined.
Evenly divide the batter between the two cake tins.
Bake for 24 to 28 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Once done, let the cakes cool for 15 minutes on the counter. Gently tap the cakes out of their tins.
Let the cakes cool completely to room temperature. Chill the layers in the freezer for 20 minutes before icing them.
If needed, level the cake layers. Add a layer of frosting in between the cake layers before stacking them. Continue to frost the rest of the cake. Enjoy!

Notes

* Frosting: I used this espresso buttercream frosting but you can use any type you like. The amount of frosting needed will depend on your frosting method. See the blog post for more information.
Use the right cake tins. Use cake tins that are 4” in diameter and at least 2” tall. I use these 4” by 3” tall round cake tins.
Use a kitchen scale. A kitchen scale is the most accurate way to measure ingredients. You can also use the scale when adding the batter to the cake tins to divide it evenly.
Nutritional Info: The nutritional information is calculated without frosting.

Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 243
Sugar: 21.1g
Sodium: 133mg
Fat: 12.2g
Saturated Fat: 7.1g
Unsaturated Fat: 4.3g
Trans Fat: 0.4g
Carbohydrates: 32.1g
Fiber: 0.8g
Protein: 3g
Cholesterol: 84mg