Mini Red Velvet Cakes (Petit Fours)

Two layers of mini red velvet cakes sandwiched between cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberry jam. These adorable little cakes are perfect for bridal showers, galentines, Christmas, or birthday parties.

Seriously, how cute are these little mini red velvet cakes? They are perfect bite-sized treats filled with sweet cream cheese. Much like my mini red velvet cheesecakes, these cakes are perfectly sized for any gathering!

While I made these cakes in red velvet, you can make them in any cake flavor. (Did someone say pink for a baby shower? How cute would that be?)

Squares are the traditional shape for mini cakes. I like the square shape because it is clean and efficient. The cakes in the pictures were made using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Other popular shapes you could make with cookie cutters include circles, stars, or flowers.

I encourage you to have fun and be creative. As long as the cake is moist and the filling is sweet, the shapes can be fun.

Jump to:

• Specific Ingredient Notes
• Helpful Tips
• Storing
• Great British Show Bake
• Recipe

Specific Ingredient Notes

Flour - Traditional all-purpose flour is the perfect flour for this cake. It provides enough strength to hold up all the layers and decoration while keeping the sponge light.

Jam - I used homemade strawberry jam in the middle of the cakes. It does not take long to make, and the flavor is very fresh. If you prefer, use jam purchased at the store.

Red Food Coloring - Red velvet cakes were initially made with beetroot to achieve a red color. Nowadays, most bakers use food coloring, including me. There are two types of red food coloring, gel and regular. The gel food coloring is much more concentrated than the standard version. I always recommend using gel to maintain the correct recipe moisture ratios.

Helpful Tips

Size - The number of mini cakes will depend on the size the cake is cut into. Use your cookie cutter or ruler to map out how many cakes will be produced on the baking sheet. Each cut will be sliced in half creating the layers. Example, if my heart cookie cutter makes 10 cuts on the baking sheet, I will have 10 mini cakes.

Frosting - I created a small frosting recipe that matches the size of the cakes, minus any exterior frosting. Select 2x or 3x in the recipe below if you prefer a larger batch.

Choosing the correct pan - Using this recipe, I recommend using a 9x13 baking sheet. This makes a cake easy to cut while being thick enough to slice in half.

Choosing the shape and mold - You will most likely want to cut the cake into the desired shape. I used two shapes, a heart and a circle. I used a cookie cutter for the heart shape, and for the circle, I used a small biscuit cutter. If you do not have a cutter, you can use a mug or small bowl to achieve a round shape.

Cake scraps - After you cut the cake, there will be many leftover scraps. Rather than throwing away the cake scraps, you can freeze them for up to 30 days. There are many different ways to use leftover cake scraps that taste and look delicious. Below I listed a couple of my favorite ways to use leftover cake scarps that are easy and family-friendly.

Cake Truffles -

• Place the cake scraps in a mixer using the paddle attachment.
• Add a small amount of frosting to bind the scraps together.
• Mix at a low to medium speed until all the ingredients are mixed.
• Use an ice cream scooper or a spoon to scoop out the batter, then roll the batter into a ball. This is the foundation of your cake truffle.
• Prepare bowls, one with chocolate and one with something crunchy, to roll the cake truffle in (ex. nuts, sprinkles, etc.)
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave on low power in 20-second bursts. (Always use low power and short bursts to avoid burning the chocolate.)
• Wearing gloves, roll the cake truffle in chocolate and something crunchy.
• Set the cake truffle on parchment paper and place it in the refrigerator for at least one hour to set.
  
  

Cake Shake -

• Place the cake, ice cream, milk, and other shake ingredients in a blender.
• Blend.
• You know, have a cake shake!

Storing

Countertop Instructions: Allow to fully cool and then place in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to three days.

Refrigerate Instructions: Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to seven days.

Freezing Instructions: Place in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to three months.

Great British Show Bake

Season 7, Episode 5, Signature - Petit Fours

This bake is part of my challenge to bake through the Great British Baking Show.

Count: 15 down, 268 to go!

Recipe