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.
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.
Recipe
Mini Red Velvet Cakes (Petit Fours)
Equipment
- 1 Mixer, either hand or stand
- 2 bowls, one large and one medium
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 9x13 baking sheet
Ingredients
Strawberry Filling
- ½ cup (13g) strawberries
- ½ cup (13g) sugar
- 1 tsp (5g) lemon
Cake
- ½ cup (120g) buttermilk
- ½ tsp (3g) vinegar
- 1.25 cups (156g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp (5g) cocoa powder
- ½ tsp (2g) baking soda
- ½ tsp (3g) salt
- ¼ cup (55g) vegetable oil
- 1 and ¼ cup (250g) sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 - 4 drops red food coloring (gel)
- ½ tbsp (7g) vanilla extract
Frosting
- 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 oz (113g) butter, room temperature
- ½ tbsp (7g) vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp (2g) salt
- 3.5 cups (429g) powdered sugar
Decoration
- Chocolate heart, square, etc. (Optional)
Instructions
Strawberry Filling
- Remove the top and quarter each strawberry. Using a heavy bottom sauce plan on low to medium heat, cook the strawberries and lemon for five minutes. Add the sugar and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved into a clear liquid, bring it to a boil for 6 minutes. Using a fork or a masher, break the strawberries into the desired consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool.½ cup (13g) strawberries, 1 teaspoon (5g) lemon, ½ cup (13g) sugar
Red Velvet Cake
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking sheet. Mix the buttermilk and vinegar and set aside.½ cup (120g) buttermilk, ½ teaspoon (3g) vinegar
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.1.25 cups (156g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon (5g) cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon (2g) baking soda, ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Using a hand or stand mixer at a low speed, beat the vegetable oil and sugar for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat for three minutes. Add the vanilla extract and the red food coloring and beat for one minute.*Use the paddle attachment for stand mixers¼ cup (55g) vegetable oil, 1 and ¼ cup (250g) sugar, 2 - 4 drops red food coloring (gel), 2 large eggs, room temperature, ½ tablespoon (7g) vanilla extract
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Using a wooden spoon, alternate adding the buttermilk mixture and the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. (buttermilk, wet, buttermilk, wet, buttermilk, wet.) *Mix the ingredients just enough to incorporate. Over mixing will flatten the cake.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the baking sheet. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Keep the cake on the baking sheet and cool to room temperature. Once cooked, move the baking sheet/cake into the freezer for 20 minutes. This makes cutting the cake easier and looks better.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Mix: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract, salt, and powdered sugar and whip to combine, about 2 minutes more.2 - 4 drops red food coloring (gel), 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, room temperature, 4 oz (113g) butter, room temperature, ½ tablespoon (7g) vanilla extract, 3.5 cups (429g) powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon (2g) salt
Assembly
- Remove the cake from the freezer, use a cookie cutter or template to cut into the desired shape. Then, carefully, cut each cut piece in half.
- Prepare the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a dot tip. (I used a size similar to Wilton 10 round tip). Pipe a tight ring of dot tips around the perimeter of each mini cake. Fill the center, inside of the frosting, with 2 - 3 teaspoons of strawberry jam. Place on the top half of the cake. Pipe and decorate the top as desired.Chocolate heart, square, etc. (Optional)
Notes
- The number of mini cakes will depend on the size cookie cutter used. The heart shape I used made six cakes. To make a larger batch, select to multiply the recipe in the upper right-hand corner. You can increase the size by 2x or 3x.
- If using storebought jam, heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds. This will make the jam easier to work with.
- When making the jam, if you want to test if the jam is ready to set, spoon a little onto a cold plate leave for a minute. Move the jam with your finger, and if the jam crinkles and separates without flooding back, the setting point has been reached.
tanvibytes
These look delicious 😋! I love the little chocolate ðŸ«heart! â¤ï¸ Perfect for Valentine's Day! 🙃 I am also uploading a red velvet recipe on my blog soon, it would be so awesome I you checked it out! ðŸ˜
Ruth Grindeland
Hi, thank you!!! I will absolutely check out your blog. When do you plan on posting it? I want to make a note so I look out for it.
YAY red velvet, it's the perfect cake for Valentines Day!
tanvibytes
Thanks! I'm posting it on the 12th! 😂🙂 Just in time for Valentine's Day ✨ I love red velvet!