Don’t you hate it when you make a cake for a party and come home with half the cake, and the next day while your husband is at work you eat the other half, so you have to bake another cake and eat half of it before he gets home? Well that won’t happen with this Triple Layer Mini Vanilla Cake with Berries. It’s just the right amount of cake for a small group!
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Mini Vanilla Cake with Buttercream and Berries on marble cake plate

The Mini Vanilla Cake with Berries: The Icing, The Filling, The Toppings…it’s all good!

This moist little vanilla cake is made with buttermilk, giving it a rich full flavor and body, and the vanilla cream cheese frosting is so amazing it’s hard not to eat most of it straight from the bowl. I like to keep the cake ‘semi-naked’ by scraping the icing off the sides a bit. Sometimes I frost all three layers and leave it at that. Other times I frost them and then spread raspberry jam between the layers for a little added flavor and color. Finally, I top with as many berries as I can fit on a tiny cake!

Mini Vanilla Cake with Buttercream and Berries with a pink and green dish towel, shot from above

To Make This Cake Gluten Free:

If you are fine eating gluten, have at it! But if you are one of my gluten free followers, I have two wonderful suggestions to make this cake gluten free but just as good: King Arthur’s Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour is fabulous and found in most grocery stores. Jovial Gluten Free Pastry Flour is also wonderful and the grains in this flour are soaked for easy digestion!

Mini Vanilla Cake with Buttercream and Berries on a small marble and wood cake stand

Love Little Cakes?

Try my Triple Layer Orange Upside Down Cake too!

A small layer cake topped with blood oranges on white marble cake stand

 

The Recipe: Mini Vanilla Cake with Berries!

Tip and what you need:  3-5″ cake pans, unbleached parchment paper, and vanilla paste (or extract, I just prefer paste!) If you want to make this cake gluten free, I recommend Jovial Gluten Free Pastry Flour.

Print
Triple Layer Mini Vanilla Cake with Berries
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

A sweet little vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting and berries!

Course: Dessert
Keyword: #layer cake, berries, gluten free, vanilla cake
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
The Cake:
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, or see my recommendation for gluten free flour above
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup soft butter room temp (1 stick)
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or baking oil of your choice)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 2/3 cup cultured buttermilk
  • 1 7" skewer to hold the cake in place (you may or may not need it)
The Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room temp butter
  • 4 oz cream cheese, room temp
  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • raspberry jam if you want another layer of color and sweetness between cakes!
  • an assortment of berries for topping
Instructions
Pan prep:

  1. Preheat oven to 350, place oven rack in center position. To prevent the cake from sticking you can use non stick pans, then use a paper towel to wipe sides and bottom of pans with soft butter. Dust each pan lightly with flour. OR fold a large piece of parchment paper in half twice. Use bottom of cake pan and pencil to trace a circle on parchment, then cut folded paper so you end up with three circles. Place parchment circles into the bottom of pans and spray with organic non stick spray. This is my favorite method. Set aside

Cake Prep:

  1. Place flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, whisk and set aside

  2. Using a mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and coconut oil (or baking oil of your choice)

  3. Add vanilla paste or extract, eggs (one at a time) mixing until incorporated

  4. Add buttermilk and flour alternately and mix until smooth

  5. Pour batter as evenly as you can into the three prepared pans

  6. Tap pans on counter to take out any bubbles

  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean

  8. Allow to cool then remove cakes from pans before frosting

Frosting Prep:

  1. Place butter, cream cheese, vanilla paste or extract into a bowl and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar and mix until well incorporated. Add buttermilk if needed.

  2. To get the "semi naked"  look, I frost the first layer lightly, adding a little more frosting around the edges of cake. Then I place the second cake layer and repeat. Last I place the top layer on, and push a skewer right through the center to keep the cake stable (cut skewer to size if needed), frost the top layer somewhat generously and use what is left to lightly frost the sides, scraping off extra frosting.

  3. If you want raspberry jam between each layer just spread on top of frosting before adding another layer of cake

  4. Top with berries, serve!

 

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