The Clever Hack For Making Mini Layer Cakes Without A Special Pan

One layer of cake is already festive on its own, but adding multiple layers makes the dessert a party. This is probably why layer cakes have been a staple of American birthdays and weddings since they debuted in the U.S. baking world in the 1800s, as per The New York Times. But while the great American bakers of the past were focused on preparing layer cakes with whiskey and dried fruits, the American chefs of today have taken to baking up little layer cakes with a lot of taste.

However, while mini-layer cakes are delightfully bite-sized treats, you may be hesitant to try making them at home because you don't have the right tools. After all, outlets like The Littlest Cooke Crumb report that if you really want to put together perfect mini layer cakes, you'll need to get out your wallet and invest in mini cake pans. However, luxury baker and Instagrammer @jadescakestudio posted a mini layer cake hack that posed a simple, yet daring question. Who needs to make tiny cakes in a mini baking pan when baking a batch of cupcakes yields essentially the same results? Here's how you can make a mini version of your favorite chocolate layer cake with nothing more than three cupcakes, some icing, a center dowel, and a cake scraper.

According to @jadecakestudo's Instagram Reel, to make this mini cupcake layer cake, you will need to start off by icing one cupcake as the dessert's base. After you smooth out your first cupcake's icing with a cake scraper, you'll stack on your second cupcake layer top-first. Once you've properly evened out the second cupcake's icing, you'll need to put the center dowel in the first two cupcake layers for stability. Then you'll finish off your mini layer cake by adding and icing the final cupcake, which also needs to be placed face-down. Finally, with all of your cupcakes assembled, you can smooth out your icing one last time and enjoy a sweet mini-layer cake.

While this baking tip is undoubtedly one of the easiest ways to make a mini-layer cake, because cupcakes tend to vary in size, using this method means that your tiny treats may not come out perfectly even. Tasting Table's mini layer cake recipe will give you a more seamless look without slathering on additional frosting: simply make a regular sheet cake and then use a cookie cutter to cut out the tiny, even cake layers. However, it is important to note this method will leave you with a lot of wasted cake. (Hey, you could always see this as an opportunity to make cake pops or truffles.) So keep that in mind when you decide which pan-free mini layer cake tip to use.