Glazed Mini Cakes

I love cupcakes, but these mini cakes are a totally different kind of cute (and delicious). I use brioche à tête molds (classic French fluted molds that look a bit like metal cupcake liners), mini Bundt pans, or popover pans to make them. I often use different pan shapes and colors of glazes and arrange the little cakes on a platter or cake stand. These mini cakes deserve a pretty plate and a tiny fork.

Makes 10 mini cakes

Difficulty: Easy

Make Ahead and Storage: The cakes can be stored airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.

• Cakes
• 60 g / ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 213 g / 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 57 g / 1 large egg
• 5 g / 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 241 g / 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 g / 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 g / ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Scant 1 g / ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 g / ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 181 g / ¾ cup buttermilk
• Fruit Glaze
• 454 g / 2 cups pure fruit juice, such as pomegranate, cherry, or citrus (see Pro Tip)
• 142 g / 1¼ cups powdered sugar, or more as needed
• 14 g / 1 tablespoon heavy cream, or more as needed

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C, with a rack in the middle. Grease and flour ten mini cake pans with 4-ounce cups.

2. Make the cakes: In a large bowl, whisk the coconut oil and brown sugar to combine. Add the egg and mix well. Whisk in the vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add half the mixture to the oil-and-sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add half the buttermilk and mix to combine. Repeat, alternating the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, just until the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth.

4. Scoop the batter into the prepared molds, filling each well about three-quarters full. Pick up the molds and slam them down on the counter a few times—hard—to eliminate any air bubbles trapped in the batter (this is especially important if the mold has lots of small details, ridges, or patterns).

5. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 16 to 20 minutes. Cool the cakes in the molds for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the edges of each mold and turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Make the glaze: In a medium saucepan, bring the juice to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until it is syrupy and reduced to 80 g / ⅓ cup.

7. Transfer the juice to a medium bowl and whisk in the powdered sugar. Add the cream and whisk to combine. Adjust the consistency of the glaze with more powdered sugar or cream if needed (see Thin or Thick Glazes).

8. Glaze the cakes: Use a serrated knife to level any of the bottoms of the cakes that aren’t flat. Scoop a little glaze over the top of each cake (I use a #60 / 1-tablespoon scoop, but you can just eyeball it), letting it run down the sides. Let stand until the glaze is completely set before serving, at least 15 minutes.

✻ Why It Works

Being small, the cakes have a short baking time, which may vary depending on the size of the molds you’re using. Overbaking is your enemy here; it will result in a thick outer crust.

★ Pro Tip

You can use whole fruit to make the glaze—an especially good way to go if you want the glaze to have a berry or stone fruit flavor: Cook 510 g / 3 cups (chopped, if applicable) fruit and 50 g / ¼ cup granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the fruit breaks down. Crush the fruit with a potato masher, then strain to remove any seeds, skin, or excess pulp. Return the juice to the saucepan and proceed as directed in step 7. The juice combines better with powdered sugar when warm. Also, fruits with naturally high levels of pectin (apples, pears, and blueberries, for example) will produce juice that firms up when reduced and cooled, so it’s best to make the glaze while the juice is still warm.