This mini pound cakes recipe is perfect for your mini Bundt cake pan or a loaf pan. Just like my regular pound cake recipe, these mini pound cakes are moist, flavorful, and wonderfully buttery. Plus, the addition of vanilla bean and raspberry icing is irresistible!
I have a mini Bundt pan obsession and after 1 taste of these mini vanilla pound cakes, you’ll understand why. Don’t they look like donuts?
Let’s Talk Pound Cake
Pound cake isn’t my top choice of desserts UNLESS it’s done right. Pound cake must be 2 things: moist and flavorful. There’s no worse dessert than dry pound cake. Having said that, I have a few pound cake recipes on my site and each is… you guessed it… moist and flavorful.
- Nutella Swirl Pound Cake
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Brown Butter Pound Cake
- Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake
Raspberry swirl pound cake is my favorite and where I began today’s mini pound cakes recipe.
Mini Pound Cake Ingredients
Mini pound cakes don’t require a lot of ingredients, but the ratio of those ingredients is imperative.
- An abundance of moisture and the pound cake will taste wet.
- Too much flour and the pound cake taste dry.
- Too many eggs and the pound cake will taste eggy.
Here’s the ratio that works best: 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of butter, and 4 eggs. This yields a wonderfully balanced pound cake. Add sour cream for extra moisture, vanilla extract for flavor, and vanilla bean for even more flavor. (Homemade vanilla extract is fantastic in these!) Also, if you’re craving it, almond extract tastes great too.
How to Make Mini Pound Cakes
Like most cake recipes, these mini pound cakes begin by creaming room temperature butter and sugar together. This step guarantees a soft crumb. Next, add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Lastly, mix in the dry ingredients. The cake batter is very thick, so you know the end result will be perfectly dense. If you use the same mini Bundt pan I have, you get about 8-9 mini Bundt cakes. Mini Bundt pans differ in size, so the yield varies. Whichever pan you use, fill each about 2/3 full.
If you don’t have a mini Bundt pan, use a mini loaf pan. If you don’t have a mini loaf pan, use a regular loaf pan. A full size Bundt cake pan is a little too large. No matter which pan you use, one thing’s certain: this pound cake is fabulous. Super tight crumb, dense, extremely buttery and moist, and flecked with vanilla bean.
I find the trick to Bundt cakes, no matter which pan or size, is to REALLY grease the pan. Even if the pan is labeled as non-stick! I typically use a generous spray of nonstick spray.
Let’s Decorate!
These mini pound cakes are wonderful with a simple dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries. But you could also try a lemon icing, vanilla icing, chocolate ganache, or even red wine chocolate ganachefor a decadent treat.
Pink is the way to my heart and sprinkles speak to my soul, so FRESH raspberry icing and sprinkles is my topping of choice. I use plenty of raspberries to produce a strong flavor and dark color, as well as milk instead of cream so that it’s on the thinner side.
These mini cakes make me so happy and I would love to know if you try them!
Mini Vanilla Pound Cakes
★★★★★4.9 from 12 reviews
- Author: Sally
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8-9 mini cakes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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Description
These mini vanilla pound cakes have a super tight crumb and are dense, extremely buttery and moist, and flecked with vanilla bean. Top with fresh raspberry icing and sprinkles!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour()
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended!)
Fresh Raspberry Icing
- 1/2 cup (85g) fresh raspberries
- 2 teaspoonsgranulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and generously grease a mini Bundt cake pan (or another pan, see note).
- Make the mini cakes:Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the sour cream, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, and almond extract (if using). Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Beat everything just until incorporated. Do not over-mix. Batter will be very creamy and thick with lots of vanilla bean specks.
- Spoon batter into pan, filling each Bundt cake cavity 2/3 full. If you need to make a 2nd batch, loosely cover the leftover batter and keep at room temperature until your pan is ready again.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when lightly poked with your finger. Remove from the oven and allow to cool inside the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully invert the pan on the counter or wire rack. Give the pan a little shake so the cakes release. Allow Bundt cakes to cool completely on a wire rack before icing and serving.
- Make the icing: Toss the raspberries and granulated sugar together. Vigorously stir to break up the raspberries. Allow to sit for 5 minutes as the raspberries let out their juices. (You can also use a small food processor for this step.) Strain the raspberries through a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Use a spoon to press them through, extracting all the juices and removing the seeds. You’ll have about 3 Tablespoons of juice. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and heavy cream. Add a little more confectioners’ sugar to thicken or more cream to thin, if desired. Drizzle over cooled pound cakes.
- Cover and store leftover iced cakes at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:You can make the mini pound cakes ahead of time by freezing them. Bake, cool,wrap in aluminum foil, and place in a large Tupperware (that’s what I do!). Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before icing and serving. Freeze well up to 3 months.
- Special Tools (affiliate links):Mini Bundt Cake Pan| Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Fine Mesh Sieve | Vanilla Bean
- Pans: If you don’t have a mini Bundt pan, you can use a mini loaf pan. If you don’t have a mini loaf pan, you can use a regular 9×5-inch loaf pan. A full size Bundt cake pan is a little too large. The bake times and yields vary with the pan you use. Fill the pans 2/3 full with batter. If using a regular 9×5-inch loaf pan, fill with all of the batter (which is about 2/3 full anyway!). The suggested bake time in this recipe is for the Bundt cake pan that I own. When the cakes are lightly brown and spring back when lightly poked with your finger, they are done. If you’re using a 9×5-inch loaf pan, the bake time is about 1 hour. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean with zero raw batter.
- Vanilla Bean: If you don’t have vanilla bean, simply leave it out and add another 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read my post on room temperature ingredients for more information. It really makes a difference!
Keywords: pound cake
