Mini Cake Favors: How to Make Them for Your Next Party
Mini cake favors are one of the prettiest ways to serve dessert at a party. Instead of one big cake that someone has to slice, every guest gets their own little layered cake, wrapped in a clear band and topped with a fresh flower or berries. They double as dessert and the favor, and they look stunning lined up on a dessert table.
Here is everything you need to know to make mini cake favors for a bridal shower, wedding, baby shower or birthday, even if you have never decorated a cake before.
What Are Mini Cake Favors?
A mini cake favor is a small round cake, usually two to three inches wide, built in layers of cake, frosting and fruit or jam. A clear acetate wrap holds the layers in place so you can see every stripe from the outside, and the whole cake sits on a little gold, silver or black board with a mini fork tucked into the ribbon. Guests can eat it at the party or carry it home without making a mess.
How to Make Mini Cake Favors
1. Bake or buy your cake. A thin sheet cake works best because it is easy to cut into rounds. You can bake one from a box mix or pick up a plain sheet cake or pound cake from the grocery store bakery. Nobody will know.
2. Cut out your rounds. Use a round cake cutter to punch out circles. You will need two or three rounds per mini cake depending on how tall you want it.
3. Build your layers. Set the first round on a cake board, wrap the acetate band around it, and start layering. Add a layer of frosting or whipped cream, a spoonful of jam or sliced fruit, then another round of cake. Repeat until you reach the top of the wrap.
4. Seal and decorate. Secure the wrap with a clear sticker, finish the top with a swirl of frosting, and add a fresh flower, a few berries or a sprinkle of gold pearls. Tie a ribbon around the middle and slide a mini fork under it.
5. Chill until serving. Keep the finished cakes in the fridge so the layers stay crisp and neat. Take them out about thirty minutes before guests arrive.
Flavor Ideas Guests Love
Vanilla cake with strawberry jam and whipped cream is the classic and always the first to go. Lemon cake with blueberries is perfect for spring and summer parties. Chocolate cake with raspberry and chocolate frosting is a favorite for evening events, and funfetti with vanilla frosting is a hit at birthdays. For fall, try spice cake with cream cheese frosting.
Try Mini Cake Squares Too
If you want a different shape, square mini cakes on gold boards look just as elegant. Layer them the same way, top each one with berries, and serve them on a tiered stand for a beautiful dessert display.
Bento Cakes for Gifting
For a larger take home treat, bento cakes are trending for birthdays and bachelorette parties. Decorate a small four to five inch cake with a simple message, pipe a border, and pack it in a kraft cake box. They make a sweet gift for the guest of honor or the bridal party.
How Many Should You Make?
If the mini cakes are your only dessert, plan on one per guest plus a few extras. If you also have a dessert table, about three quarters of your guest count is plenty. For 30 guests at a bridal shower with other sweets, around 25 mini cakes works well.
How Far Ahead Can You Make Them?
You can bake and cut the cake rounds up to two days ahead and keep them wrapped in the fridge. Assemble the mini cakes the day before or the morning of the party, and add fresh flowers and fruit right before serving so they look their best.
Perfect for Every Celebration
Mini cake favors fit almost any party theme. Use pastel flowers and gold boards for a bridal shower, white flowers and silver boards for a wedding, pink or blue ribbons for a baby shower, and sprinkles with a bright ribbon for a birthday. Order your supplies at least two weeks before your event so you have time to practice one or two before the big day. If you have questions about which kit size you need, just send us a message.
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