Name: Small Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 52 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/3 cup neutral oil (like canola or grapeseed); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream; 1 large egg; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon warm coffee; 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped; 1/4 cup heavy cream; splash of light corn syrup (to keep the frosting smooth, optional); pomegranate arils, for garnish

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6 inch cake recipes for small celebrations! Make a small cake recipe from scratch to celebrate a birthday at home or an anniversary!

When I first started this site, in 2010, I simply had the idea that most people don’t need a giant 3-layer cake on the counter or 4 dozen cookies leftover. I knew that I wanted to scale down everyone’s favorite desserts into smaller portions so that we could enjoy them more often.

My first cookbook, Dessert for Two, is full of every dessert we all know and love, scaled down to make 2-3 servings. It was an absolute joy to create the recipes.

I always knew that I didn’t want to wait for my birthday to enjoy a funfetti cake; I wanted a 6 inch birthday cake full of sprinkles and topped with fluffy white frosting that I could make anytime I pleased.

I didn’t want to wait until I had a big party to enjoy an enormous Texas chocolate sheet cake, so I made a Texas chocolate quarter sheet cake.

You probably see what I mean by now: when cakes are smaller, we can make them more frequently! We can make them as a small gift to a friend or coworker.

When I worked in the corporate world, I used to love making someone’s day by placing a small batch of cupcakes or a mini 6 inch cake on their desk. The company would buy the giant flavorless sheet cake for everyone to share, and I loved that the special birthday person got to enjoy their own cake later at home.

Favorite 6″ Cake Recipe Ideas

All of these recipes are made in a 6 inch cake pan that has 2 inch high sides. When I first began developing mini cake recipes, this was the only pan available; now, they make a pan with 3 inch high sides. I really don’t recommend that pan. The extra inch of pan creates extra heat reflection during cooking and can make the cake sink!

How long to bake 6 inch cake

For anything that you bake, use the recipe as a guide for baking time. However, since most recipes contain a rough estimate, there are a few other ways to know when your cake is done. First, you should be smelling the cake. Food tends to be most fragrant and aromatic when it’s done! Beyond that, peek at the edges of the cake in the pan. They should be lightly golden brown and just starting to pull away from the sides of the cake pan. Then, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake at an angle. When you remove the toothpick, it should only contain a few moist crumbs, no raw cake batter! Let all cakes cool on a wire rack, unless specified by the recipe.

Here is the exact 6 inch cake pan that I have used and loved for 10 years.

If you’re wondering what cake is being made in the photo, it’s my chai caramel ice box cake. It has homemade gingersnaps, chai spiced whipped cream, and a salty small batch caramel sauce.

How many people does a 6 inch cake feed?

The majority of my 6 inch cake recipes make a single layer cake, which makes 4-6 slices of cake. See the beautiful ombre cake below to see 6 small slices of cake. A few of the recipes make a double layer cake, because they’re more festive, like my red velvet cake and vegan vanilla birthday cake. Those cakes serve 6-8 people because the slices are thicker.

The frostings on these cakes range from standard American buttercream (like on my small vanilla cake), to freshly whipped cream on my mini lemon layer cake and mini tres leches cake. I’ve also used a pourable chocolate ganache on my mini chocolate cake for two, and an unusual broiled sweet oatmeal topping on my oatmeal cake recipe.

Tips for decorating a 6 inch Cake

Decorating your cake is entirely personal, and depends on the style you’re going for. A simple layer of buttercream is enough, but if you want to make buttercream roses, like I do for my wedding cake cupcakes, you can. Just remember to do a crumb coat of frosting and then chill the cake before attempting to apply the final layer of frosting. If you have leftover frosting, use a fancy tip to make shapes around the edges, too.

How to store your 6 in Cake

Technically, a cake contains enough sugar to be stored on the counter for up to 2 days. However, frostings usually contain dairy, so then the cake needs to be refrigerated. The best way to store a cake is to take the lid off of a large round storage container. Place the cake directly on the inside of the lid. Then, place the glass or plastic storage portion on top of the cake. Your storage container is technically upside down, but your cake is completely untouched. This is much better than wrapping plastic wrap around a cake and using toothpicks to keep the plastic wrap from touching the frosting.

The perfect Small Cake for two

These small cakes are perfect for making at home on any day that you have a cake craving. They’re small enough to be easy and quick to put together, and most of them only require one bowl to make (especially my one bowl chocolate cake).

Whenever I make one of these cakes, my family of 3 (the baby doesn’t eat cake, hah!) usually finish it within 2 days. I’ve been known to enjoy a slice of cake for breakfast with coffee. Each recipe should have instructions for storing the cakes. Some need to be refrigerated (those with fresh whipped cream frostings and strawberry cream cheese frosting, especially), and some can sit out at room temperature on a mini cake stand as long as it’s wrapped in plastic wrap.

Mini Vanilla Cake for Two people in a 6" small round cake pan. Vanilla buttercream roses on the sides.

You’ll love this Easy Small Cake Recipe

A small 6 inch cake recipe makes a little less than 2 cups of batter. If you’re more of a cake mix type of baker (I still love you), you can always use several 6 inch cake pans to make your cake dreams come true. Wrap up each cake tightly in plastic wrap plus a layer of foil, and you can store them in the freezer until the cravings hit. I defrost a mini layer cake in the fridge overnight, and then on the counter until soft again.

Scroll up for my full list of mini cakes for two, and let me know if you don’t see your favorite cake on the list–I take requests in the comments below!

Here’s my most basic mini vanilla cake for two:

Yield: 1 6" cake

6" Vanilla Cake Recipe from Scratch

Mini vanilla cake for two people with vanilla buttercream roses.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 37 minutes

Total Time 57 minutes

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar*

For the vanilla buttercream recipe:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350, and spray a 6" round cake pan with 2" sides with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.
In a medium-size bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat very well, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well-combined, about 15 seconds.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add half of the this to the batter and beat for just a few seconds before stirring in half of the milk and vinegar. Continue beating. Add the remaining dry ingredients and beat, and then stir in the remaining milk.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top, and bake on a small sheet pan for 37-39 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let the cake cool on a wire rack in the pan. Carefully remove it from the pan, pulling away the parchment paper once it has cooled.
To make the buttercream, beat the butter in a medium-size bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream, and beat until light and fluffy. If the mixture seems too stiff, add a splash more heavy cream.
Use a little more than half of the buttercream to frost the cake. If you made the cake ahead of time and frozen it, it's best to apply a crumb coat of buttercream before applying a second layer.
Place the remaining 1/4 of the buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip, and pipe roses along the outside edge of the cake. To make a rose, pipe a spiral shape, starting inside of moving around the center.

Notes

*Instead of whole milk and apple cider vinegar, you can use 6 tablespoons of buttermilk.

The cake may be baked and frozen, tightly wrapped for up to 1 month. Defrost before frosting.

Small Chocolate Cake

A small chocolate cake that serves just two people.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 32 minutes

Total Time 52 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup neutral oil (like canola or grapeseed)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon warm coffee

For the ganache:

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
splash of light corn syrup (to keep the frosting smooth, optional)
pomegranate arils, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350, and position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
Line a 6" round cake pan (with 2" sides) with parchment paper on the bottom, and lightly grease the sides with oil.
Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, sour cream, egg, vanilla and coffee.
Combine the two bowls, mixing just until combined.
Pour the batter into the cake pan, and bake for 29-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. If you under-bake the cake, it will slightly sink, so check it! It will also start to pull away from the sides when it's done.
Remove the cake from the pan by carefully tilting it into one hand, peel off the parchment from the bottom, and then place it on a small cake stand.
In a double boiler, or bowl fitted over a pan of simmering water, combine the chopped chocolate, cream, and corn syrup (if using). Stir over medium heat until melted and smooth. *Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and cream in the microwave in 25-second pulses on LOW power. Stir between each pulse.
Pour the chocolate over the cake, and garnish with pomegranate arils.

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 626Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 6gSugar: 52gProtein: 7g

28 Comments

Leo says:

July 1, 2021 at 11:01 pm

I love pineapple upside down cake but don’t want to use a big cast iron pan . To much cake sitting around . I can’t seam to find a scaled down mix for my smaller cast iron pan. Would you happen to have a recipe I might try. The pan is about 8 1/2 inches across at the top & 6” at the bottom. Thanks

Blanca says:

August 8, 2021 at 5:31 pm

Do you have a recipe for a 6 inch spice or carrot cake?

Marsha L Pieprzyk says:

August 17, 2021 at 5:51 pm

Can all of your recipes simply be doubled to make two layers?

1. Christina Lane says:
  
  August 20, 2021 at 10:57 am
  
  It depends on the recipe; instructions for doubling are within each recipe.
  
  1. Leanne says:
    
    January 22, 2023 at 11:29 am
    
    Ive read 5 of these recipes so far, and none of them have instructions for doubting the recipe to make a two layer cake.
    
Susan says:

November 21, 2021 at 1:47 pm

Hi, I am so very happy to find your site. I have only just started to bake small cakes for the two of us. I plan on going through all your cakes. I bake gluten free and was always tossing out half the cake because gf doesn’t stay nice as long as a gluten cake. I was wondering if your recipes can be baked in a small Bundt pan, I just purchased one. Thank you for your time and your recipes.

Susan says:

November 22, 2021 at 5:44 pm

I posted a comment but don’t see it. I was wondering if I could use a 6 inch Bundy pan to bake some of your recipes. Thank you for your time and your recipes which I am definitely going to use. Happy holidays!!!

1. Christina Lane says:
  
  February 10, 2022 at 12:50 pm
  
  I have only tried the recipes in the pans you see in the photos; I’m sorry!
  
Leanne Sidebottom says:

February 8, 2023 at 8:44 am

I am still waiting for a reply regarding doubling these recipes. You indicated there are instructions for doubling within each recipe, but I do not see them in any of the recipes.

Shannon says:

July 6, 2023 at 1:59 pm

I have to say I have made so many of your small batch recipes over the years and they always turn out perfectly. We are a small family of 3 and these little treats are always delicious and enough for dessert and a little bit left over for school lunch the next day. Your chocolate banana muffins are one of my most used recipes. Thanks for all your hard work- you are so appreciated in our house!

Sue says:

January 23, 2024 at 1:09 pm

How can I adjust a cake mix to make a two-layer, 6” cake? Thanks.

Sue says:

February 15, 2024 at 7:28 am

I made the mini chocolate cake yesterday. It is incredible! Super moist and rich in flavor. And easy too. I did cut back on the cocoa powder to 3 Tbl. (I was afraid more would have made it a little bitter and I’m not a fan of too dark a chocolate cake) and it was just fine. Rose very nicely in a 6″ pan so I was able to slice it through the middle and add a filling. Whipped chocolate ganache was perfect for this cake! We loved it!! I will definitely be trying more of your recipes.

6 Inch Cake