Homemade mini cakes

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 1 day

1. STEP 1

   

   How to make a mini cake? Prepare the necessary products. For sponge cake they should be at room temperature. I washed the nuts in advance, dried them and chopped them finely with a knife. In addition to walnuts, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts or others are suitable. It's a matter of taste or availability.

2. STEP 2

   

   First prepare the biscuit dough. In a separate bowl, sift the flour with baking powder and soda, add a small pinch of salt, vanilla and nutmeg. Mix all dry ingredients. Instead of vanillin or vanilla flavoring, you can put cinnamon - depending on your preference.

3. STEP 3

   

   Wash the carrots, peel and grate on a fine grater. I didn’t squeeze out the juice; if the carrots are very juicy, just drain it.

4. STEP 4

   

   Pour sugar into a bowl for kneading dough, add vegetable, refined oil. Beat with a mixer at low speed for 1-2 minutes.

5. STEP 5

   

   Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well each time.

6. STEP 6

   

   The egg-butter mass will be airy, with bubbles, and of medium consistency.

7. STEP 7

   

   Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the liquid component. I add 2-3 heaped tablespoons, in several stages. Mix well each time with a silicone spatula; a mixer is no longer needed.

8. STEP 8

   

   Then add chopped nuts and stir.

9. STEP 9

   

   Add the carrots last. The dough must be started quickly, but mixed very carefully.

10. STEP 10

    

    Adding carrots will make the dough a little thinner, it has a beautiful carrot color, with a viscous consistency. This dough is easy to pour.

11. STEP 11

    

    Prepare the mold in advance so that the biscuit dough doesn’t sit around waiting, it doesn’t like that. Take a springform pan, cover the bottom with parchment and grease it with butter or vegetable oil. Do not grease the sides so that the growing biscuit clings and rises easily. Slowly pour the dough into the center of the mold; it spreads easily, taking up all the space. Without lifting, carefully move the pan along the table to distribute the dough more evenly.

12. STEP 12

    

    Then, no less carefully, move the mold into a preheated oven to a temperature of 190 degrees. Bake until golden brown in the top-bottom mode on a medium level. Approximately about 25-27 minutes, depending on the capabilities of your oven. Close the oven door carefully and do not open it while baking so that the biscuit does not fall off.

13. STEP 13

    

    Check the readiness with a splinter, it comes out dry, the biscuit is ready. Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and let the biscuit stand in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Otherwise, it may settle due to a sharp temperature difference. Then take out the mold and let the biscuit cool in it for about 15 minutes. Then run a thin knife along the side, open the mold and remove the side. Holding the parchment, pull out the bottom of the pan. Leave the sponge cake on the parchment until completely cooled.

14. STEP 14

    

    Products for cheese cream Cheese. Also remove the butter from the refrigerator in advance; it should have time to warm to room temperature. And the cream cheese should only be from the refrigerator. It is better not to save on these products and choose high-quality, proven manufacturers. Curd cheese can be mixed, selecting the required fat content or weight for the recipe.

15. STEP 15

    

    While the biscuit is cooling, prepare the cream. In a deep bowl, first rub the soft butter with the powdered sugar with a spatula. Then beat with a mixer at high speed for 2-3 minutes. The mass should turn white, become homogeneous and airy.

16. STEP 16

    

    Add cream cheese and continue beating for 3-4 minutes.

17. STEP 17

    

    The cream is prepared quickly and easily. It turns out to be quite thick, but it is light and flexible and holds its shape perfectly. It is not as sweet as protein and not as fatty as butter. It stores better than custard, although each cream is good in its own way. If necessary, the amount of powdered sugar can be adjusted to taste. (The photo shows a double portion of cream).

18. STEP 18

    

    From the cooled sponge cake, cut out cakes with a diameter of 8 cm, but no more than 12. Use a suitable container or cardboard stencil as a template.

19. STEP 19

    

    And we actually start assembling the cake or cakes, I have two planned. To do this, apply a drop of cream to the base or flat dish, this way you will fix the first layer and the cake will not move. Cover the cake with a layer of cream and smooth it out. The cream can be applied with a spatula or from a pastry bag in the form of a spiral, as convenient. Assemble in a pyramid, alternating between cream and cake layers.

20. STEP 20

    

    Then coat the sides and top with a thin layer of cream to “catch” the crumbs in. At this stage, remove excess cream from the spatula on the edge of the bowl. Cover the cake with film and put it in the refrigerator along with the cream. After 20 minutes, take it out, apply another layer and cool again. Smooth the sides and top until smooth or as intended, cooling the cake and cream periodically.

21. STEP 21

    

    Products for chocolate ganache. It is also prepared extremely simply and quickly. You can take any chocolate: dark, milk, bitter, but without various additives. Take cream and butter from the refrigerator. In the recipe, it is important to observe the proportions, temperature conditions and cooking technology. Then everything will work out, and the ganache will not separate.

22. STEP 22

    

    Break the chocolate bar and melt it in a convenient way (in a water bath or pulses in the microwave). Mix the cream with powdered sugar and heat to 95 degrees, stirring, it should be hot, but do not let it boil. (As soon as bubbles begin to appear, remove from heat). You don’t have to add powdered sugar, but if the chocolate is bitter, children simply won’t eat it.

23. STEP 23

    

    Pour hot cream into the melted chocolate mixture, stir until smooth.

24. STEP 24

    

    Let cool slightly, add butter, and stir until smooth.

25. STEP 25

    

    The result should be a homogeneous, not very liquid, well-flowing mixture with a smooth surface. If there are grains, you can rub them through a fine sieve, I left it like that.

26. STEP 26

    

    The ganache is ready, let it cool to a working temperature of 22-24 degrees. Make drips on the cooled cake. Start pouring gradually from a spoon around the edge, then fill the center and smooth it out slightly. The ganache sets but remains plastic. If necessary, it can be stored in the refrigerator for a day. Then heat, stir and let cool to operating temperature. All that remains is to decorate the cake to your liking.

27. STEP 27

    

    I decorated with small grapes and tangerine slices. I used nuts, freeze-dried strawberries and confectionery decorations. Here's a cross-section of the cake. I didn’t say what kind of cake I would make, but they recognized it right away. Both in appearance and in taste, the cake is very recognizable and very tasty. There is no cloying or fat content, and by the way, no carrot taste either. Pleasant, crumbly, moist sponge cake with a creamy aftertaste. The birthday boys and guests really liked the cakes.

Comments on the recipe

Nika

13.08.2023

4.8

Gorgeous cakes!!! They are as tall as Easter cakes. Decorated to perfection, with grapes everywhere that complement the champagne bottles in the background. Tangerine slices and other confectionery decorations add brightness. It looks very festive! And carrot cakes are another advantage of this dessert.

Tatyana S

13.08.2023

4.7

To say that I am delighted is to say nothing! I tried to bake a carrot cake for the 3rd time, everything turned out amazing)))) The first 2 times using other recipes - just transferring the products. And here everything is perfect both in description and in the number of ingredients. I baked one cake and cut it into three. Tender, moist, flavorful, everything in moderation! Perfect. Thanks for the recipe!