The Itty-Bitty (or Smash Cake) Birthday Cake

It’s no secret that here at SavvyMom we’re big fans of birthday cake. If you type the term into the search bar of our website, you’ll be directed to an ice rink birthday cake, an artist’s palette birthday cake, baked birthday cake donuts, a multi-eyed monster birthday cake, a cool pool birthday cake, a ‘birthday cake’ sandwich, a candy covered birthday cake, a football, moustache and monkey cake, not to mention a cake that isn’t even made from cake. And that’s just on the first few pages.

We’ve covered many types of cakes over the years, and for the most part many of them are the same size, feeding 8-12 people. But what if you only have a small group to feed? Or what if you need a simple cake that’s quick to make and easy to decorate? What if you want something small to make and give as a gift? Fortunately, we now have a cake for all of those occasions, too.

This six-inch cake is so simple to bake it can be done a weekday, if needed. It feeds 4-6 people and is ideal for small groups, half-birthdays, or when you want to have some cake but can’t commit to the time required for making a standard size one. The recipe comes from Flo Braker via The Kitchn, and can be made with ingredients you likely have in your pantry and fridge right now. I recently made this cake for my son’s birthday. It fell on a Wednesday night, but we weren’t having his party until the weekend. I whipped up this small cake for the day of his actual birthday so we could mark the occasion, and it made just enough for our family to enjoy after dinner.

Every household needs a small cake recipe in their arsenal and this one fits the bill perfectly. Let’s talk birthday cakes: have you made one recently? What’s your favourite flavour to bake?
Adapted from ‘Birthday Cakes’ by Kathryn Kleinman. Original recipe from Flo Braker.

Makes one 6-inch cake
PS: For icing, we recommend our Malted Chocolate Frosting.

You’ll Need

1 cup cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
¾ cups unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prep and Cook

1

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour two 6-inch round cake pans and tap out the excess flour into the sink.
2

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
3

Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. On low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients until thoroughly blended.
4

Spoon equal amounts of batter into each pan and smooth the tops evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until light golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
5

Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then unmold onto wire racks to cool completely. Frost as desired.