How To Frost & Decorate A 6 Inch Cake
You need about 2.5-3 cups of frosting to frost a 3 layer 6 inch cake. The frostings paired with the cupcake recipes listed above are plenty for your 6 inch cake, such as vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream. Assembling and decorating a 6 inch cake is just like putting together a larger cake, but the smaller size is definitely easier to work with.
Tools I find helpful:
Since this is a small cake, its easy to pick up with a couple flat spatulas and carefully transfer to a cake stand or serving plate. You can also use cake boards, which are cardboard cut-outs that provide a sturdy foundation for your cake if you need to move it to another surface.
Small cakes are taking over! Which flavor will you try first?
Ingredients For A Small 6
This small 6-inch vanilla cake recipe doesnt require a ton of ingredients, which means its super easy to make! Heres what youll need to make the best small vanilla cake:
- 6-inch cake pan: Make sure you have a quality 6-inch cake pan. I started using Fat Daddios cake pans last year after my friend Erin from Cloudy Kitchen introduced me, and Im absolutely obsessed.
- Butter: The one and only. If you dont have butter, you can use 1/2 cup of vegetable oil instead!
- Granulated sugar: Pretty self-explanatory.
- Egg: Only one egg is needed in this recipe to create the perfect texture.
- Vanilla: This recipe calls for both vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract Heilala Vanilla is my go-to. If you only have vanilla extract on hand, just substitute extra extract for the paste.
- Cake flour: Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which discourages gluten formation. Lower levels of gluten equal more softness and tenderness in a baked good. If you dont have cake flour on hand, you can replace it with all-purpose flour for this recipe!
- Salt: A necessary flavor enhancer.
- Baking soda: To help the cake rise.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk brings a pleasant tang to cake and helps keep the cake tender by inhibiting gluten formation. If you dont have buttermilk on hand, use six tablespoons of milk with 1/2 teaspoon of white or apple cider vinegar!
- Save
Cleaning: Hand Wash Only
This pan needs to be washed by hand, unfortunately. Its not just a suggestion, eitherjust ask the reviewers who tried using the dishwasher and ruined their pans. However, hand washing is simple enough, so its not much of a hardship.
When removing cakes from the base or loosening the sides, a plastic or silicone tool should be used to avoid scratching the metal. The good news is that if you do scratch the bottom piece, its reversible, so you can simply use the undamaged side.
Read Also: Sam’s Club Custom Cakes
Notes & Tips For This Chocolate Dulce De Leche Cake:
- You can make your own Dulce de Leche at home rather than using store-bought if you prefer.
- To enhance the chocolate flavor of the cake, you can use strong hot coffee instead of hot water.
- For the ganache, I let mine set overnight . It will be too thick at this point, so I microwave it for 10 secs and stir it until its the right consistency.
- The drip technique works best on a chilled cake so that the drips set quickly.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercreampost for tips and troubleshooting.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
Fat Daddio’s Round Cheesecake Pan Vs Nordic Ware 7
Cheesecakes are traditionally baked in springform pans, like the Nordic Ware Leakproof Springform Pan. Users praise the Nordic Ware pan for its leak-free baking and nonstick cooking surface, which make cake removal and cleaning easy. However, the downside of latched pans is that their closures can loosen over time, no matter how well designed.
While weve been happy with springform pans in the past and still may use them, were awfully fond of the push-up base and clean sides of the Fat Daddios pan.
Very useful.
This pan is the perfect size to fit 6-quart Instant Pots, and its a must-have for anyone who wants to try cooking cheesecake in a pressure cooker, as its solidly built and easy to use.
Read Also: Wedding Cake Pool Step
Fat Daddio’s Round Cheesecake Pan
The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie
We purchased the Fat Daddio’s Round Cheesecake Pan so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.
Cheesecake is often cited as an item you have to try making in an Instant Pot, but it requires a special pan, such as the Fat Daddio’s Round Cheesecake Pan. We were curious about the loose-bottom design of this cake pan, so we stocked up on cream cheese and graham crackers to put it to the test. A lot of baking took place, and now we know exactly what the pan is good for.
How To Prep Your 6 Inch Cake Pans
After you choose your 6 inch cake batter, its time to start prepping the cake pans. First, make sure you have quality 6 inch cake pans. I started using Fat Daddios 6 inch cake pans last year and loved them so much that I switched out my 9-inch and 8-inch cake pans for the Fat Daddios brand. From one baker to another these pans are incredible quality for the price. Not working with this brand, just a genuine fan.
The smaller the cake, the more difficult it is to neatly release from the baking pan. Heres my guaranteed solution so that your 6 inch cake layers glide right out:
I usually keep a stack of parchment rounds on hand just in case Im in a rush to get a cake in the oven. For cake emergencies, of course.
Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake.
Recommended Reading: Sams Birthday Cake
Cupcake Batter = 3 Layer 6 Inch Cake
Cupcake batter that produces about 12-15 cupcakes is the perfect amount for a 3 layer 6 inch cake. One dozen cupcakes usually takes about 3-4 cups of cake batter, which divides perfectly between 3 6 inch cake layers. This means that you can essentially turn any batch of cupcakes into a small layer cake. Ive tested this several times with many different flavors, but usually stick with vanilla cake and chocolate cake, which are made from my vanilla cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes respectively.
Performance: Good For More Than Cheesecake
The first thing we made with the Fat Daddios Pan was naturally cheesecake. We usually wrap our cheesecake bottoms in foil to keep moisture from creeping into the crust, but we left the foil off during testing. Happily, the crust wasnt soggy at all, so well definitely be eliminating that extra step for future cheesecakes.
While this is sold as a cheesecake pan, we found that it can be used for other Instant Pot desserts as long as the batter is sufficiently thick. Brownie batter, bread dough, and most cake batter would be fine since the weight of the mixture presses down the removable base and keeps it in place. Thin, watery batters would be risky, however, since they could leak out of the bottom of the pan, making a mess in the oven or your Instant Pot.
While this is sold as a cheesecake pan, we found that it can be used for other Instant Pot desserts as long as the batter is sufficiently thick.
When we used the pan to bake four cinnamon rolls, there was room to spare, and the rolls released easily from the pan even though we didnt oil it ahead of baking. It worked well for our pull-apart dinner rolls, as well, though they did stick on the sides a little. A quick spray of baking spray would have helped.
The one downside of the pans loose bottom is that you have to be especially careful when carrying the pan if its full of batter. Theres a wide enough rim to hold the bottom securely, but if the center is pushed up, it could lift and let batter spill out of the bottom.
Also Check: Cake Pan Serving Chart
Best For Smash Cakes: Richsc
We know from years of feedback from readers, amazon sellers, and family and friends what most people want in a convenient and appropriate pan. The Richsc-Pan Fat Daddio 6 Inch Cake Pan is exactly that its a simple pan that hits all the right notes. The richsc-pan fat daddio6 inchcake pan is easier to demold during demolding. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. The ricisc pan round cakepan set includes 3 6 inch cake pans with a removable movable bottom.
Most importantly, the richsc-pan fat daddio 6 inch cake pan takes less space to add to that has good non-stickiness.
Most customers found that the pan is perfect for 3 tier layer cakes. Also, they say that the pan is easy to get the cakes out of. Further, they say that the pan is nice to be able to lift the cake from the pan easily. With no doubts, this pan passed the test and had very satisfied buyers eager to share their experience.
Top Customer Quotes:
- This is highly recommend, comes with a silicone coating, It is efficient and has a simple design.
- It is convenient to apply cream.
- Bake it once and you can make a high-rise cake.
- This can be easily demoulded without oily paper.
Best For Premium Quality: Crown Cookware Fat Daddio 6 Inch Cake Pan
Next on the list, weve got yet another pan that manages to win our hearts. Its the Crown Cookware Fat Daddio 6 Inch Cake Pan and its widely considered as one of the best premium pans you can buy. The crown cookware fat daddio 6inch cake pan is ideal for stacking and decorating. The manufacturer says: Our products are made of heavy gauge material and designs refined over four decades simply take the guesswork out of baking. This 6 bake pan is manufactured to the highest standard for performance and health integrity.
Finally, the crown cookware fatdaddio 6 inch cake pan is built with superior craftsmanship, is made with a limited lifetime warranty and it is great for easy release.
Most customers quickly discovered that the pans are manufactured with oven baking in mind.
Why We Like This:
- It is easy to clean using mild soap and water.
- Manufacturer says: we love baking at home.
- The manufacturer says: we not only make our pans, but we also bake in them.
Recommended Reading: Wedding Cake Pool Steps For Sale
Best For Large Cakes: Wilton Cake Pan
Next on the list, weve got yet another pan that manages to win our hearts. Its the Wilton Cake Pan and its widely considered as one of the most convenient pans you can buy. The wilton cake pan is made for great addition and it cooks evenly. Whether youre hosting a party or need to bring a special treat, Wilton has you covered. In addition, it has been at the heart of what we do for nearly 90 years.
The pan wont warp and will last use after use, year after year. In addition, it is a good size, provides for easy release and it works great. Lastly, the wilton cake pan can cook for nice size, It is washed in warm and has a sturdy design.
Almost all customers opine that the pan is great for cake and pretty much nothing else. Further, they also found that the pan cleans well, but it dents extremely easily and is flimsy when trying to remove. it. Also, a few also found that this cake has double layers baked in 2 portions in the pan. In conclusion, for most buyers, Wilton product was what they were looking for.
Top Customer Quotes:
- This works fine for recipes that call for a 6 round pan.
- This will last a long time.
- This pan is nice quality and very easy to work with.
- This will get lots of use.
Best For Heavy Gauge: Pp Chef Fat Daddio 6 Inch Cake Pan
For a low asking price, Pp Chef Fat Daddio 6 Inch Cake Pan has managed to overwhelm their customers by packing as many features as they could. The pp chef fat daddio6 inch cake pan provides great value, It cleans up easily and has a good design. It will meet your different cooking needs. Further, the pan is ideal for smashing cakes, It comes with great pans and has a nice design.
Most importantly, the pp chef fatdaddio 6 inchcake pan is microwave oven safe, is rust resistant and it allows for great quality.
Most customers found that the pan is made of quality stainless steel. Also, a few say that the pans are too shiny to let go of. In addition, a few strongly agree that the pan cleans much easier and lasts better overall. Without any doubt, this product passed the test and had very satisfied buyers eager to share their experience.
Top Customer Quotes:
Compared with other pans in this category, the Efar Fat Daddio 6 Inch Cake Pan has a convenient design. The efar fat daddio 6 inch cakepan is rust resistant, It worked perfectly and has a nice design. This small cake pan set is great for baking cake, quiche, deep dish pizza, fruit cobblers, flan and gelatin molded desserts, perfect for making a layered smash cake for your kids first birthday, also great for steamed food, store snacks. Moreover, this is best with cakes from scratch, it is non toxic and has a unique design.
Top Customer Quotes:Top Customer Quotes:
Read Also: Garnish And Glaze Cookie Cake