Learn how to make a deliciously soft and buttery 6-inch vanilla cake, plus a dozen other cake flavors for your smaller 6-inch cake pans. These are perfect for smaller gatherings and much easier to decorate, too!
More and more over the past few years, I see questions about adapting large layer cake recipes to fit smaller 6-inch cake pans. 6-inch cakes are very popular and yet most traditional cake recipes don’t accommodate the smaller size.
But last year I discovered an easy solution when I made a 6-inch birthday cake. I no longer adapted cake recipes to fit the smaller cake pan size. Instead, I began using cake batter from my CUPCAKE recipes. (And most of my cupcake recipes are actually adapted from the larger cake variety, so the work is already done!)
I know it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it was a total lightbulb moment as I suddenly had dozens of 6-inch cake flavors to bake. I love the 6-inch size for children’s birthday cakes, small gatherings and celebrations, or bridal/baby showers where there’s a lot of other desserts. And when it comes to decorating, 6-inch is a very non-intimidating size 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. I’ve 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.
6-Inch Cake Flavors
Use the batter for the following recipes to make different flavor 6 inch cakes:
- Vanilla Cupcakes (pictured as a cake and recipe included below)
- Chocolate Cupcakes (pictured on this page as a cake!)
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cupcakes
- White Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
- Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Confetti Cupcakes
- Pistachio Cupcakes
- Coconut Carrot Cupcakes
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Citrus Cake (written as a cake)
- Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
- Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes (use the cream filling between the cake layers and top the entire cake with ganache!)
- Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
All 6-inch cake layers take about 18-21 minutes at 350°F (177°C). You need about 2.5-3 cups of frosting for a 3 layer 6-inch cake, which is usually the amount used for 1 dozen cupcakes. Any of the frosting recipes paired with the listed cupcakes would be perfect. 🙂
How to Prep Your 6 Inch Cake Pans
After you choose your 6-inch cake batter, it’s time to start prepping the cake pans. First, make sure you have quality 6-inch cake pans. I started using Fat Daddio’s 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 Daddio’s 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. Here’s my guaranteed solution so that your 6 inch cake layers glide right out:
- Make a parchment paper round. Trace the bottom of the cake pans on a large piece of parchment paper. Cut out the parchment circles.
- Very lightly grease the baking pans.
- Place the parchment round inside.
- Grease the parchment round too. Using butter or baker’s nonstick spray, I grease the pan AND the parchment. This promises an ultra non-stick environment for your cake. Never any sticking.
I usually keep a stack of parchment rounds on hand just in case I’m 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.
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, chocolate buttercream, strawberry buttercream frosting, or white chocolate buttercream frosting. You can also add fillings such as raspberry cake filling between the layers. 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. You can use this detailed how to assemble and decorate a layer cake post as your guide.
Tools I find helpful:
- Cake Turntable: This size is great for larger 9-inch cakes as well. A cake turntable makes it easy to frost the sides of a cake with a bench scraper.
- Bench Scraper: I like to run a bench scraper around the sides of the cake to smooth out the frosting. This works for any size cake. If you’ve never used one before to decorate a cake, you can watch me use it in my vanilla cake video. They’re very handy!
- Small Offset Icing Spatula: Use this for spreading the frosting between the layers and on top of the cake. The small size is great for frosting cupcakes too.
Since this is a small cake, it’s 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?
PS: I bought the pictured teal cake stand from Home Goods and unfortunately can’t find a link to it for you! Make sure you find a cake stand that’s about 8 inches in diameter to comfortably fit the 6-inch cake.
Print
6 Inch Vanilla Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Learn how to make a deliciously soft and buttery 6 inch vanilla cake, plus a dozen other cake flavors for your smaller 6 inch cake pans. 6 inch cakes are perfect for smaller gatherings and much easier to decorate, too!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (207g) cake flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk at room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 – 5 cups (480-600g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or whole milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- salt, to taste
- sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 6×2 inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk until combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 18-21 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling
- Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, the heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or another Tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet. (I add 1/8 teaspoon salt.)
- Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides. A bench scraper and small offset spatula are handy for decorating. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
- Refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions for any flavor: The cake layers can be baked, cooled, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Likewise, the frosting can be prepared then covered and refrigerated overnight. Let the frosting sit at room temperature to slightly soften for 10 minutes before assembling and frosting. If the frosting is still too stiff, beat it on medium speed with an electric mixer until it’s soft and spreadable again. Add a splash of milk or cream to thin out if needed. Frosted cake or unfrosted cake layers can be frozen up to 2-3 months. See How to Freeze Cakes. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before decorating/serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 6-inch Round Cake Pan | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Cake Turntable | Bench Scraper | Small Offset Spatula
- Cake Flour: If you can’t get your hands on cake flour, use this cake flour substitute.
- 6 Inch Chocolate Cake: Skip steps 2 & 3 and instead, use the chocolate cake batter from my chocolate cupcakes. Frost with chocolate buttercream.
- More Flavors: See post above for links to more cake flavors using my cupcake batters. Skip steps 2 & 3 above, swapping out the vanilla batter for your chosen flavor.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Love all of your recipes! I am a huge fan of your blog! I’m so happy! I just find the same cake stand at HomeSense this is Home Goods but in Canada! Instead of teal color it’s beautiful toasted yellow and they carry it in white as well. I bought there the cake stand and the 6″ cake pan. My bday is Sept 26th, and as u can guess in baking my cake, it will be a three layer cake, one layer vanilla, one layer, chocolate and lastly one red velvet. I’m planning on making half the cupcake recipe of each of the listed batters to make enough for each flavor. Will keep you posted on the outcome!
Would it be okay to distribute the batter into two 6 inch layers instead of three? Thanks!
Hi Jocelyn, I’m afraid if you made your layers with too much batter they would be too thick to bake evenly. 3 layers is the ideal size for these.
Hi Sally. Thank you for all your great recipes. I really appreciate that you always answer and help with our questions. Now, I have a 6″ bundt pan can I use that? How long should I bake it?
Hi Maria, I use a full size Bunt pan or a mini Bundt pan – but I haven’t tested a 6 inch size! Unfortunately I’m unsure of the exact bake time you will need.
Hi Sally! I made this cake today and whilst it tasted delicious it came out a bit dense. What could I have done wrong? I followed the directions exactly. Thanks!
Hi Marissa, there are a few things that could be the culprit. The batter could be over-mixed which over-develops the gluten, the butter could have been too soft, or if you used a different size pan. I recently wrote a post that can help you troubleshoot: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cake-baking-tips/
I just found your site and I think I’m in love. Haha. I bake to relax and release stress, and baking in small quantities is something I’ve been looking for, for ages. I was wondering is it possible to make your confetti cupcakes and only use one deep 6 inch pan or does it have to be divided into thee ?
Thanks so much for creating this website/ blog,
Hi Nicky, Welcome to the blog!! I’m so glad you are enjoying it so far! This would be too much batter for one deeper layer. When you try to make very thick cake layers it’s almost impossible for them to bake evenly (the outside will over bake before the center is done).
Used this advice to make a 3 layer yellow cake with chocolate frosting and it worked perfectly! Next up is a 3 layer pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting!!
Hi thanks for the recipe. Is it correct that each cake is very thin? I was expecting each cake to be much taller? I followed the recipe exactly so just not sure if that is how it is meant to be? Even before cooking each pan only had about 1cm of batter. Thanks !
Hi Louisa, which cake recipe are you making? And what size are your pans? I’d love to help if I can!
Made the chocolate cupcakes into 6 inch layers. It was perfect thickness! Made your vanilla cream cheese frosting but added cocoa and it had a nice flavor too. This is a great size for our 3 adult family. Looking forward to trying some of the other flavors.
I made this cake and frosting exactly as written, even in these baking pans for my grandaughtes 12th birthday last night. I must say this is the best cake I’ve ever made! It was comparable to a bakery cake.
I also added the requested chocolate drip edge, that also turned out deeelish!! Thank you Sally, I will be making this cake again and again.
This cake looks easy to make and tall. If I were to make this a rectangle cake and tall what size pan would you suggest to use? I like to try making cakes different shapes.
I have only tested this in round pans! But this is a pan capacity chart that I refer to often that might help you: https://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Hi Sally!
Would your champagne cupcake or margarita cupcake recipes work as a 6 inch cake? I’m crossing my fingers that you say yes because that’s what I want for my birthday cake!!
Thanks!
YES!!!
I made your pistachio cupcakes with strawberry frosting as a six inch cake! It’s amazing!! My best cake yet. I used cake strips so I didn’t have to trim the top of each cake. Now I’m wondering, would this work with your chai latte cupcakes? I think it should but since you didn’t list them I thought I’d ask just to be sure 🙂
This was my first time baking and I followed the recipe exactly and it came out great! The texture of my cake did come out more like a sponge cake. Is that the correct consistency? If not, any idea why it came out that way? Was delish!
YAY for your first time baking, Brooke!!! The cake flour and egg whites keep this cake super light and fluffy – which could be a similar texture to sponge cake 🙂
Sally, I’ve made your super moist chocolate cupcakes, twice in the last month, and they are delicious and easy !
I was wondering if I used this recipe for a small 6-7″ heart shaped Bundt type pan, do you think it would work & how long should I bake it? Love all your recipes!!
Hi Nancy, I’m so happy you enjoy that recipe! I would guess that this recipe would work in that size pan but without testing that particular shape I”m unsure of the bake time. Let me know how it turns out!
I love this post ! What an excellent idea to be making smaller cakes 🙂 They look so cute too. Will 100% be giving it a try!
xo
WOO HOO!!!! Sally, I’ve been praying you’d do something on six-inch cakes and it looks many others were, too. As someone else noted, there aren’t many recipes for them out there. I read some of the so-called “formulas” for converting various recipes but they looked like an accident waiting to happen – at least in my kitchen! A million thanks for all your efforts.
I love, love , love making 6″cakes. They are so dang cute and the perfect size for celebrating all kinds of occasions.
I was planning on trying the recipe you posted a couple of weeks ago…the vanilla, reversed creaming method sheet pan cake…in a 6″ version for a small gathering this week. I saw a post on Food 52 recently that was a re-post of an Alice Medrick blog post about pan size and how to calculate substitutions. It is a great resource and works like a charm. A 9×13 ” pan is 117 ” and a 6″round is 29″. So, I will have a bit more batter than I need if I use that recipe but I interested in seeing how it works out. The recipe you posted looks so yummy and I am interested in trying the creaming method.
Finally, the best thing ever is a 6″ ice cream cake….made in a springform pan. I made one last week…Oreo bottom,one pint chocolate chocolate chip, one pint white chocolate raspberry truffle and topped it off with half a pint of raspberry and lots of sprinkles.
I have made others and have used 3 pints total but I have had to put a ring of foil around .
the top of the pan because of the overflow. The possibilities are endless!
Thanks so much for all your suggestions. You are such a wonderful resource and your recipes are consistently delicious
WOW!!! I know I’ll have to try this!! We can never finish a cake – it’s just two of us in the house, but a small one would definitely fit the bill!!
In a wave of ridiculousness, I bought a set of mini pie pans that I hope to play with in the near future, too! I love small stuff!
Oh Sally!! I am so happy to see this adaptation for smaller cakes. With just my husband and I, it is quite rare that I make a cake, unless we are having guests over, as it would be wasted (and neither of us want/need to eat an entire cake!) Plus, living in Arizona, I really struggle with keeping baked goods from drying out so quickly and becoming stale. Do you think a recipe for German Chocolate cupcakes would work for a small cake also? Have a great week and hopefully, your weather is cooling off!
Hi Patty! Yes, a german chocolate cupcake recipe should transfer wonderfully to three 6 inch cake pans, provided the recipe yields between 12-15 cupcakes. I don’t have a german chocolate cupcake recipe on my site at this time, but you can use my chocolate cupcakes recipe and reduced down filling/frosting from my german chocolate cake recipe!
Hey Sally, thanks so much for this!! Honestly I always just use a regular cake recipe, fill the three 6” tins then use the leftover batter to make a few cupcakes! But I absolutely love the idea of just using cupcake recipes 🙂
Also, some people may not know that recipes for two 9” cake pans can also be used in three 8” cake pans which I prefer doing for larger gatherings because three layer cakes just look so much more fancy! Lol
I can’t wait to try your chai latte cupcakes as a 6” cake! Maybe for my birthday in August 🙂
3 layer cakes DO look so much fancier!! Hope you love your 6-inch chai latte cake!!
Sally! I cannot thank you enough for this!! I don’t make full sized cakes anymore, because they are frankly just too much cake. I wind up giving so much of it away. And that gets expensive. I have the cake pans already just waiting to go!! Can’t wait to give it a try!
you made kitchen magic again!
Love the idea of downsizing a recipe. Any baking recipe actually–but it never occurred to me to do a 6″ cake! Genuis.
I bake TONS of quick breads and share with family/friends/neighbors. Usually, I’ll double a recipe and keep a bread for our house/maybe throw one in the freezer and share the extras with others.
Most times, I print out and include the recipe when sharing a quick bread with friends and I throw in handwritten notes such as **when using two 8×4 glass loaf pans….use 3 cups batter each pan….etc. (I just threw those numbers out there..)
I do it to save them the time/steps when they make the recipe themselves.
My wheels are turning now…..!!! I’m thinking ooh, I can make my friend so and so a little 6″ cake!!
Birthdays are coming up….
I’ll do the vanilla first and move on from there.
SO, my million dollar question of the day?
When the recipe says “divide equally among 3 pans”…..can you give us an approximate measure?
Whether it be by the cup (volume) or by ounce/grams (weight)……etc.
Actually, I’m thinking weight would not work so well as measuring by volume since the weight of batters will vary recipe to recipe…..
I think would be such a helpful/timesaving tip when dividing the batter.
I would SO appreciate the info.
Hey Brenda! So happy to help. Most of these cupcake batters are 3-4 cups, meaning you’ll use about 1.25 cups per cake pan. The vanilla batter, for example, yields 3.5 cups. So you’ll use a little over 1 cup per pan.
Hiya Sally!
You have literally answered my prayers!
I really couldn’t get the ratios right with 6” cakes!
Do you know if these recipes will be good for tall 6” cakes?
I usually do 6 layer cakes but can’t find any good recipes that will hold up!
Thank you
Hey Charlotte! You could slice the layers in half to make 6 thinner layers. OR find a cupcake recipe that yields about 18-20 cupcakes (these banana cupcakes perhaps?) and divide between 6 6-inch cake pans for a relatively tall cake. I wouldn’t double any of these cupcake recipes for 6 layers as that cake would be WAY too tall and likely topple over.
This is awesome! I love cake and ALWAYS want to bake one but it’s usually too much! This is perfect! going out NOW and buying 6 inch pans 🙂
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am ordering some 6″ pans right away! I still have to buy the “Home Made Vanilla” bottles and beans but now I have several things to get this week. As soon as the heat wave breaks, I am getting busy.
Per your suggestion, I have done this with lemon and vanilla with perfect success! Thanks Sally!! ❤️
Bless you, Sally! I have been waiting for 6 inch cake recipes. Not only are they easier to decorate but they are easier to slice and serve too. I would rather bake two 6 inch cakes than bake one 8 or 10 inch cake. Please keep your 6 inch cake recipes coming!
Ever since you mentioned using cupcake recipes for 6 inch cake I have searched through your cupcake recipes countless times trying to figure out which to make into 6 inch cake but this is so much easier and better! Thank you!
Thank you so much for posting this Sally!! Ever since you posted a recipe from desserts for two (Christina Lane’s website) I have loved small batch baking, it’s perfect for my small family. I will be trying the vanilla first and I already have everything I need
Sally, you’re a genius! I love 6 inch cakes because they allow me to practice my decorating skills, but I would have never thought to use a cupcake recipe! My only problem now is figuring out which one to bake first Thank you!!