This mini pound cakes recipe is perfect for your mini Bundt cake pan or a loaf pan. Just like my regular pound cake recipe, these mini pound cakes are moist, flavorful, and wonderfully buttery. Plus, the addition of vanilla bean and raspberry icing is irresistible!
I have a mini Bundt pan obsession and after 1 taste of these mini vanilla pound cakes, you’ll understand why. Don’t they look like donuts?
Let’s Talk Pound Cake
Pound cake isn’t my top choice of desserts UNLESS it’s done right. Pound cake must be 2 things: moist and flavorful. There’s no worse dessert than dry pound cake. Having said that, I have a few pound cake recipes on my site and each is… you guessed it… moist and flavorful.
- Nutella Swirl Pound Cake
- Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Brown Butter Pound Cake
- Raspberry Swirl Pound Cake
Raspberry swirl pound cake is my favorite and where I began today’s mini pound cakes recipe.
Mini Pound Cake Ingredients
Mini pound cakes don’t require a lot of ingredients, but the ratio of those ingredients is imperative.
- An abundance of moisture and the pound cake will taste wet.
- Too much flour and the pound cake taste dry.
- Too many eggs and the pound cake will taste eggy.
Here’s the ratio that works best: 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of butter, and 4 eggs. This yields a wonderfully balanced pound cake. Add sour cream for extra moisture, vanilla extract for flavor, and vanilla bean for even more flavor. (Homemade vanilla extract is fantastic in these!) Also, if you’re craving it, almond extract tastes great too.
How to Make Mini Pound Cakes
Like most cake recipes, these mini pound cakes begin by creaming room temperature butter and sugar together. This step guarantees a soft crumb. Next, add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Lastly, mix in the dry ingredients. The cake batter is very thick, so you know the end result will be perfectly dense. If you use the same mini Bundt pan I have, you get about 8-9 mini Bundt cakes. Mini Bundt pans differ in size, so the yield varies. Whichever pan you use, fill each about 2/3 full.
If you don’t have a mini Bundt pan, use a mini loaf pan. If you don’t have a mini loaf pan, use a regular loaf pan. A full size Bundt cake pan is a little too large. No matter which pan you use, one thing’s certain: this pound cake is fabulous. Super tight crumb, dense, extremely buttery and moist, and flecked with vanilla bean.
I find the trick to Bundt cakes, no matter which pan or size, is to REALLY grease the pan. Even if the pan is labeled as non-stick! I typically use a generous spray of nonstick spray.
Let’s Decorate!
These mini pound cakes are wonderful with a simple dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries. But you could also try a lemon icing, vanilla icing, chocolate ganache, or even red wine chocolate ganache for a decadent treat.
Pink is the way to my heart and sprinkles speak to my soul, so FRESH raspberry icing and sprinkles is my topping of choice. I use plenty of raspberries to produce a strong flavor and dark color, as well as milk instead of cream so that it’s on the thinner side.
These mini cakes make me so happy and I would love to know if you try them!
PrintMini Vanilla Pound Cakes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8-9 mini cakes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These mini vanilla pound cakes have a super tight crumb and are dense, extremely buttery and moist, and flecked with vanilla bean. Top with fresh raspberry icing and sprinkles!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended!)
Fresh Raspberry Icing
- 1/2 cup (85g) fresh raspberries
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and generously grease a mini Bundt cake pan (or another pan, see note).
- Make the mini cakes: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the sour cream, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, and almond extract (if using). Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Beat everything just until incorporated. Do not over-mix. Batter will be very creamy and thick with lots of vanilla bean specks.
- Spoon batter into pan, filling each Bundt cake cavity 2/3 full. If you need to make a 2nd batch, loosely cover the leftover batter and keep at room temperature until your pan is ready again.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when lightly poked with your finger. Remove from the oven and allow to cool inside the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully invert the pan on the counter or wire rack. Give the pan a little shake so the cakes release. Allow Bundt cakes to cool completely on a wire rack before icing and serving.
- Make the icing: Toss the raspberries and granulated sugar together. Vigorously stir to break up the raspberries. Allow to sit for 5 minutes as the raspberries let out their juices. (You can also use a small food processor for this step.) Strain the raspberries through a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. Use a spoon to press them through, extracting all the juices and removing the seeds. You’ll have about 3 Tablespoons of juice. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and heavy cream. Add a little more confectioners’ sugar to thicken or more cream to thin, if desired. Drizzle over cooled pound cakes.
- Cover and store leftover iced cakes at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions: You can make the mini pound cakes ahead of time by freezing them. Bake, cool, wrap in aluminum foil, and place in a large Tupperware (that’s what I do!). Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before icing and serving. Freeze well up to 3 months.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Mini Bundt Cake Pan| Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Fine Mesh Sieve | Vanilla Bean
- Pans: If you don’t have a mini Bundt pan, you can use a mini loaf pan. If you don’t have a mini loaf pan, you can use a regular 9×5-inch loaf pan. A full size Bundt cake pan is a little too large. The bake times and yields vary with the pan you use. Fill the pans 2/3 full with batter. If using a regular 9×5-inch loaf pan, fill with all of the batter (which is about 2/3 full anyway!). The suggested bake time in this recipe is for the Bundt cake pan that I own. When the cakes are lightly brown and spring back when lightly poked with your finger, they are done. If you’re using a 9×5-inch loaf pan, the bake time is about 1 hour. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean with zero raw batter.
- Vanilla Bean: If you don’t have vanilla bean, simply leave it out and add another 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read my post on room temperature ingredients for more information. It really makes a difference!
Keywords: pound cake
Would love to make this for my one year old smash birthday cake. Can the sugar be substituted for smashed banana, applesauce,or maple syrup? Also, can the sour cream be substituted for dairy free yogurt? Thanks so much!!
Hi Rachel, you can swap the sour cream with a dairy free yogurt as you mention. The texture may slightly change, but that should be a fine substitute. We haven’t tried this recipe with the sweetener alternatives you mention — it would take a bit of recipe testing to guarantee results. If you’re interested in a healthier smash cake option, you can read more here about the first birthday cake Sally recently made. Hope this helps!
What if you’re using a silicone mini bundt pan. How long should you bake it and what temperature
These look so fun to make , i need to buy mini bunt cake pans.
Have you done this recipe with egg yolks only? If yes, can you advise? I have an overabundance of yolks…always (my son only likes egg whites in the am) and want to find a way to use the rest! Thank you!!
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tried this recipe with just egg yolks, but the ratio of ingredients is very important in this recipe so we recommend sticking to the four whole eggs. Lemon curd is a great way to use up extra egg yolks or here are all of our recipes that use egg yolks. Hope you find one to enjoy!
Hello Sally I have the large mini Bundt pan that holds about 20 minis and I made them with this recipe and they came out tasting like flour with little to no flavor. Would you happen to know what I did wrong? I added more extract then the recipe and still no flavor. I think I mixed batter more then the time you listed because I didn’t have all ingredients at hand reach so I had to keep running to get the next ingredient, do you think this could be the problem. My batter was not densed at all. Do you recommend I use your pound cake recipe instead of the mini recipe?
Hi Ruby, how did you measure your flour? Make sure to spoon and level (or weight measure), otherwise there could be too much flour in the batter which is causing the dry, floury taste. Over mixing the batter could also be a contributing factor. You’re welcome to try the perfect cream cheese pound cake in your mini Bundt pans as well. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Delicious!!! I love these. I have a smaller Bundt pan, mine has 12 instead of 6 as shown here. I still left them 20 minutes and they cooked perfectly. Mine looked a bit more brown than these ones but I think that could be because I greased my pan with butter. I made some with lemon icing and the raspberry icing, both delicious. I would skip the sprinkles, I made one with some and if you’re not a fan just don’t add them.
★★★★★
Man, the almond flavoring really makes these TO.DIE.FOR.
I found a mini bundt pan today at a thrift store and got busy as soon as I got home. Any tips on how to bake the flat, I have a little bump on all of them.?
★★★★★
Hi Andi, the little bump is normal! You can definitely trim it off with a sharp knife before flipping the pound cakes over to allow them to sit more flat. We’re so glad you love these!
Hello
I was wondering if I can make the batter the day before and bake the next morning ?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Delphine, we don’t recommend it. Once batter is mixed, the leaveners are activated right away, so the longer it sits, the less the batter will rise. Best to make them right away!
Hi! I’m interested in making these for a bridal shower using a 12-cup mini fluted cake pan. Would this recipe work? What would the baking time be?
Hi Natalie! If I’m understanding you correctly, the pan you have is perfect for this recipe! Your mini Bundts may be slightly smaller than the ones pictured, so bake time may be a few minutes less – bake until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when lightly poked with your finger. Enjoy!
Hi, I love your recipes. Can I use your cream cheese pound cake recipe for the mini Bundt pan?
I wish to make minis of that but not sure if I have to scale down something. Thank you
Hi Afua, Yes, definitely. However, the cream cheese pound cake makes A LOT of batter and would yield a significant amount minis, depending how much batter your mini Bundt pans hold. You can cut that recipe in half if desired.
Hello! I want to know if I can do this recipe in a big pan and what can I use insted of sour cream? Thank you!
Hi Maria! See recipe notes on directions for baking this recipe in a loaf pan. For a full sized pound cake in a Bundt pan, we recommend using this recipe instead. Plain yogurt is a good substitute for sour cream.
wooooow very delicious it was very good including the icing
★★★★★
hi! can we make cupcakes with this recipe? if we don’t have bundt pans?
★★★★
Definitely! We’re unsure of the exact bake time. Enjoy!
I just got a mini bundt pan and would love to make mini chocolate bundt cakes. How can these be made chocolate?
thanks!
Hi Anna, You can use our recipe for this chocolate Bundt cake (feel free to skip the cream cheese swirl). Your bake time may be different depending on the exact size of your pans so use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Can we use buttermilk instead of sour cream? If yes what quantity?
Yes, you can use the same amount of buttermilk (1/2 cup/120ml) in place of the sour cream. The bake time may be a little longer since the batter will be a bit thinner.
I have a mini angel food cake pan (6 count, same as your mini bundt pan), will that work same as the mini bundt pan?
I can’t see why not!
Delicious little cakes Sally!. Followed the recipe to a t including the icing. I’m going to double the recipe next time because they were so good!!
★★★★★
I made these over the weekend and they were delicious! My icing turned out pretty runny though and I wasn’t really able to thicken enough simply by adding more powdered sugar. Maybe my ratio of raspberry juice/milk to powdered sugar was off? I think if my icing were thicker, these would be perfect!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them, Meghan! If you try the icing again, try adding less cream instead of more sugar – that should help make it thicker.
Made this today. I couldn’t let everything get to room temperature, and they still tasted delicious. I just dusted with powdered sugar. So pretty. Thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
I made this recipe today and it was WONDERFUL! I loved the rich, buttery taste and the pound cake-like density of the little cakes- just fantastic. It’s been surprisingly hard to find a good vanilla cake recipe that doesn’t end up too dry when using the mini Bundt pans so this one is an absolute keeper:) I made the cakes for my nieces 1st birthday and they were beautiful and a huge hit!
★★★★★
Hi Sally, I was wondering if I could use cake flour for this recipe like you do in your cream cheese pound cake? Thanks!
Shouldn’t be a problem. I recommend adding 1 Tablespoon of cake flour just to ensure there is extra sturdiness.
They turned out great, super soft and moist
Hey Sally! I just made this and it’s fabulous! I do want to note one thing: The first batch that went in rose higher and didn’t brown as much as the second batch. (I only had one pan so I had to do two batches.) For the first batch, I greased the pan using the butter’s wrapper paper. For the second batch, I sprayed with it a canola oil blend. I baked both for 20 minutes, at the bottom rack. Do you think this could have made the difference? Thanks!
★★★★★
It’s likely, yes. I usually use an oil blend spray when greasing pans. Whichever you prefer, stick to that! I’m so glad you tried these mini pound cakes. 🙂
I thought they turned out well, but a couple of my coworkers said they lacked flavor… I wonder if adding some additional sugar would cause any problems? (I did use the almond extract & vanilla bean as shown.)
Hi Caryn! You can certainly try adding more sugar to the cake batter next time. Thank you for trying my recipe!
Hi there! I want to use this recipe for an upcoming event… vanilla bundt cakes are one of the 6 items ill be making (including a three tiered cake) so to help my sanity- do you know how far in advance I can make these (ill be needing 40 mini bundt cakes)?
Thanks in advance!
These mini vanilla Bundt cakes taste best fresh, but you can always freeze them if you need to make them in advance. See my make ahead tip 🙂
Can you substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Sure can!
Sally I made the mini pound cakes today. The turned out beautifully. Loaded with lots vanialla flavor and so moist. You made made me a believer in pound cake again. Another great recipe Sally
Would a muffin pan work ok? I don’t have mini-bundt or mini loaf pans, just regular sized loaf pans. These look so yummy!
Regular size loaf pans work too! See my recipe notes. You can also bake in a muffin pan, but I’m unsure of the bake time.
Could you sub frozen raspberries for icing mixture?
Definitely. Thaw them first then continue with the glaze recipe as written.