Mini Christmas Cakes Recipe
Prep Time:
45 minutes
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Servings:
9 Mini Cakes
Ingredients
  • ½ cup dried chopped candied fruit
  • ¼ cup Grand Marnier
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup milk
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temp
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 10 candied cherries
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
Directions
  1. At least 2 hours before you get started, mix together the candied fruit and the orange liqueur in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
  2. No more than 2 hours before baking, remove the butter and the cream cheese from the fridge to allow them to come to room temperature.
  3. When you're ready to start prepping the cake batter, preheat oven to 350 F.
  4. Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  5. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients — the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, and set aside.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and ½ cup of the milk until smooth, and set aside.
  7. Using an electric mixer, beat together 8 tablespoons of butter, the brown sugar, and 1 cup of granulated sugar — using the paddle attachment, if you have a stand mixer — for around 2 minutes at medium speed, until the mixture is fully combined, light, and fluffy.
  8. Add the eggs and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla bean paste, and continue beating for 1 more minute.
  9. Setting your mixer to low speed, gradually stir in the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture, alternating the two, until everything is combined and free of lumps.
  10. Strain the dried fruit from the liqueur, and use a spatula to fold just the fruit into the batter.
  11. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, using a spatula to distribute evenly.
  12. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan (front to back), and bake for another 5 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
  13. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes.
  14. Mix together your cream cheese, the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter, the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, using your stand mixer, or an electric mixer and a large bowl.
  15. Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar, passing it first through your mesh sieve, and beat on medium speed until well-combined. Repeat twice more.
  16. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the remaining milk by single tablespoon until the consistency is light and fluffy, but firm enough to hold its shape.
  17. Using a spatula, transfer the cream cheese frosting into your piping bag, fitted with the star tip.
  18. Invert the other baking sheet so that it is rim-side down on your counter.
  19. Once the baked cake has cooled, carefully invert it onto the inverted baking sheet, and peel the parchment off the top. Use your cookie or biscuit cutter to cut 18 circles from the cake as close together as possible.
  20. Using your piping bag, pipe frosting onto half of the circles.
  21. Top each frosted circle with an un-frosted circle to create two-tiered cakes.
  22. Roll the candied cherries in the remaining granulated sugar.
  23. Decorate half the cakes with a dusting of powdered sugar.
  24. Decorate the other half of the cakes using a dollop of frosting, two sugar-coated candied cherries, and a few rosemary needles.
  25. Serve, and enjoy!