I just got an order for 50 individual small cakes for wedding favors. They are simple just round layer cakes, 4" diameter, to be iced, filled, bordered, with a simple monogram drawn on top and then boxed. No tiers or anything like that.
I need to find out the most economical way to get these cakes baked without turning on my oven 50 times! The cheapest 4" single pan I have found is 5.50. That will add up if I buy like 5 and then pay shipping. Are there any sort of bigger pans that have several 4" rounds in it? Or cheaper way to get several 4" rounds?
Also I told her they would be filled layer cakes. Do I make them a full 4" high or....? I would love to have a 4"x3" pan and then torte but I haven't seen any of those.
buy a 4" cake ring (just a ring, no bottom) then bake big sheet cakes and then just cut out 4" circles.
possible sources:
http://www.abestkitchen.com/store/cake-rings.html
http://www.bakedeco.com/static/list/cake-rings.htm (scroll way down)
http://www.pastryitems.com/tart_&_cake_molds.htm
Use a large food tin for a cutter, like tomatoes come in a large tin that's probably 4". Doesn't cost anything as you get to use the ingredients. 
So get busy and bake yourself a few large sheet cakes and cut away!!! A great time and money saver.
Please let us see a pic when finished.
Good Luck!!!
buy a 4" cake ring (just a ring, no bottom) then bake big sheet cakes and then just cut out 4" circles.
was just going to suggest the same thing! I use a 4" biscuit cutter!
The only website I know that has the 4x3 cheaper is bakingtools.com. The 4x3 is 4.63. How about if you do them in a different shape,. You can probably find a pan that you can bake about 6 cakes at once..for example a loaf pan. Candylandcrafts.com have mini pans about 4x2 and you can just fill them and make them 4x3..theres about 6 pans..attached.
You can also do small cakes in foil pans. Take a couple of layers of heavy duty foil, form them over the outside of your 4 inch pan (or tomato juice can, or whatever is the right size). Then make a band of foil to wrap around the sides of the pan, and fold the "corners' of the foil sheets back down over the band to make a sturdy pan.
You can make as many of them as you like, and put them on a cookie sheet to bake the little cakes.
The advantage IMO to doing it this way is that you have "baked" sides on your cakes, so there are less crumbs to worry about than with the cut-out ones.
hth!
Laura.
Hi, I'm not sure where in Phila you live but yesterday I was in TJ Max in Deptford and they had 4" spring form pans 2 in a set for 5.99. I had them in my hand to purchase but the line was endless...I needed the pan today so I wish I would of stuck it out! Try looking at a TJMax or Marshall's around you.
Thats not a bad price for 2 pans.
You can also do small cakes in foil pans. Take a couple of layers of heavy duty foil, form them over the outside of your 4 inch pan (or tomato juice can, or whatever is the right size). Then make a band of foil to wrap around the sides of the pan, and fold the "corners' of the foil sheets back down over the band to make a sturdy pan.
You can make as many of them as you like, and put them on a cookie sheet to bake the little cakes.
The advantage IMO to doing it this way is that you have "baked" sides on your cakes, so there are less crumbs to worry about than with the cut-out ones.
hth!
Laura.
That's a really good idea! I never would have thought of that!
These are the pans I use. They look tapered out but they bake pretty straight. They are a pain to ice. I might consider poured icing next time or at least thin the icing quite a bit.
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=2B43CCB3-802D-F658-0DE8A18C47709A6A&fid=2B43CCC3-802D-F658-0114FCFE5BF76E56
You can also do small cakes in foil pans. Take a couple of layers of heavy duty foil, form them over the outside of your 4 inch pan (or tomato juice can, or whatever is the right size). Then make a band of foil to wrap around the sides of the pan, and fold the "corners' of the foil sheets back down over the band to make a sturdy pan.
You can make as many of them as you like, and put them on a cookie sheet to bake the little cakes.
The advantage IMO to doing it this way is that you have "baked" sides on your cakes, so there are less crumbs to worry about than with the cut-out ones.
hth!
Laura.
I'm not understanding how to do this. Can you explain the wrapping, banding and folding part?
I found silicone cake pans for $5.99 for 4 and can cook 6 at a time on a cookie sheet. I make these for sample cakes and they worked perfectly! They were moist and yummy and popped right out. I was even able to carefully level them in the pan and then torted them, etc.. They were at the Grocery Outlet - do you have one of those?
Let me know and I can see if they are still there - you can pm me if you are interested... I figure shipping them would be a breeze since they are light and flexible, you could just fold them and put in a tyvek envelope...
Gee, can you tell I am an eBay seller? 
I would bake sheet cakes and cut out 4" circles. I think it would be the fastest and most economical way to achieve your result. I'd chill the cake slightly to make them easier to handle (sometimes it makes the cuts a little cleaner as well). I'd even think about baking in a jelly roll pan or something if you plan to do filled cakes - bake the cakes thinly, then cut out 100 circles (2 per cake), filling on one, then top with another circle.
Awesome guys, thanks! (I forgot to hit "watch topic") so haven't checked back until today...I got my deposit so I have to start shopping...
I love all your ideas, I think it will work best for me to use the 4" cutter! I think I'll check out those links. I have to make 50 cakes, which will be either 50 high ones or 100 layers so the cutter will work best (and cake ball material too! haha). Then I can freeze them and cut them and crumb coat them frozen....then ice them after that. I have to make them ahead anyhow.
They will be very simple...just smooth icing, a border, and a monogram one one flat cake. I charged $6 each, hoping that was fair yet still enough!
You can also do small cakes in foil pans. Take a couple of layers of heavy duty foil, form them over the outside of your 4 inch pan (or tomato juice can, or whatever is the right size). Then make a band of foil to wrap around the sides of the pan, and fold the "corners' of the foil sheets back down over the band to make a sturdy pan.
You can make as many of them as you like, and put them on a cookie sheet to bake the little cakes.
The advantage IMO to doing it this way is that you have "baked" sides on your cakes, so there are less crumbs to worry about than with the cut-out ones.
hth!
Laura.
I'm not understanding how to do this. Can you explain the wrapping, banding and folding part?
Sure! I'll try to walk you through the steps:
First, put your 4 inch pan upside down on the table in front of you.
Take two sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil, stack them and put the stack on top of the pan. Modl the foil around the pan (like putting fondant on the cake), making sure it's tight around the pan, with the "corners" of the foil sheets flat on the table.
Make a band of foil about the height of the side of the pan, and wrap that around the pan, making sure the ends overlap by a few inches.
Take the "corners" of the foil, one at a time, and fold them back up, so they stick up, then bend them over so they're flat against the foil that's on the bottom of the pan.
Flip the pan over, remove it and you're left with the foil pan on the table.
The band keeps the foil pan from expanding when you put the cake batter in it. Think of what a cupcake liner would do if you put the batter in it without the support of the cupcake pan - that's what the band will prevent.
If you don't have an actual cake pan the size you want to make, you can mold the foil around a tomato juice can, crisco can, or whatever is the right size, using the same method, but only making the sides 2 inches tall or so.
THis works well for cakes up to 6 inches or maybe 8 inches in diameter, but probably wouldn't be such a good idea for larger ones.
hth!
Laura.
Laura, awesome details, thank you. I get it now and it sounds like a great idea! 
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