I just made my first couple of mini cakes. All I did was use a 6" pan, two layers, torted both, and got some ideas from CC and decorated them with IMBC and accents. I love the mini cakes and look forward to experimenting with more! Here is one of my favorites I just did:
Check out these mini cake pans & decorating ideas:
http://www.countrykitchensa.com/whatshot/minicake.aspx
FYI, these take a long time to make. I did a bunch and couldn't get my time down to less than 25 minutes per cake (2-3-4 inch size). Price accordingly!
The easiest way I found to do them was to cut from a sheet cake that I frosted so that the top was already iced. Then used an icing tip to apply sides and smoothed. Biggest problem was cakes are so small they move.
I finally ran a sucker stick down the center to stabalize and that helped.
Good Luck & post pictures.
Icing the mini cakes is very time consuming. The little suckers move all over the place! The ones in my photos were 3" rounds, double layer with BC filling, top and a crumb coat. I finished them off with fondant. I was afraid the lack of icing on the side would be noticed, but they were perfect as they were! More icing would have been too much! I would not do them for less than $10 each, plain, or $15 each, like in my photos.
I did tiered ones, once, and they were a pain in the butt. I did them like petit fours, icing on top, then covered them into poured fondant. What a mess! I'd charge $15 each for those if I did them again!
I cut my rounds out with cookie cutters from a 12x18x1" sheet cake. HTH,
Hi i bought this tin http://www.squires-shop.com/cgi-bin/TLSstore.cgi?user_action=detail&catalogno=B02811 . I got it from a shop in Australia. It makes 16 perfect 2 1/2 inch mini cakes. They take around 20 mintues to bake and I usually do around 50. Icing is very time consumming but its worth it in the end as I think they look so stunning for a wedding or engagment. If you check out my pictures you will see the ones I have made.
I ususally cover the cakes in sugar syrup then cover in a layer of chocolate or plain fondant depending on the flavour of the cakes. I make this quite thick so they all end up looking the same. Then the top layer you can make thiner. Then you can put a ribbon around the bottom of each one and a decoration on top or pipe a design on them.
I would recommend the tins as it makes it so much easier and they all come out the same height and width.
hope this helps 
I've used the same pans as Honey-Cakes and highly recommend them (they also make a heart-shaped set)
Cutting rounds or hearts from a sheet cake is incredibly wasteful (how many cake-balls can you eat - oops... silly question!)
If you need to make a lot of minis, you probably waste as much as you use.
As for decorating - do not undercharge. Yes, they are small, but they are just as much work to cover and instead of one topper you will need to make as many as there are cakes - very time-consuming.
barbra, i also want a set of round and heart tins too. My DH is gonna KILL me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am also looking for some impression mats and cant seem to find any good ones here in Aus. It actually seems to work out cheaper to buy them from ebay from a US supplier!! Sooo not fair not having access to cook decorating tools.
I also use the same pans as honey-cakes, see my photos. I did 50 mini ones and a 6" once which the Bride used to have their photos done 'cutting' the cake.
If you grease the tins well ( I also put liners in mine) they should come out fine. Baking doesnt take too long, but icing them will!
I covered mine in fondant, which took an age, but you get nice results. One tip is to chill or freeze the cakes before icing as they are a bit firmer to handle.
I've used the same pans as Honey-Cakes and highly recommend them (they also make a heart-shaped set)
Cutting rounds or hearts from a sheet cake is incredibly wasteful (how many cake-balls can you eat - oops... silly question!)
If you need to make a lot of minis, you probably waste as much as you use.
As for decorating - do not undercharge. Yes, they are small, but they are just as much work to cover and instead of one topper you will need to make as many as there are cakes - very time-consuming.
That's another excuse that I give my clients for their high price.
Disney World's pastry chefs charge $25 per mini cake, and they cut them out of sheet cakes and use molds to fill them with filling. But they are soooo delicious!
I get fifteen 1 1/2" cake balls for every 12 mini cakes. With three kids, they don't last long! Now if I could just figure out a way to sell the cake balls...LOL
I got mine from a shop called Iced Affair but I know that Cake Deco in the city in Melbourne also stocks them. There is a lovely lady on ebay that can get them for you as well. Let me know if you want her details. I get most of my things from her as she can get OS things for cheap prices.
If you want some good impression mats I use ones that are for scrapbooking. Spotlight has quite a few different types that I have got and used from there. You just have to give them a light coating of copha so it comes off easliy. You can also use bits of lace and material.
Does anyone cover their mini cakes in poured fondant??? Does it make a difference???
I got mine from a shop called Iced Affair but I know that Cake Deco in the city in Melbourne also stocks them. There is a lovely lady on ebay that can get them for you as well. Let me know if you want her details. I get most of my things from her as she can get OS things for cheap prices.
If you want some good impression mats I use ones that are for scrapbooking. Spotlight has quite a few different types that I have got and used from there. You just have to give them a light coating of copha so it comes off easliy. You can also use bits of lace and material.
Hello,
I ebay alot so I would love the lady you use from OS if that is ok. Leigh
Does anyone cover their mini cakes in poured fondant??? Does it make a difference???
I've covered them a couple of times with poured fondant, on request but IMO you get a much better finish with regular fondant. Somehow, the cakes look "incomplete" with poured fondant, even with a double coat.
Hello,
I ebay alot so I would love the lady you use from OS if that is ok.
Leigh
Leigh, I think that this is the link that Honey_Cakes was referring to:
http://stores.ebay.com.au/Champagne-Celebrations_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesstQQtZkm
The lady's name is Dawn, and she is incredibly helpful.
If she has none currently in stock, PM me as I am expecting a shipment from the UK, but Dawn really is great!
i made 200 3inch mini squares using the mutli/adjustable tin (silverwood Brand) with the one tin and some extra seperators you can make anything from 1 inch to 12in....awesome ....I love it...I now use it for all my square cakes!!! you can get this from Iced Affair in Syd or Squires in U.K.
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