These Vanilla Cake Mini Desserts in a Cup made with moist vanilla cake are perfect for serving individual cup desserts made in disposable plastic cups. These mini desserts incorporate a moist vanilla cake, candy covered chocolate, sprinkles and a cream cheese frosting.
Top your mini dessert cups with sprinkles or your favorite topping. A soft and moist vanilla cake is used layered in candy covered chocolate and a cream cheese whipped cream frosting that you can sweeten as much as you like.
Like the idea of using cake mix as a shortcut? Try my Cake Mix Ice Cream Sandwiches.
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The best part about this mini dessert cups recipes is that you can make different little dessert cup flavors using one sheet pan vanilla cake recipe and serve them in disposable plastic dessert cups.
For other recipe combinations see Raspberry White Chocolate Mini Dessert Cups, Cookies and Cream Mini Cups, or Mini Tiramisu Dessert Cups.
This recipe for mini vanilla cake dessert cups was inspired by the holidays. Choosing a dessert that everyone likes can be stressful and challenging. You can create variety by using one sheet pan vanilla cake and use one flavor or alternate flavors so that your guests have options.
Serving Sizes for Mini Dessert Cups
This recipe makes 11 3-layer vanilla cake mini dessert cups served in 8 oz cups. If you are making these mini desserts to serve after dinner, 8 oz dessert cups may be too filling.
If you want to reduce the size or if you need to have more servings, you can assemble the mini desserts using 2-layers in 4 oz espresso cups which will yield 16 mini desserts.
Also if you need more servings, you can also double the receive to make twice as much.
You can also make this absolutely delicious Amazing White Chocolate Raspberry Cake or this Incredibly Moist and Delicious Carrot Cake.
If you are looking for an easy cake to make that will wow your guests, try this Strawberry Dream Sfoglia Cake made with store bought puff pastry or these easy Nutella Turnovers.
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Ingredients Needed
This recipe for mini dessert cups uses the following ingredients:
- Sprinkles
- Smarties or candy covered chocolates
- Milk
- Oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make a Mini Dessert Cup
Making the Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the heavy cream slowly down the side of the bowl. Scrape the bowl. Mix on medium high until stiff peaks form and fluffy. Do not over mix.
Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the mini desserts. (must be used same day as when you are assembling the desserts).
Making the Cake
This cake can be made in advance and frozen until you are ready to use it.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the 4 oz of milk, vanilla extract and oil and set aside. Mix 6 oz of milk with room temperature eggs and set aside.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
Add butter. Slowly add the milk and oil mixture.
Pour your batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and use a spatula to spread the batter to the edges.
Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before assembling the mini desserts.
Mini Dessert Prep and Assembly
Once you have the whipped cream cheese and cream frosting, it's time to assemble the mini desserts.
Cut circular cake disks, using a cup or a round cookie cutter. You should yield at least 20 round disks on one cake pan. You can also use the remnant pieces when assembling your desserts in a cup.
Start by placing a cake disk in the bottom of a cup. Then top it with the whipped cream and cream cheese frosting. Then sprinkle ground smarties on top.
Repeat these steps and top of your mini dessert with sprinkles. Place them in a cake pan for easy transport to the fridge.
Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
Top tip
Before making your whipped cream cheese frosting, place your mixing bowl and attachment in the freezer. Leave it in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Make sure that the cake has cooled to room temperature before you start assembling the mini desserts. You can also make the cake ahead of time and freeze until you are ready to use it.
Hint: If you have forgotten to remove your eggs from the refrigerator, you can bring them to room temperature by placing them in warm water for 5 minutes.
Substitutions and Varitions
This mini dessert idea is great because you can make so many variations with just one cake sheet.
- Cookies and Cream Cups - substitute the candy covered chocolate and sprinkles with chocolate sandwich cookies and add cocoa to your vanilla batter.
- White Chocolate Raspberry Mini Dessert Cups - substitute the candy covered chocolate and sprinkles with white chocolate and frozen raspberries
- Tiramisu Mini Dessert Cups - substitute the candy covered chocolate and sprinkles with coffee and coffee liquor (like Kahlua)
- Lemon Curd Mini Dessert Cups - substitute coffee/liquor for lemon curd/custard
- Apple Crisp Mini Dessert Cups - substitute coffee/liquor for apple crisp/cobbler
- Gluten Free - use gluten free flour to make your cake gluten free.
If you have another idea or combination, try it out! Let me know in the comments how it turns out.
Equipment
Equipment has a big impact on how a recipe turns out. For this recipe you will need a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Measuring spoons and cups will also come in handy. You will also need small bowls to hold ingredients when assembling the mini Dessert Cups and disposable cups for serving.
Storage
As you assemble the mini dessert cups place them in an 8" round cake pan for easy transport from the counter to the fridge. These mini desserts can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
It's not recommended that you leave these desserts out for more than one hour as they use whipped cream which can spoil very quickly.
I've never frozen these mini desserts and can't recommend doing so.
Recipe Details
Vanilla Cake Mini Desserts in a Cup
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
Flavor Ingredients
- 90 g smarties 2 boxes
- ¼ cup sprinkles
- 250 grams cream cheese
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Cake Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups of milk separated ½ cup and ¾ cups
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups Sugar
Instructions
Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the heavy cream slowly down the side of the bowl.
- Scrape the bowl.
- Mix on medium high until stiff and fluffy. Do not over mix. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the mini desserts.
Cake
- See note if you are making both vanilla and chocolate mini desserts using the same batter.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the 4 oz of milk, vanilla extract and oil and set aside.
- Mix 6 oz of milk with room temperature eggs and set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
- Turn on Mixer and add butter until fully incorporated.
- Slowly add the milk and oil mixture. Scrape down the bowl occasionally.
- Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and use a spatula to spread the batter to the edges.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out dry.
Assembly
- Cut circular cake disks, using a cup or a round cookie cutter. You should yield at least 20 round disks on one cake pan. You can also use the remnant pieces when assembling your desserts in a cup.
- In a food processor, grind the candy covered chocolate to a medium grind. Place in a small bowl.
- Start by placing a cake disk in the bottom of a cup. Top with whipped cream cheese frosting and then sprinkle ground candy covered chocolate generously on top.
- Repeat these step 3 and top your mini dessert with birthday sprinkles.
- Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
Nutrition
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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