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Pink Ombre Mini Cakes

Ombre is taking the design world by storm. Thankfully, it's now bleeding into food land. It is most welcome, I must say.

Yesterday my husband flew out of town for some law interviews, so I needed a little somethin' extra to keep me busy. These little cakes took less time than I thought, but were so much fun to prepare, color, frost and assemble. I only wish Ryan were here to help me eat them. Being trapped in a house with these lovely stacks of velvety frosting and moist white cake staring at me all day... I think I'll have to sneak in an extra run this weekend...

They're not the most evenly-shaped little lovelies, by any means, but how pretty would they be for a little tea party? mother's day? little girl party? You could switch up the colors to fit just about any theme you want - as well as the frosting. With the cake mix flavor (yes, I used a cake mix this time), be sure to choose a flavor with a lighter-color batter. That way it will be easier to guide the batter towards whatever color you're choosing for the ombre effect with food coloring. 

Here's how you make them:

*note: after baking, cooling, and cutting, make sure you work quickly. They tend to dry out if you don't have them covered. I stored mine in the fridge, in a tall glass platter (with a glass cone cover), and they stayed moist. 

Pink Ombre Mini Cakes

Ingredients:
1 box cake mix (I used straight up White)
1 recipe *Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting (see below)

Equipment:
Stand mixer/hand mixer
2 regular cake pans
food coloring
4 small bowls
circle cookie cutters/mason jar for shaping
cooling rack
wax paper 
 
Directions:
Prepare cake mix according to package directions (preheat oven to appropriate temperature, as well). Split batter into 4 separate bowls - I used about 1 cup of batter in each bowl.

With one of the bowls, add drops/gel food coloring until it reaches the desired color for the bottom layer of your mini cakes  - so make it the darkest. In the next bowl, use less coloring. Same for the next, and in the last bowl use barely any food coloring. That way you have 4 different shades (increasingly lighter) of cake batter.

Coat your cake pans with shortening and a dusting of flour/powdered sugar. Working in two batches at a time (unless you have 4 separate cake pans) bake 2 bowls-worth of cake batter (saving the other two for after the first two are finished). After they're done baking, cool on a wire rack coated with wax paper.

After cooled, you're ready to make your circles. BUT before, make sure your cake layers are level (I forgot this step, and mine teetered just a bit - they're look much neater than mine if they're flat and even before you start stacking!) With your cookie cutter/mason jar top press circles into each cake (you should get about 6 circles per cake, depending on the size of your circle shape/cutter). Work quickly so the cake doesn't dry out.

Start stacking and frosting! I piped the layers on with the large circle tip and stacked the circles with the darkest color on the bottom and lightest on the top.

I then topped them off with the star tip and little white pearl sprinkles. So dainty! Store in the fridge. Enjoy!

*idea from Glorious Treats

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Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients: 
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
3 T whole milk or heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 t salt

Directions:
In a stand mixer mix together butter, vanilla, salt, and heavy whipping cream. Slowly and with the mixer on low/medium, so that the powdered sugar doesn't spew out, add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. If you want your frosting to be thicker consistency, add in more powdered sugar. If you want it to be more thin and pliable, add in more liquid.

*recipe as seen on Life {Made} Simple

Linked up here

Comments

  1. Those are so pretty and lucky yummy! Megan

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the post you do. I like your post and all you share with us is up to date and quite informative, i would like to bookmark the page so i can come here again to read you, as you have done a wonderful job. alabama cake

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  2. Geese, those are beautiful. They would be perfect for a party or shower. Impressive! It's my pleasure to feature you again in my Fab Friday Favorites. Thanks for being so marvelous.

    Warmly, Michelle

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    Replies
    1. Michelle!!! Thank you so much, as always. You've always been such a sweetheart to me, thanks for spreading the love!

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  3. These look delicious and adorable! PINNING THEM. I'm over from Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust!

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  4. ohhhh my mouth is watering but how can you eat something that looks so yum! So glad I found your blog, it's just lovely.

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  5. I couldn't believe it when I saw these at Gingerbread. I seriously made the exact same things this past week for a baby shower I hosted. http://www.meaningfulmama.com/2012/07/day-205-pink-ombre-mini-cakes-with.html Yours look great!

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  6. I have to pin these! I have two girls who would LOVE to have these for their birthday!!!! I think they are gorgeous. I would be happy to help eat them!

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  7. These are beautiful too!! I haven't heard of ombres. My daughter is sitting with me and she wants to make these today! :)

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  8. These are absolutely beautiful....and they look tasty, too! mb

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  9. SO cute! we love most things pink here:)

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  10. Ah ... to have enough time to add THIS to my repetoire. So cute ... so pink.

    Thanks,
    Mary

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  11. I started seeing the word ombre in desserts and I didn't pick up on the shading thing until I thought about what ombre hair looks like. It is really beautiful both the cake and the hair.

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    1. Isn't it fun? I can't wait to try this effect with some other desserts... and especially with frosting! Thanks for stopping by, Diane. Always a pleasure!

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  12. I'm loving these! Can't wait to start my next baking project so I can try these out.

    throughbetsyslookingglass.blospot.com

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  13. Love the cakes! SOooooo cute! Great idea!

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  14. These are awesome! Beautiful! I'm lovin your blog! I would love it if you would link something up at my linky party! (it expires tonight) But It will start up again on Thursday! Hope you can make it!
    Kim@Madeinaday
    http://madeinaday.com

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  15. I love these! Not sure how something so pink and girly would go down in my male dominated household, but that might just mean more cake for me :)

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    Replies
    1. haha! I know what you mean! Maybe you could mix it up with some blues or greens? Then again... if they're pink, you could keep them all to yourself :)

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  16. oh. my. gosh. These are SO gorgeous! Wouldn't they be pretty at a girl themed baby shower? Oh, ideas...:) Just pinned them! Would you consider sharing here?
    http://oneartmama.blogspot.com/2012/07/shine-on-fridays-38-and-great-giveaway.html

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  17. OMG, I have never seen anything like this. First of all I'm pinning this and second of all I'm emailing this post to my daughter so she can make these for my tablescape post and I will remember to link back to you. I am so excited about these little cakes. Thank you, thank you for the idea.

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  18. Hi, Just wanted to let you know this will be featured tomorrow at The Winthrop Chronicles! http://thewinthropchronicles.blogspot.com/

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  19. Those are super cute! Love the ombre. Thanks so much for sharing at the Pinworthy Projects Party!

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  20. Sharing these gorgeous tasty lovelies on my COM-FB page. Thanks for linking up to COM-MON. hugs, jen

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  21. These are just gorgeous! If my daughter catches a glimpse of these, she will have to have them for her birthday!
    xxx
    Kim

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  22. I seriously love these cute cakes!! The possibilities with them are endless:-) Adorable!!!

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  23. Simply gorgeous, I love the cute individual size and the varying shades of pink. I've pinned it so won't lose! So glad you shared your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – your creativity helped make the party a success!

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  24. This looks fantastic. Great picture. Come visit us. We would love to have you.

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  25. Wouldn't my little granddaughters love these cuties!!

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  26. These are just the cutest cupcakes! I've been seeing lots of different things that have been ombre! I'm pinning these and maybe I will just have to have an ombre party!

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  27. Wow, looks so yummy! I love the pink, perfect for a baby shower or little girl birthday party. ;) I'm having a Cutting Edge stencil giveaway! I'd love if you could join. Have a great night!

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  28. These are seriously just too pretty to eat! Love the ombre! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing recipes over at my Throwback Thursday party. I really hope to see you again this week! ;)

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  29. These ombre cakes looks great! We'd love to include them as a how-to on CraftFoxes.com. Interested? Feel free to email me at bethany@craftfoxes.com.

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  30. These are so pretty Mandy and they look super yummy too!! Thank you SO much for linking up - I featured you today!
    http://www.flamingotoes.com/2012/08/crush-of-the-week-think-pink-features-59/

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  31. face booking this one..... love it.
    Carolyn

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  32. Just made these last week in sunset colors! LOVE them

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  33. Love your blog/recipes...new follower and have nominated you for the Liebster blog award...see the details at pinecreekstyle.blogspot.com...Have an awesome day, NeeCee

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  34. Found your website via Pinterest. Way too cute, I will definitely have to try. Thank you.

    http://foodflipflopsfabfinds.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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