Description
Italian-inspired lunchbox cake brings sweet comfort to midday meals with delightful simplicity. Compact layers of rich flavor promise a delectable escape from ordinary snacking, inviting you to savor each carefully crafted bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients (Cake Base):
- 1 ¼ cups (160g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature
Leavening and Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- Gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the cake base by whisking flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, ensuring no lumps remain.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture becomes pale and airy, which typically takes about 3 minutes of consistent beating.
- Incorporate eggs individually, thoroughly mixing after each addition to create a smooth, homogeneous batter.
- Gently fold in vanilla extract, maintaining the delicate texture of the mixture.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to the batter, beginning and concluding with the dry mixture. Mix until ingredients are just combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Transfer the batter into a greased and parchment-lined 9×13-inch baking pan, spreading evenly with a spatula to ensure uniform thickness.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 20 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack, which prevents condensation and maintains the cake’s structure.
- Whip butter until smooth and creamy, creating a perfect base for the buttercream frosting.
- Gradually incorporate powdered sugar, mixing on low speed to prevent sugar clouds and ensure a silky consistency.
- Enhance the frosting with heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, beating until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- If desired, divide the frosting and add food coloring for decorative purposes.
- Use a round cookie cutter to delicately extract individual cake layers from the cooled sheet cake.
- Construct mini cakes by layering cake rounds with thin frosting intervals, creating a delicate tower.
- Apply a preliminary crumb coat to seal in loose cake particles, then refrigerate briefly to set.
- Frost the entire mini cake smoothly, creating a polished exterior.
- Embellish with piped buttercream designs or personalized messages.
- Carefully place each mini cake in a parchment-lined takeout box for a charming presentation.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up the frosting and maintain structural integrity before serving.
Notes
- Achieve smooth cake texture by ensuring all ingredients are at room temperature before mixing, which helps create a more uniform batter and prevents lumps.
- Prevent dry cake by carefully measuring flour and not overmixing the batter, as excess mixing can develop gluten and lead to a tough, dense result.
- Customize frosting consistency by adjusting heavy cream amount – less cream creates stiffer frosting for detailed piping, while more cream makes it softer and spreadable.
- Create gluten-free version by substituting regular flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, maintaining the same measurements and mixing technique.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 306
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 135 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg