Mini Brown Sugar Cake
This mini brown sugar cake recipe is made in one bowl & is incredibly moist! One batch makes three, 4-inch cake layers that are perfect for a small celebration.


Meet the Chef: Chelsey White
Meet Chelsey - a self-taught baker who left corporate America to pursue her love of cake decorating and content creation! She loves testing out new recipes and techniques, and share everything she learns along the way. Explore her recipes and tutorials that are aspirational yet achievable!

Mini Brown Sugar Cake Layers
- 1 cup All-purpose flour 1 cup All-purpose flour
- Domino® Light Brown Sugar 1 cup 1 cup Domino® Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, melted 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup Vegetable or canola oil 1/4 cup Vegetable or canola oil
- 1 Large egg, room temperature 1 Large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup Sour cream, room temperature 1/2 cup Sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Caramel
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter 1/4 cup Unsalted butter
- Domino® Dark Brown Sugar 1/2 cup 1/2 cup Domino® Dark Brown Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Heavy cream 3 Tbsp Heavy cream
Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- 3/4 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature 3/4 cup Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup Brown sugar caramel, room temperature 1/4 cup Brown sugar caramel, room temperature
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Salt
- Domino® Confectioners Sugar 3 cups 3 cups Domino® Confectioners Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Heavy cream 1 Tbsp Heavy cream
Caramelized Sugar Shards
- 2 Tbsp Water 2 Tbsp Water
- Domino® Granulated Sugar 3/4 cup 3/4 cup Domino® Granulated Sugar
Instructions
Mini Brown Sugar Cake Layers:
Preheat oven to 350° Farenheit. Line three 4” or two 6" round pans with parchment rounds and grease with non-stick baking spray.
Whisk together flour, Domino® Light Brown Sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Add melted butter, oil, and egg into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. The batter will be thick.
Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the pans to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.
Place cake layers into the freezer for 20 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers have fully cooled, carefully flip the pans to remove the cake layers.
Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers, then set the cake layers aside.
If you're making these cake layers in advance, wrap and freeze them like this. When you're ready to assemble the cake, unwrap the frozen layers and allow them to thaw for about 15 minutes before you plan to frost the cake.
Brown Sugar Caramel:
While the cake layers bake and cool, make the brown sugar caramel. This can also be made several days in advance.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Next, add Domino® Dark Brown Sugar and heavy cream. Whisk constantly until sugar is fully dissolved.
Continue to cook and stir the mixture over a medium heat until it comes to a boil, then allow it to boil for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside to cool. If making this in advance store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
Caramel Buttercream Frosting:
Beat butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.
Mix in brown sugar caramel, vanilla extract and salt on a low speed.
Slowly mix in Domino® Powdered Sugar on a low speed. Halfway through adding the powdered sugar, mix heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
Continue to mix on low speed for a couple minutes, until the desired consistency is reached.
If the frosting is too thick, add in additional cream (1 tsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (1/4 cup at a time). Cover with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and set aside.
Caramelized Sugar Shards
Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of a heat proof surface.
Add water and Domino® Granulated Sugar into a medium sized pot. Heat on medium-low without stirring (it causes crystallization and makes the sugar stick to the side of the pot). Let the mixture sit until the sugar starts to dissolve.
As the sugar dissolves, increase the heat to medium-high until the sugar becomes an amber or golden brown color.
Pour the mixture onto the sheet of parchment paper in a thin and even layer. Let it cool, then use a sharp knife to cut it into small shards. The caramelized sugar will be very hard once it's set, so be careful as you cut it!
Set the shards aside until it's time to decorate the cake. If made in advance, store in a freezer bag at room temperature or in an airtight container in the freezer. Do NOT store it in the fridge! The fridge will cause the shards to soften and melt together.
Assembling this Mini Brown Sugar Cake:
Stack and frost cake layers on a small plate or cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Add an even layer of caramel buttercream between each cake layer with a small offset spatula.
Add a thin coat of frosting around the cake, fully cover the cake layers.
Smooth the frosting using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge, for about 20 minutes, or in the freezer for about 5 minutes, until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper. Chill the cake again in the fridge or freezer until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Heat the brown sugar caramel in the microwave in 5 second intervals until it has a thick fluid consistency, then use a spoon to add drips around the chilled cake.
Top the cake with caramelized sugar shards and enjoy!
Chef's Tips
Do a test drip to make sure your caramel is the right temperature and thickness.