• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Homemade In The Kitchen

Small Batch Recipes and Recipes For Two

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

April 15, 2019

6 Inch Cake Recipes

Looking for small cake recipes? Here is the ultimate guide to baking 6 Inch Cake Recipes for two made from scratch for beginners.


Collage of small cakes

Baking a small cake for two is one of the hardest things to do.

Most cake recipes require an 8 inch pan or larger. Some are even two or three layers.

I love cake but my waistline certainly doesn’t. And I feel really guilty over food waste if I can’t find people to eat the leftovers.

There aren’t many small cake recipes for a 6 inch cake pan, which is why I wrote this ultimate dessert for two guide about 6 Inch Cake Recipes.

I rounded up all of my small cake recipes so you don’t have to go digging through my archives, ranging from my small chocolate cake and small vanilla cake to my small yellow cake and small red velvet cake.

Now my 6 inch cake recipes may not be literally two servings, but they’re catered for two people because they make a small amount.

That means you can eat your cake now then eat a little more later without having to throw away stale cake. Cake for dessert, cake for breakfast.

Bookmark this guide for birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, holidays, and any time you’re in the mood for cake!


Homemade Small Chocolate Cake For Two is a moist and delicious one layer chocolate cake you can make from scratch without a cake mix.

Buying A 6 Inch Round Cake Pan

In order to make a 6 inch cake, you need to buy a 6 inch round cake pan. Easy enough, right?

A 6 x 2 inch round cake pan has a volume of 3 cups and can hold about 2 cups of batter to give it room to rise. You can buy one online from Amazon (affiliate link) or from your local craft store in the cake decorating aisle.

Although my recipes are mostly for one layer cakes, I highly recommend buying two pans. That way you’re ready for a double layer cake.

Plus if your current pan is in use, you have another one ready to go.

Bonus – Did you know you can make chicken pot pie for two and shepherd’s pie for two in a 6 inch pan?

Now you can make both dinner and dessert!

What if I don’t have a 6 inch pan?

If you don’t have a 6 inch pan, some readers have successfully made the cakes in 8 inch pans. The cake will be a lot thinner, so you may want to reduce the baking time by 5 minutes and check for doneness.

If the toothpick has wet batter on it, then you can continue with the normal baking time.

Sometimes you can multiply the ingredients by 1.5 and get a thicker 8 inch cake.

Don’t have that either? Check out my Small Batch Cupcake Recipes for more small cake options.


Small Batch 6 Inch Yellow Cake with chocolate frosting

How To Make a 6 Inch Cake

Most cake for two recipes follow the same steps: Cream together the butter and sugar, add the egg and any flavorings, then gradually add your dry ingredients.

My small carrot cake recipe is made a little bit differently as it uses vegetable oil instead of butter, so you beat the oil, sugar, buttermilk, and egg together.

Then you transfer the batter to a greased 6 inch round cake pan lined with some parchment paper. This ensures your cake won’t stick when you invert it after cooling.

How long should you bake a 6 inch cake?

Depending on the batter, you bake a 6 inch cake at 350F for about 20-25 minutes. Some recipes require 30-35 minutes. Always follow what the recipe tells you.

To tell if your cake is done, insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. A few crumbs are ok, but you definitely don’t want wet batter.


Small 6 Inch Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting

How many servings will a 6 inch cake feed?

Serving sizes are subjective, especially if you only want a small bite of cake. Generally 6 inch cakes can be sliced into 4-6 slices, making it about 4-6 servings per 6 inch cake.

However, if you slice the cake small enough, you can push for 8 slices, equaling 8 servings. That way you can serve my Small Funfetti Cake for someone’s birthday and have enough slices for everyone (plus a few extras).

Hosting a small Thanksgiving or Christmas for two? Serve my Small Pumpkin Cake or Small Gingerbread Cake for dessert. There will be enough food at dinner that a small 6 inch cake will be plenty of dessert.

Feeling a bit fruity? Check out my Small Strawberry Cake, Small Lemon Cake, and Small Coconut Cake.

Want cake for breakfast? I got you covered with my Small Coffee Cake recipe.

Ultimately serving size is up to you depending on how small you cut your 6 inch cake.


Small 6 Inch Strawberry Cake made from scratch using fresh strawberries. No cake mix and no strawberry jello!

How much buttercream do I need for a 6 inch cake?

You can’t serve 6 inch cake recipes without frosting! That’s why I also have small batch frosting recipes and ganache so you’re not stuck with leftovers.

You’ll need roughly 1 cup buttercream for your small cake recipes. Some popular frosting recipes are my Small Batch Chocolate Frosting, Small Batch Vanilla Buttercream, Peanut Butter Buttercream, Strawberry Buttercream, and Lemon Buttercream.

Is buttercream too sweet for you? Go for a bit of tang with Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting, Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, and Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting.

Finally, for specialty cakes I have German Chocolate Frosting and Coconut Frosting.

Equipment You Will Need


6 Inch Cake Recipes

Looking for small cake recipes? Here is the ultimate guide to baking 6 Inch Cake Recipes for two made from scratch for beginners.

Small Chocolate Cake

Small Chocolate Cake is a moist and delicious one layer chocolate cake you can make from scratch without a cake mix.

Small 6 Inch German Chocolate Cake

Homemade Small 6 Inch German Chocolate Cake For Two is a moist and delicious one layer chocolate cake you can make from scratch without a cake mix.

Small Vanilla Cake Recipe

This Small Vanilla Cake recipe with a cherry filling is a 2 layer 6 inch cake perfect for any occasion.

Small 6 Inch Yellow Cake For Two

Recreate your favorite yellow cake mix from scratch with Small 6 Inch Yellow Cake For Two.

Small 6 Inch Red Velvet Cake For Two

Homemade Small 6 Inch RedVelvet Cake For Two is a moist and delicious one layer red cocoa cake fromscratch without a cake mix. Top it with cream cheese frosting.

Small 6 Inch Funfetti Cake

Small 6 Inch Funfetti Cake for two with buttercream frosting and sprinkles helps make life a little sweeter. Recipe made from scratch without cake mix.

Small 6 Inch Strawberry Cake

Small 6 Inch Strawberry Cake is made from scratch using fresh strawberries. No cake mix and no strawberry jello!

Small Lemon Cake Recipe

This Small Lemon Cake recipe is a 6 inch lemon cake for two from scratch then decorated with homemade lemon buttercream frosting.

Lemon Raspberry Cake

Welcome sunny days into your kitchen with this Lemon Raspberry Cake! It’s a 6 inch lemon cake with a raspberry filling and raspberry frosting and is the perfect small layer cake for any occasion.

Small Coconut Cake Recipe

This 6 inch Small Coconut Cake recipe with coconut milk is a coconut cake for two from scratch decorated with homemade coconut frosting.

Small Coffee Cake Recipe

This Small Coffee Cake recipe without sour cream is light and fluffy with fresh blueberries and a buttery streusel crumble topping.

Small Carrot Cake Recipe

This 6 inch Small Carrot Cake recipe with pineapple, coconut, walnuts, and raisins is a super moist carrot cake for two from scratch decorated with homemade cream cheese frosting.

Small 6 Inch Pumpkin Cake

Small 6 Inch Pumpkin Cake is made from scratch using canned pumpkin.

6 Inch Gingerbread Cake

This small 6 Inch Gingerbread Cake recipe made from scratch without cake mix is a moist and fluffy cake that tastes like Christmas in every bite.

Disclosure: This post includes Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small percentage from sales. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Filed Under: Cakes Tagged With: 6 inch pan, dessert for two, small batch

Did you make my recipe?

Please let me know by sharing a photo in my private Facebook group or uploading and tagging me on Instagram using #HITKrecipes (Note: If your Instagram account is private, I won't be able to see your photo)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Denise says

    April 15, 2019 at 7:51 AM

    I have made the chocolate cake recipe twice. It has a nice chocolate taste and is moist. Also frosted cake with the cream cheese frosting, and it’s very good. My family of three lines cake so your recipes are perfect. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Carla says

      April 15, 2019 at 10:38 AM

      Thank you for sharing, Denise! Glad you and your family are enjoying the chocolate cake.

      Reply
  2. Kacie Morgan says

    April 19, 2019 at 10:32 AM

    I love the idea of a smaller, 6″ cake. I live alone and if I make a regular-sized cake, some of it will often go to waste.

    Reply
    • Carla says

      April 22, 2019 at 9:51 AM

      Yes I hate that! And sometimes I simply don’t see anybody to take it off my hands before it dries out. Let me know if you try anything!

      Reply
    • Margaret says

      August 28, 2019 at 12:15 AM

      My family loved the 6″ chocolate cake that I made following the recipe. I am a big fan of chocolate+orange combination so tried replacing the hot water with some orange juice and added some orange zest. The result was fabulous! Frosted with raspberry buttercream that I had ready in my fridge-awesome! Am making this again.. And again! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Carla says

        August 29, 2019 at 9:23 AM

        Oh using OJ instead of water is genius. Loving the sound of chocolate, orange, and raspberry together. Thanks for sharing your version!

        Reply
  3. Tawnie K Kroll says

    April 19, 2019 at 11:01 AM

    Dessert for 2 is perfect! I always feel so bad making a beautiful cake and seeing it go to waste!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      April 22, 2019 at 9:52 AM

      Ditto. Throwing away cake is the worst. Let me know if you make any of the recipes!

      Reply
  4. Barbara C Dorfman says

    February 27, 2020 at 4:20 PM

    I have six inch square pans. Do they use the same amount of ingredients and bake time?

    Reply
    • Carla says

      February 27, 2020 at 4:32 PM

      A 6 inch round pan holds 3 cups volume. I don’t have a 6 inch square pan to measure for you. The easiest way to measure is to fill it to the top with water then measuring how much water it holds. If it’s also 3 cups, then it’ll be roughly the same. If not, you’ll have to adjust for the difference.

      Reply
  5. Wendy Swedean says

    May 2, 2020 at 4:01 PM

    To make a two-layer 6-inch cake, can you just double the recipe? Or isn’t it that simple?

    Reply
    • Carla says

      May 2, 2020 at 11:10 PM

      Yes, you can double the recipe.

      Reply
  6. Julie says

    May 28, 2020 at 12:41 PM

    I made the chocolate cake last night and it was fantastic! So rich and chocolatey and the perfect size for my family of 5 to each have a small piece. It scratched the sweet tooth itch without overindulging. Because I never seem to have time or the motivations to make frosting, I instead spread a thin layer of peanut butter on top and drizzled a little chocolate sauce. So pretty and decadent! I’ll try it again with strawberry preserves on top next time.

    Reply
    • Carla says

      May 28, 2020 at 3:45 PM

      Hey as long as you enjoyed the “frosting”, that always work! Glad everyone enjoyed the cake.

      Reply
  7. Eleanor Steward says

    June 1, 2020 at 5:18 PM

    recipe for 6 inch coconut cake please

    Reply
    • Carla says

      June 2, 2020 at 11:34 AM

      I’ll add it to my list!

      Reply
      • Eleanor Steward says

        June 2, 2020 at 1:12 PM

        Thank You. Hard finding single layer 6 inch cake recipes. Also looking for 6 or 7 inch pie recipes.

        Reply
        • Carla says

          June 2, 2020 at 5:26 PM

          I’ve gotten multiple requests for 6 inch pies, so I need to buy a pan and work on some recipes. Thanks for the feedback!

          Reply
  8. Deborah says

    June 16, 2021 at 6:44 AM

    Hi Carla

    Hope you are well.

    I was overjoyed to find your website and see your 6 inch cake recipes. However, the ingredients are all given in US cup sizes. Is it possible for these to be shown in metric or please could you advise of the amounts for the 6 inch cakes you have in either grams or ounces. (preferably grams).

    I would be sincerely grateful to you if this was possible. Please drop me an email in due course.

    Kindest regards.
    Deborah

    Reply
    • Carla says

      June 16, 2021 at 11:50 AM

      I don’t have the metric measurements at this time. However, you can use this handy conversion chart https://www.allrecipes.com/article/cup-to-gram-conversions/

      Reply
  9. Carol Siembida says

    August 29, 2021 at 5:11 PM

    Please I’d love a 6 inch prune cake recipe. It’s delish!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      August 30, 2021 at 9:56 AM

      I’ll add it to my list!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe
Disclosures and Disclaimers

Footer

Stay Updated

Subscribe to new recipes via email:

Other Sites By Carla

  • City Life Adventures
  • Carla Cardello

Latest Recipes

Pesto Turkey Burgers on a picnic plate

Pesto Burgers

These Pesto Burgers are a turkey burger recipe with tomato and mozzarella then slathered with basil pesto. It's refreshing and tastes like summer in every bite! With 4th of July around the ...

Read More

Bowl of Caesar Pasta Salad with spoon

Caesar Pasta Salad

Caesar Pasta Salad with a homemade Caesar dressing combines traditional Caesar salad and summer macaroni salad into one picnic side dish. Although I do my best to make food from scratch, ...

Read More

Basil pesto in small jar with white spoon

Homemade Basil Pesto (Small Batch)

Homemade Basil Pesto is the best and easiest way to use up your bounty of fresh basil. Use it for pasta, pizza, burgers, and more. Ready in 15 minutes! Basil is probably one of my all-time ...

Read More

Slice of No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

If you love peanut butter, then you're going to love this No Bake Peanut Butter Pie with peanut butter cups in an Oreo cookie crust. Pie recipe made without Cool Whip! When you think of ...

Read More

Strawberry Curd on a spoon

Strawberry Curd (Vegan)

Strawberry Curd made without eggs is a smooth and creamy vegan strawberry filling. Spread it on toast for breakfast or use as a delicious cake filling. You've probably heard of lemon curd, but ...

Read More

A slice of strawberry swirl cheesecake on a plate

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

Got fresh strawberries? Learn how to make Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake with strawberry jam or strawberry curd, which will surely impress your family and friends. Made without a water bath! I ...

Read More

Peach pie filling in large jar

Peach Pie Filling

No more canned pie filling! Learn how to make homemade Peach Pie Filling from scratch using fresh juicy peaches. Use it to make peach pie, peach cobbler, or no bake cheesecake. Summer marks ...

Read More

Peach Jam in a jar

Peach Jam Without Pectin

Brighten up your morning toast with this 4 ingredient Peach Jam without pectin! It's the perfect recipe for beginners because this small batch peach jam only makes one 6-ounce jar. What’s the ...

Read More

Knife with blueberry jam

Blueberry Jam Without Pectin

Learn how to make homemade blueberry jam with this 3 ingredient Blueberry Jam without pectin! It's the perfect recipe for beginners because this small batch blueberry jam makes only one 6-ounce jar. ...

Read More

Copyright © 2007–2022 · Chocolate Moosey LLC
All Rights Reserved. All images are registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Please do not use images without permission. To republish a recipe, please link back to the post.
Privacy Policy

Footer

Stay Updated

Subscribe to new recipes via email:

Other Sites By Carla

  • City Life Adventures
  • Carla Cardello

Latest Recipes

Pesto Turkey Burgers on a picnic plate

Pesto Burgers

These Pesto Burgers are a turkey burger recipe with tomato and mozzarella then slathered with basil pesto. It's refreshing and tastes like summer in every bite! With 4th of July around the ...

Read More

Bowl of Caesar Pasta Salad with spoon

Caesar Pasta Salad

Caesar Pasta Salad with a homemade Caesar dressing combines traditional Caesar salad and summer macaroni salad into one picnic side dish. Although I do my best to make food from scratch, ...

Read More

Basil pesto in small jar with white spoon

Homemade Basil Pesto (Small Batch)

Homemade Basil Pesto is the best and easiest way to use up your bounty of fresh basil. Use it for pasta, pizza, burgers, and more. Ready in 15 minutes! Basil is probably one of my all-time ...

Read More

Slice of No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

If you love peanut butter, then you're going to love this No Bake Peanut Butter Pie with peanut butter cups in an Oreo cookie crust. Pie recipe made without Cool Whip! When you think of ...

Read More

Strawberry Curd on a spoon

Strawberry Curd (Vegan)

Strawberry Curd made without eggs is a smooth and creamy vegan strawberry filling. Spread it on toast for breakfast or use as a delicious cake filling. You've probably heard of lemon curd, but ...

Read More

A slice of strawberry swirl cheesecake on a plate

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

Got fresh strawberries? Learn how to make Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake with strawberry jam or strawberry curd, which will surely impress your family and friends. Made without a water bath! I ...

Read More

Peach pie filling in large jar

Peach Pie Filling

No more canned pie filling! Learn how to make homemade Peach Pie Filling from scratch using fresh juicy peaches. Use it to make peach pie, peach cobbler, or no bake cheesecake. Summer marks ...

Read More

Peach Jam in a jar

Peach Jam Without Pectin

Brighten up your morning toast with this 4 ingredient Peach Jam without pectin! It's the perfect recipe for beginners because this small batch peach jam only makes one 6-ounce jar. What’s the ...

Read More

Knife with blueberry jam

Blueberry Jam Without Pectin

Learn how to make homemade blueberry jam with this 3 ingredient Blueberry Jam without pectin! It's the perfect recipe for beginners because this small batch blueberry jam makes only one 6-ounce jar. ...

Read More

Copyright © 2007–2022 · Chocolate Moosey LLC
All Rights Reserved. All images are registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Please do not use images without permission. To republish a recipe, please link back to the post.
Privacy Policy