I just make my favourite cake in mini cupcake size. Check after 10 minutes for doneness.

Same as Colleen. Cake is cake. That said, because of their size, minis do well with strong flavors. Deep rich chocolate. Spice. Lemon. As with a full sized cake, if the point is to hold up frosting, then a milder cake is better.

I don't know or if you are aware that I you want you can also buy mini upcake liners.

Like colleen and plllog, I just use my favorite cake recipe and bake in mini-muffin pans. I sometimes buy the tiny liners, sometimes not. They do bake quickly, though, so be sure to watch carefully and as Colleen mentioned, check after 10 minutes.

Annie

And a recipe that makes a dozen full sized cupcakes will make 3 dozen minis.

I found a Hummingbird cake recipe made with a yellow cake mix that I did in a 9x13 pan for my station's fish fry and people went crazy over it. Everyone told me it sold out almost immediately and if I'd had made a second or third one they would have sold equally as fast. The recipe was from the Cake Doctor, very quick to make and not a lot of unusual ingredients.

Madonna

I have a recipe that uses the mini cupcake pans to make mini cheesecakes.

I just use my regular cake mix -- in fact this week I made 72 of them for a fairy party ta the library. White cake, white frosting and gold sprinkles (aka fairy dust).

Oh, and my favorite recipe? Pixiestix Hot Milk Cake, or the Hershey's Chocolate cake from the cocoa box with Colleen's chocolate frosting.

Colleen's Chocolate Cake

1 Cup caster sugar
1 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
250 g margarine (8 ounces)
2/3 Cup cocoa
1 Cup sour milk*
2 Tsp
1 Cup boiling strong coffee
3 Cup plain flour
2 Tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 170C (325F), grease and line two 20cm (8") round cake tins.
Put ingredients into mixing bowl in order listed and turn on mixer. Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared tins and bake 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave to stand in tins for 20 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

Ice with chocolate icing.

*If you have not got sour milk, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to milk and leave in a warm place.~
NOTES : This is a very rich, almost black chocolate cake which stays moist for days and freezes well.

Hot Milk Cake - Pixistix
Old fashioned, simple, melts in your mouth!
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
Beat eggs and sugar well, (really well, like 5 minutes, or it won't be light enough). Combine flour with baking powder and add to egg mixture along with vanilla. Heat milk and butter together until butter melts; gradually add to batter, beating until well blended.

Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.

Good luck on those mini cakes!

Annie

Annie! (or Colleen) Please won't you share the frosting? I don't like any of my chocolate frosting recipes...

Thanks for all the input!

The chocolate options look great.

sheilajoyce - would you mind sharing the mini cheesecake recipe?

My favorite chocolate frosting is the blender one...so quick and easy and rich tasting.

I also just use a cake recipe & bake for less time. My faves are from my 1960s Betty Crocker cookbook - all 1 bowl cakes w/ no separating eggs or creaming; you just put everything in one bowl & mix.

I found this chocolate frosting recipe @ BettyCrocker.com to make for my BIL's birthday & we all just loved it. Made it for hubby's birthday as well & he agreed. It goes w/ a 1-bowl brownie fudge cake that is super yummy & is also a smaller recipe for single layer 8" - 9" square or round pan...

https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/brownie-nut-cake-with-chocolate-cream-cheese-frosting/87cd4951-9e01-438e-a5e3-28bb2a03c3d6

Bettycrocker.com has a slew of mini cupcake recipes:

https://www.bettycrocker.com/search?term=mini%20cupcakes&termDataSource=d6fb75f5-d19a-49cd-9ba0-c10a6e45afb2 

Sarahsocal, I am happy to share, but as I look at the recipe again, I think it is for regular sized cupcake pans. It's been several years since I baked these, but they are pretty and yummy.

Miniature Cheesecakes

24 cupcake liners

24 vanilla wafers

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 c sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 can of peach, blueberry or cherry pie filling

1/2 c sliced nuts (Optional)

Line the cupcake pan with paper liners. Place a vanilla wafer upside down in bottom of each liner. (I use Nabisco 'Nillas.) In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla till light and fluffy.

Fill the liners 2/3 full with cheese mixture. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until set. Top each with a spoonful of pie filling and 1 tsp nuts. Chill. Makes 24

I don't use nuts.

Sorry, Colleen, you are right. I use your cake recipe and the Hershey's cocoa frosting. Sometimes I use ganache with a bit of espresso, and I also like the chocolate cake that's on the Hershey's cocoa box, so I get them all tangled up together!

Annie

Thanks for the frosting recipes!

Annie D, is that frosting looks good! Is that really granulated sugar in the recipe?

Annie, I always forget about the Hershey's recipe! We usually had Drostë when I was a kid.

Carolb, that one sounds decadent!