Festive mini red velvet cakes with a pie crust bottom and raspberry jam center ready in 45 minutes.
In Austin, we embrace the unconventional, and that philosophy extends to our holiday desserts. Why choose between a slice of pie and a cupcake when you can have both in a single bite? These Little Holiday Cakes are a delightful architectural marvel: a buttery, flaky pie crust base holding a pocket of tart raspberry jam, all topped with moist red velvet cake. They solve the age-old problem of dry cupcakes by introducing a fruit filling and a textural contrast at the bottom. While they look like standard cupcakes from the outside, the first bite reveals the surprise layers, making them a guaranteed conversation starter at any holiday mixer.
The secret to assembly lies in the jam placement. You must spread the teaspoon of jam evenly over the bottom of the raw pastry circle rather than dropping it in a single glob. If it is piled in the center, the steam will force it to erupt through the cake batter during baking like a volcano, ruining the smooth top needed for frosting.
The Ultimate Mini Dessert Mashup
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Texture Variety: You get the crisp flake of a pie crust, the sticky chew of fruit preserves, and the soft sponge of a cake all in one package.
- Convenience: By utilizing store-bought pastry and a boxed cake mix, you achieve a complex, bakery-style result with minimal measuring.
- Portion Control: These single-serving treats are perfect for grab-and-go dessert tables where guests might not want to commit to a full slice of pie.
- Festive Color: The red velvet interior and the red jam filling make these visually perfect for the holiday season without needing extra food coloring.
Ingredients
To ensure the layers bake distinctively, use the right consistency of ingredients.
- Pie Pastry: Pastry for a double-crust pie (9 inches). You can use high-quality refrigerated rolls or your favorite homemade butter crust recipe.
- Raspberry Jam: ½ cup seedless raspberry jam. Seedless is preferred for a smooth texture that doesn't compete with the cake crumb.
- Red Velvet Cake Mix: One standard package (regular size, usually 15.25 oz). This flavor pairs beautifully with the berry jam.
- Box Mix Requirements: You will need the eggs, oil, and water listed on your specific cake mix box.
- Vanilla Frosting: One 16-ounce can, or a batch of homemade buttercream.
- Decorations: Red and green sprinkles, or sanding sugar.
How to Make Little Holiday Cakes
Prepare the Crust Base
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease standard muffin cups generously with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie pastry to ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 2-½-inch round cookie cutter or a glass rim, cut out 24 circles. Gather scraps and re-roll if necessary.
Line the Pans
Press one pastry circle into the bottom of each greased muffin cup. The recipe calls for it to go about ½ inch up the sides. Since a 2-½ inch circle is small, it will mostly cover the bottom and form a shallow lip. Ensure it is pressed firmly into the corners so no batter seeps underneath.
Fill with Jam
Spoon 1 teaspoon of seedless raspberry jam onto each pastry circle. Use the back of the spoon to flatten it slightly.
Mix and Fill Batter
Prepare the red velvet cake mix batter according to the package directions (combining mix, water, oil, and eggs). Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, directly over the jam and crust. Fill them about three-fourths full. Do not overfill, or they will spill over the muffin top and stick to the pan.
Bake
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. You are looking for the cake tops to spring back when touched and for a toothpick inserted in the center (try to miss the jam layer) to come out with moist crumbs, not liquid batter.
Cool and Frost
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes to allow the structure to firm up. Run a small knife around the edge to loosen, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Once cold, frost with vanilla frosting and garnish with festive sprinkles.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overfilling the Cups: The crust and jam take up volume that you might not account for. If you fill the batter to the rim, you will end up with a mess on your oven floor.
- Using Chunky Preserves: Large pieces of fruit in the jam can create air pockets or sink through the crust. Smooth, seedless jam works best for stability.
- Removing Too Hot: The jam layer retains heat much longer than the cake. If you try to pop these out of the pan immediately, the molten jam may break the delicate bottom crust.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Leftover Batter: A standard box of cake mix makes about 24-30 full-sized cupcakes. Since you are displacing volume with crust and jam, you will likely have leftover batter. Bake the excess as regular cupcakes or make a mini loaf cake.
- Cookie Cutter Sizing: If you want a taller crust that encases more of the cake, use a 3-inch cutter instead of the 2-½-inch cutter.
- Blind Baking: There is no need to pre-bake (blind bake) the crust circles. They will crisp up sufficiently during the 15 minutes with the batter.
Variations
- Black Forest: Use chocolate cake mix and cherry jam for a chocolate-cherry version.
- Lemon Blueberry: Use lemon cake mix and blueberry preserves with a lemon glaze on top.
- Spice & Apple: Use spice cake mix and apple butter for a fall-themed treat.
How to Serve
These are best served at room temperature where the jam is soft and the frosting is creamy. They look beautiful arranged on a tiered platter. Because of the jam, they pair wonderfully with a hot cup of black tea.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Storage: Store the frosted cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your kitchen is hot, you can refrigerate them, but the crust may soften slightly.
- Freezing: You can freeze the unfrosted cakes for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and frost fresh.
Recipe Notes / What I Learned
During testing, I found that greasing the muffin tin is absolutely vital. Even non-stick pans can struggle with the sticky combination of baked sugar from the jam and the pie crust. Use a baking spray that contains flour for the best release.
Nutrition Snapshot
One cake contains approximately 210 calories, 9g fat, and 30g carbohydrates.
Little Holiday Cakes
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- 2-½-in. round cutter
- Greased muffin cups (24 count)
- Large bowl
- Electric mixer
- Wire racks
Ingredients
Group: Cake & Pastry
- 1 package Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
- 1 package red velvet cake mix (regular size)
- 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
- Ingredients required by cake mix package (e.g., water, eggs, oil)
Group: Filling & Toppings
- ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
- Red and green sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Roll pastry to ⅛-in. thickness. Cut twenty-four 2-½-in. circles. Press onto the bottom and ½ in. up the sides of greased muffin cups. Top each with 1 teaspoon jam; set aside.
- Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions for cupcakes. Fill prepared muffin cups three-fourths full.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with vanilla frosting and decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Can I use homemade cake batter?
Absolutely. Any standard cupcake recipe will work. You just need enough batter for 24 cupcakes.
My crust got soggy. Why?
This can happen if the cakes sat in the pan too long after baking, steaming the bottom. Remove them to the wire rack strictly after the 10-minute cooling mark.
Can I use puff pastry?
Puff pastry will puff up too much and likely displace the batter. Stick to a standard shortcrust or pie dough.
