Mini Lemon Cakes With Lavender Glaze (Printable)
Tender lemon-infused mini cakes with aromatic floral lavender icing, ideal for elegant occasions.
# What You Need:
→ For the Mini Lemon Cakes
01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
09 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ For the Lavender Glaze
12 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
14 - 1 1/2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender, finely crushed
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - Purple food coloring (optional)
→ For Garnish
17 - Additional dried lavender buds
18 - Lemon zest strips
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup mini bundt or muffin pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - Mix in lemon juice until combined.
06 - Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
07 - Divide batter evenly between prepared mini cake molds.
08 - Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
10 - In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, crushed lavender, and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Add a drop of purple food coloring if desired.
11 - Spoon glaze generously over cooled cakes.
12 - Garnish with extra dried lavender buds and lemon zest strips.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly moist without being dense or heavy
- The lavender glaze adds an elegant finish that looks bakery-perfect but takes minutes
- These freeze beautifully unglazed, so you can always have something ready for unexpected guests
02 -
- Overmixing the batter will make these tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
- Culinary lavender is essential—ornamental lavender contains pesticides and tastes bitter
- The glaze thickens as it sits, so if you make it ahead, thin with tiny drops of milk
03 -
- Crush the lavender with a mortar and pestle rather than a food processor to avoid powdering it
- Room temperature ingredients create the smoothest batter, so plan accordingly