Mini Lemon Cakes (Printable)

Delicate, moist mini cakes with fresh lemon flavor and tangy glaze, perfect for teatime or special occasions.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/4 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
09 - Zest of 2 lemons
10 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
11 - 1/3 cup whole milk

→ Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar
13 - 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup mini bundt pan or muffin tin thoroughly.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
03 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon zest until incorporated.
05 - Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with flour. Mix in lemon juice until just combined. Avoid overmixing to ensure tender cakes.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to achieve a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle generously over completely cooled cakes.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Each bite delivers an explosion of fresh lemon flavor that wakes up your entire palate
  • The texture is impossibly tender while still holding together perfectly for serving
  • These little beauties come together faster than you can brew a pot of tea
02 -
  • Overmixing once the flour is added will make these tough so stop as soon as you no longer see dry streaks
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion here cold eggs will cause the butter to seize and ruin the texture
  • The glaze should be thick enough to hold its shape but thin enough to drip beautifully down the sides
03 -
  • Roll the lemons firmly on your counter before zesting to release more of those aromatic oils
  • Use a microplane for the zest avoiding the bitter white pith underneath
  • Pop the glazed cakes in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the glaze before serving

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