Mini Lemon Cakes (Print Version)
Delicate, moist mini cakes with fresh lemon flavor and tangy glaze, ready in under 40 minutes.
# 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:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup mini bundt pan or muffin tin thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar 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.
05 - Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour. Mix in lemon juice until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
07 - Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
08 - Turn cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Whisk powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to form a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle over cooled cakes.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These little cakes pack an enormous amount of fresh lemon flavor into each bite
- The glaze transforms them into something fancy enough for company but simple enough for Tuesday
02 -
- Overmixing once the flour is added will make these tender cakes tough so stop as soon as you no longer see dry streaks
- The glaze needs to be thick enough to cling to the cakes but thin enough to drizzle so add lemon juice one tablespoon at a time
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients combine more easily so take everything out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking
- Microplane zesters release more essential oils than box graters so use one for maximum lemon flavor