Mini Lemon Cakes (Print Version)
Moist bite-sized lemon treats with tangy glaze, ready in 38 minutes. Perfect for teatime.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup mini bundt pan or muffin tin thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon zest until incorporated.
05 - Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix in the lemon juice until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
08 - In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to form a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled cakes.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The glaze sets into this perfect crackly finish that makes people think you spent way more time than you actually did
- They freeze beautifully so you can always have something homemade on hand for unexpected guests
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients prevent the batter from curdling and give you the most tender texture
- Overmixing once the flour is added will make these tough, stop as soon as you see no dry streaks
03 -
- Zest your lemons before cutting them for juice, its so much easier and you get more zest that way
- If you only have regular muffin tins, these work perfectly too, just adjust baking time to 14 to 16 minutes