Mini Lemon Cakes (Printable Version)
Delicate, moist mini cakes bursting with fresh lemon flavor, 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
# Directions:
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 combined.
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; do not overmix.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
07 - Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to form a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle generously over cooled cakes.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly tender, like a cloud that happens to taste like sunshine
- That glaze sets into this perfect crackly finish that makes them look professionally done
- They freeze beautifully, so you can pull out homemade treats whenever cravings hit
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients make a huge difference in how well everything combines
- Overmixing once you add the flour makes tough cakes, so stop as soon as you see no dry streaks
03 -
- Add a tablespoon of poppy seeds to the batter for this tiny crunch that everyone loves
- If your glaze is too thick, add juice one teaspoon at a time until it's pourable