Mini Lemon Cakes (Printer-friendly)

Delicate, moist mini cakes with fresh lemon flavor and tangy glaze. Perfect teatime treat ready in under 40 minutes.

# What you'll 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

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup mini bundt pan or muffin tin thoroughly with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon zest.
05 - Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add lemon juice and mix until just combined; take care not to overmix.
06 - Divide batter evenly among the prepared cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
07 - Bake for 16–18 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
08 - Remove cakes from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Whisk powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to achieve a thick but pourable consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cakes.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These little cakes disappear faster than you can say "seconds please" at any gathering
  • The fresh lemon flavor somehow manages to be both comforting and refreshing all at once
  • They look fancy enough for bridal showers but are simple enough for Tuesday afternoon tea
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter will make these tender cakes tough and dense, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The glaze consistency should be thick but still pourable, like warm honey
  • Room temperature ingredients blend together more smoothly and create a better texture
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them to make your life infinitely easier
  • If you don't have a mini bundt pan, a standard muffin tin works perfectly fine

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