Mini Lemon Cakes (Printable)

Delicate, moist mini cakes with fresh lemon flavor and tangy glaze.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 12-cup mini bundt pan or muffin tin 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 electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and lemon zest until incorporated.
05 - Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix in lemon juice until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough texture.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 16-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
07 - Let cakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Carefully turn out onto wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
08 - Whisk powdered sugar with 2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice until smooth and thick but pourable. Drizzle generously over cooled cakes.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The texture is impossibly moist and tender, with a tight crumb that practically melts on your tongue
  • Fresh lemon zest and juice create this amazing bright flavor that hits you immediately but lingers sweetly
  • They're perfectly portioned little cakes that feel fancy but come together in under an hour
  • The glaze adds this gorgeous sweet tangy finish that makes them feel bakery perfect
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are absolutely non negotiable here cold eggs or butter will prevent proper emulsification and lead to dense tough cakes
  • Do not overmix once you add the flour a few streaks are fine but overworking develops gluten and makes these tender cakes tough and chewy
  • Let the cakes cool completely before glazing or the glaze will melt right off and you'll lose that beautiful drizzled look
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before juicing them it's so much easier to grate a whole lemon than try to zest one that's already been squeezed
  • Use an ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly among the cups for uniform cakes that bake at the same rate
  • Place your wire rack over a piece of parchment paper when glazing to catch all the drips and make cleanup incredibly easy

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