Mini Lemon Cakes With Lavender Glaze (Printable Version)
Moist, tangy lemon mini cakes with fragrant floral lavender glaze—ideal for elegant desserts and afternoon gatherings.
# What You Need:
→ For the Mini Lemon Cakes
01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/4 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/4 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
09 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
→ For the Lavender Glaze
12 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2-3 tbsp milk
14 - 1 1/2 tsp dried culinary lavender, finely crushed
15 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
16 - Purple food coloring (optional)
→ For Garnish
17 - Additional dried lavender buds
18 - Lemon zest strips (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup mini bundt or muffin pan thoroughly to prevent sticking.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside for later use.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Incorporate lemon zest and vanilla extract until evenly distributed.
05 - Mix in fresh lemon juice until fully combined with the batter.
06 - Add flour mixture in three alternating portions with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing to maintain texture.
07 - Divide batter evenly between prepared mini cake molds, ensuring each cavity is filled approximately three-quarters full.
08 - Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
09 - Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
10 - In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, crushed lavender, and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Add purple food coloring drop by drop if desired.
11 - Spoon glaze generously over the cooled cakes, allowing it to drip down the sides naturally.
12 - Sprinkle additional dried lavender buds and lemon zest strips over the glazed cakes for an elegant finish.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The glaze sets into this gorgeous crackly finish that makes everyone think you spent hours on them
- They freeze beautifully unglazed, so you can always have homemade treats ready for unexpected guests
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour is added will make these tough and rubbery
- The cakes must be completely cool before glazing or the finish will melt right off
03 -
- Room temperature ingredients combine more smoothly and create a finer crumb
- Use a microplane for the zest to avoid the bitter white pith