Description
Lemon Drop Cakes are delightful mini lemon-flavored cakes with a tender crumb, enhanced by a tangy lemon glaze that perfectly balances sweetness and citrus zest. These bite-sized treats are perfect for any occasion, offering a fresh, zesty flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 24-count mini muffin tins with baker’s spray for easy removal of cakes.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand or handheld mixer on medium speed, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Reduce mixer speed to low and add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing fully after each addition. Then blend in vanilla extract and fresh lemon zest. Scrape bowl sides and bottom to combine fully.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together whole milk, fresh lemon juice, and sour cream.
- Mix Flour and Wet Mixtures: Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed, mixing just until incorporated. Then add the milk mixture and mix until combined. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just fully incorporated. Scrape sides and bottom to ensure even mixing. Batter should be thick.
- Fill Muffin Cups: Using a small cookie scoop, fill each mini muffin cup about ½ to ⅔ full (approximately ¾ tablespoon of batter). Avoid overfilling. There may be a small amount of batter left over.
- Bake: Bake the cakes for 9-10 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes before carefully flipping them out onto a wire rack with the bottoms facing up. Allow to cool completely.
- Prepare Lemon Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together sifted powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, melted butter, and whole milk until smooth and pourable. Adjust consistency with additional milk, one teaspoon at a time if needed.
- Glaze the Cakes: Dip each cooled cake into the lemon glaze, coating the entire bottom and sides. Let excess drip back into the bowl and place the glazed cakes back on the wire rack, bottom side up, to set the glaze fully.
- Serve: Once the glaze has set, plate and serve the lemon drop cakes for a zesty, sweet treat.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs and butter to ensure the batter mixes evenly and cakes are tender.
- Don’t overmix the batter once the flour is added; this helps keep the cakes light and fluffy.
- Adjust the glaze consistency by adding milk gradually for desired thickness.
- Store leftover cakes covered in the refrigerator and re-glaze if glaze softens.
- Mini muffin tins can be swapped for standard muffin tins; adjust baking time accordingly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: lemon drop cakes, mini lemon cakes, lemon glaze, bite-sized desserts, citrus cakes, mini muffins, lemon zest
