This small lemon cake recipe is a quick and easy way to prepare the most heavenly lemon drop dessert. These Mini Lemon Drop Cakes have an unusually sweet buttery flavor and a very tender texture. They will melt in your mouth. They remain soft and moist even the next day!
Easy Lemon Drop Cakes
I like to bake goodies every day, and these mini lemon cakes are at the top of my list. The main difference between mini cakes and ordinary lemon muffins is that these ones are super moist, extra fluffy, flavorful, and slightly sour so you can really taste the lemon flavor.
Baking mini lemon cakes is not difficult even for novice cooks. Don’t be afraid to bake them without paper liners because the batter does not stick, and the mini cakes are super easy to remove from a mini muffin tin.
Mini Lemon Cake Ingredient:
- All-purpose flour: Always measure and level the flour for baking.
- Granulated sugar: Gives a sweet taste. You can add more or less sugar depending on your taste.
- Baking soda: An important leaving ingredient that helps these mini cakes rise.
- Salt: Add just a pinch of salt to the batter to balance the flavors.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Sour cream: Makes mini lemon cakes moist.
- Egg: Use egg at room temperature.
- Lemon zest and lemon juice: Gives amazing flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Adds vanilla aroma. You can skip this ingredient.
- Powdered sugar: Very important sweet ingredient for a glaze that is easy to dissolve.
How to make mini lemon cakes?
- Preheat the oven to 325F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt)
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Then, add water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat
- Pour this hot mixture over the dry ingredients. Beat together using an electric mixer at a low speed.
- Add the remaining ingredients: sour cream, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed just until combined.
- Grease the mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Pour about 1 tbsp of batter into each mini muffin tin. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until golden and the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before pouring the glaze.
Prepare the lemon glaze. In a bowl, stir together powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Dip each mini lemon cake into the lemon glaze or just pour the glaze over the cakes. Enjoy!
Tips for the BEST Mini Lemon Cake:
- Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all ingredients are completely combined.
- I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice and freshly grated lemon zest in this small lemon cake recipe.
- Work in batches if you don’t have a few mini muffin tins.
- If the lemon glaze becomes thick, microwave it for 10-15 seconds.
Variations & subtitles;
- You can use a regular type of muffin tin instead of a mini size, but baking time will increase.
- You can experiment with other types of glaze.
- I used large pieces of zest, but you can use a fine grater for smaller pieces of zest.
Make ahead and storage instructions:
You can store these mini cakes at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you want to make them ahead and freeze them, I recommend doing it before glazing
Love lemon-flavored desserts? Take a look at these:
- The BEST Lemon Brownies with Glaze
- Moist Lemon Pound Cake
- Lemon Bar Recipe
- Creamy Lemon Squares
- Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart
Mini Lemon Drop Cakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the mini cakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the lemon glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp butter softened to room temperature
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease the mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- in a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt). Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Then, add water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour this hot mixture over the dry ingredients.
- Beat together using an electric mixer at a low speed.
- Then, add the remaining ingredients: sour cream, egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed just until combined.
- Pour about 1 tbsp of batter into each mini muffin tin. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before adding the glaze.
- Prepare the lemon glaze. In a bowl, stir together powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter. Dip each mini lemon cake into the lemon glaze or just pour the glaze over the cakes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Abby
Saturday 16th of November 2024
I needed something quick, easy and yummy for my husband’s get together with the guys. These little pop in your mouth goodies were perfect! Really tasty with or without the frosting. Will definitely make again.