These mini lemon drop cakes are a perfect treat for the summer months, as they are fresh, airy, and light. The taste is just that of lemonade in solid form and the consistency is that of a perfect moist cake. Bake yourself these mini lemon drop cakes on a rainy day to cheer yourself up, or save them for a BBQ in the backyard with your dearest friends.
Baking these mini cakes is no rocket science. In fact, you probably already have all the ingredients you need at home. Most importantly, you need a muffin pan to make these little treats. Don’t get me wrong, you can bake a regular-sized lemon cake too, but it wouldn’t be the same!
Without further ado, let’s mix all the ingredients together and pop them in the oven! Follow the recipe for a step-by-step explanation.
How to make Mini Lemon Drop Cakes?
Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a bowl.
Heat unsalted butter in a small saucepan until it’s melted.
Add water to the saucepan, stir to combine, and bring to a boil.
Mix the butter mixture in with the dry ingredients. You can use an electric mixer, but don’t overmix it. Just mix until combined.
To that mixture, add your sour cream, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat until completely smooth.
Grease a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
Place the batter in the pan.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
When they’re out of the oven, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer them to the cooling rack.
While the cakes are cooling, you can work on the glaze. Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk, lemon zest, and melted butter in a bowl until combined.
Heat the mixture in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Dip each cake in the lemon glaze.
Set them aside on the cooling rack and let the glaze solidify.
How can I make sure my mini lemon cakes end up soft?
The key is to not overmix the batter. It’s always tempting to mix it until completely smooth. Don’t give in to your instincts and follow the recipe! If you don’t overmix the batter, we can almost guarantee that the cakes will come out softer.
What do I do if the glaze for my lemon cakes gets hard?
If you prepared your glaze well in advance and it managed to get hard before you could get to it, you can liquify it again. Just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds!
Can I freeze mini lemon cakes?
Freezing your mini lemon cakes is the best solution for leftovers that nobody wants. If you’re going to freeze some, don’t glaze them just yet. You can make new glaze when you’re in the mood for lemon cakes again. To freeze your mini lemon cakes, let them cool and wrap them in plastic wrap. You can also put them in an airtight container. Pop them in the freezer and you’re done!
Ingredients
- For the mini cakes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour;
- 1 cup sugar;
- ½ tsp salt;
- ½ tsp baking soda;
- ½ cup butter;
- ½ cup water;
- ¼ cup sour cream;
- 1 egg;
- 1 tbsp lemon zest;
- 1 tbsp lemon juice.
- For the glaze:
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar;
- 2 tbsp lemon juice;
- 2 tbsp milk;
- 1 tsp lemon zest;
- 1 tbsp butter, melted.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
In a small saucepan, melt butter.
Add water, stir and bring this buttery mixture to a boil.
Add this hot buttery mixture to dry ingredients.
Using an electric mixer, mix until just combined.
Add sour cream, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Beat until smooth.
Grease mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
Add batter to the prepared muffin tins.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let them cool for 5 minutes in the mini muffin pan.
Then, transfer them to the cooling rack.
Let them cool to room temperature.
While they are cooling, prepare the glaze.
Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, milk, and melted butter.
Heat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
Dip each mini lemon drop cake into the glaze (bottom side down).
Then, return to the rack.
Serve when glaze hardens.