Mini Lemon Cakes With Lavender Glaze Recipe

Mini Lemon Cakes With Lavender Glaze

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These itty-bitty lemon cakes are sweet enough for a special holiday dessert.

Joy Howard

Published on March 24, 2024

Recipe tested by

Southern Living Test Kitchen

Southern Living Mini Lemon Cakes With Lavender Glaze on plates to serve topped with edible flowers — Photo:
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Active Time:

30 mins

Cool Time:

1 hr

Total Time:

1 hr 55 mins

Servings:

These mini lemon cakes boast a velvety crumb scented with bright lemon zest. Each baby cake is crowned with a floral, lavender glaze that is sweet, silky, and creates a nice sugary crust when set.

If you’ve never worked with dried culinary lavender before, know that a little goes a long way. And if you’re not a fan of floral desserts, you can easily turn the glaze into a lemon one instead by substituting zest to taste.

While we garnish these cakes with edible flowers, feel free to swap in your favorite toppings, from a sprinkle of poppy seeds to chopped candied lemon peel. Don’t have mini cake trays? Use a 12-cup muffin tin. Bake cakes as directed, watching closely to prevent burning.

Ingredients

Cakes:

Baking spray
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons), plus more for garnish
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Lavender Glaze:

1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp. lavender
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
Edible flowers (such as violas), optional

Directions

Prepare the Cakes: Preheat oven to 325°F; coat 2 (6-cup) mini cake trays with baking spray.
Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and lemon zest with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined after each addition.
Whisk together sour cream, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until well combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with sour cream mixture, beating just until combined, 1 to 2 minutes.
Divide batter evenly among wells of prepared trays (about 3 tablespoons each), smoothing tops with back of a spoon. Firmly tap trays on counter several times to release large air bubbles.
Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in trays on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from trays, and let cool completely on wire racks, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare the Lavender Glaze: When Cakes are cool, place milk in a small microwavable bowl; microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Add lavender; let steep 10 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl; discard lavender. Stir together powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl just until combined. Gradually stir in steeped milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve a pourable consistency. Drizzle cooled Cakes with Lavender Glaze. Garnish with additional lemon zest and edible flowers, if desired.

Mini Lemon Cakes With Lavender Glaze

Ingredients

Directions

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