Mini Lemon Cakes with Lavender Glaze Recipe
These Mini Lemon Cakes with Lavender Glaze offer a delightful combination of bright citrus flavor and floral sweetness, perfect for an elegant dessert or teatime treat. Lightly baked in individual trays, these tender cakes are topped with a smooth, fragrant lavender-infused glaze and garnished with edible flowers and lemon zest for a beautiful presentation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 mini cakes 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 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)
- 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 Ingredients
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 tsp culinary lavender
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
- Edible flowers (as needed)
- Lemon zest (as needed)
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Pans: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Prepare two 6-cup mini cake trays by thoroughly coating them with baking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand mixer on medium speed, beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and lemon zest together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to incorporate fully into the batter.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together sour cream, whole milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Incorporate Flour and Wet Mixtures: With the mixer running on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fill Cake Trays: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared mini cake trays. Gently tap the trays on the countertop to release any air bubbles trapped in the batter.
- Bake: Place the trays in the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Cool Cakes: Allow the cakes to cool in the trays for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Prepare Lavender Milk: Microwave 1/4 cup of whole milk for 1 minute until hot, then add the culinary lavender and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. After steeping, strain the milk through a fine mesh strainer to remove the lavender buds.
- Make Lavender Glaze: In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, kosher salt, and vanilla extract. Gradually stir in the lavender-infused milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you achieve a smooth, pourable glaze consistency.
- Glaze and Garnish: Drizzle the cooled lemon cakes with the lavender glaze. Garnish with additional lemon zest and edible flowers as desired for a beautiful finishing touch.
Notes
- Ensure all dairy ingredients like eggs, butter, sour cream, and milk are at room temperature for best mixing results and cake texture.
- Do not overmix the batter when combining wet and dry ingredients to maintain cake tenderness.
- The lavender glaze can be adjusted in thickness by adding more milk for a thinner glaze or more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze.
- If culinary lavender is unavailable, dried lavender designed for cooking can be substituted but use sparingly to avoid overpowering the glaze.
- Edible flowers should be used fresh and safe for consumption; always verify their edibility.
Keywords: mini lemon cakes, lavender glaze, lemon zest, edible flowers, baked lemon desserts, floral dessert recipe, spring dessert
