Mini Lemon Cakes With Lavender Glaze (Printable)
Tender lemon-infused mini cakes glazed with aromatic lavender frosting for an elegant sweet treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Mini Lemon Cakes
01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
09 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ For the Lavender Glaze
12 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
14 - 1 1/2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender, finely crushed
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
16 - Purple food coloring (optional)
→ For Garnish
17 - Additional dried lavender buds
18 - Lemon zest strips
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup mini bundt or muffin pan thoroughly.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Incorporate lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - Mix in fresh lemon juice until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
06 - Add flour mixture in three alternating portions with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined; avoid overmixing to prevent tough texture.
07 - Divide batter evenly between prepared mini cake molds, filling each about three-quarters full.
08 - Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
10 - In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, crushed lavender, and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Add purple food coloring drop by drop if desired.
11 - Spoon glaze generously over completely cooled cakes, allowing it to drip down the sides.
12 - Sprinkle additional dried lavender buds and lemon zest strips over freshly glazed cakes for visual appeal.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly moist while still being light and airy
- Lavender adds this sophisticated floral note that makes people think you spent hours perfecting it
- They're impressive enough for bridal showers but simple enough for Tuesday baking
02 -
- Overmixing the batter is the number one way to make these tough. Stop as soon as the flour disappears.
- Let the glaze sit for a minute before spooning—it thickens slightly and clings better to the cakes.
- These actually taste better on day two. The lavender has time to meld with the lemon.
03 -
- Grate your lemon zest before juicing the lemons—it's so much easier to zest a whole lemon
- Crush the lavender with a mortar and pestle, not a food processor, which can turn it into powder