Mini Lemon Cakes Lavender Glaze (Printable Version)

Tender mini lemon cakes with an aromatic lavender-infused glaze, ideal for afternoon tea or elegant desserts.

# What You'll Need:

→ Mini Lemon Cakes

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1/4 cup milk
06 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
07 - 1 tbsp lemon zest
08 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
09 - 1/4 tsp baking soda
10 - 1/4 tsp fine salt
11 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

→ Lavender Glaze

12 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 1 1/2 tbsp whole milk
14 - 1/2 tsp culinary lavender buds, finely ground
15 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
16 - Extra lavender buds or lemon zest for garnish

# Method:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-mold mini cake pan or muffin tin.
02 - In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared molds.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Combine powdered sugar, milk, ground lavender, and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and slightly thick but pourable.
09 - Drizzle or spoon the glaze over the cooled mini cakes. Garnish with extra lavender buds or lemon zest, if desired.

# Chef's Tips:

01 -
  • The lavender glaze turns a simple mini cake into something that feels like it came from a patisserie window
  • The tender crumb is so soft you barely need to chew, which makes them dangerously easy to eat
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter activates gluten and turns these delicate little cakes into rubbery nuggets
  • Grinding the lavender buds to a fine powder prevents gritty texture in the glaze
03 -
  • If your glaze is too thick, add milk literally drop by drop because it thins out faster than you expect
  • Infusing the glaze milk with whole lavender buds for ten minutes then straining gives a deeper, more rounded floral flavor than grinding