Lemon tea cakes
| February 1, 2010 | Posted by ameliaps under any season, cake, dessert, lemon, sweets |
I adore a sweet bite in the afternoon with my tea break. I found these delightful and tart mini-cakes on a magazine a few years ago and kept it in my cut-out files (it’s full of flour and butter splatters, as every recipe that has been loved and made multiple times should be!). These cakes are great for pic-nics and parties. Each bite bursts in your mouth with lemony tartness. The cream cheese makes for a rich and dense texture. My kids (ok, you caught me…me too!) love licking off the bowl that has the lemon icing and then we watch as it drips down the sides while it is drying off.
Lemon Tea cakes
Makes 28
Note: when I make my icing I like substituting the milk and the lemon extract for all real lemon juice and freshly grated lemon zest.
1-1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon extract (I like Boyajian)
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Glaze:
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup milk
1-3/4 teaspoons lemon extract
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat three 12-cup muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
With mixer on medium speed, beat butter, cream cheese and sugar in bowl until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon juice, extract and lemon peel.
On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Fill each muffin cup with about 1/3 cup of batter for a total of 28. 
Bake at 325 degrees F for 23 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans to wire rack and cool completely. 
Glaze: In medium-size bowl, blend confectioners’ sugar, milk and lemon extract until smooth. Dip top of each cake in glaze; place on waxed paper to dry.
Here’s my son’s adorable small hand reaching for a freshly glazed mini-cake!
I also made a small loaf version:
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So pretty and I love the taste of tart lemon.
I love little lemon cakes, big ones too.