My Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Cakes are pleasant little summer desserts, subtly sweet and full of bright citrus flavor. These cakes are individually sized so they are easy to serve. They also hold up well to the heat and can be easily wrapped and transported to your next picnic or potluck without fuss. These mini cakes pair well with coffee, tea or a nice glass or sparkling wine; a nice little treat anytime of day or night.
To make these cakes, preheat the oven to 325 deg F. In a bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, 1½ teaspoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of baking soda and ½ teaspoon of salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl or standing mixer, cream 8 ounces of room temperature butter and 1¼ cup of granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add four eggs, one at a time to the sugar and butter, incorporating each egg before adding the next. Add the zest of two lemons and the juice of one lemon to the batter and mix until incorporated. Lastly, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined then stir in the poppy seeds.
Grease two, 8-loaf mini loaf pans and divide the batter evenly among each pan, filling each well about half-way full. Bake for 14-16 minutes. While the cakes bake, make the glaze. Mix 1½ cups of powdered sugar along with the zest and juice of one lemon and 3 tablespoons of milk. Whisk until smooth then set aside.
When the cakes are baked through, remove from the oven and allow them to cool in their pans for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. While warm, but not hot, spoon the glaze over each cake until well coated. Allow the cakes to cool and the glaze to set before serving. This recipe makes 16 mini cakes.
Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 ounces butter (at room temperature)
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs (at room temperature)
- zest of two lemons
- juice of one lemon
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
For the glaze:
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- zest and juice from one lemon
- 3 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl or standing mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to mix each egg well before adding the next.
- Mix in the zest of two lemons and the juice of one.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the poppy seeds.
- Grease two, 8-loaf mini loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly among each pan, filling each well about halfway full.
- Bake the cakes for 14-16 minutes.
- While the cakes bake, make the glaze. Set aside.
- When the cakes are baked through, remove them from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack.
- While warm, but not hot, liberally spoon the glaze over the cakes.
- Let the cakes cool and the glaze set before serving.
- This recipe makes 16 mini cakes.
