This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Mini lemon drop cakes are drenched in a mouthwatering lemon glaze making them delicious and addicting and perfectly sweet + tangy!

We love all things mini like fruit tarts, cinnamon rolls, and donuts. These mini Lemon Drop cakes are a perfect treat for lemon fans.

Stacked and glazed mini lemon drop cakes on a white plate


Easy Lemon Drop Cakes

I am a huge fan of all things lemon, and these Mini Lemon Drop Cakes are my latest experiment.

The original recipe called for a cake mix, but it made 75 lemon drops. I didn’t need that many, so I decided to come up with my own recipe. I am thrilled with how they turned out.

I took them to a bridal shower, and they were a big hit! They are soft and buttery, and the lemon glaze soaks into every nook and cranny, making every bite delectable. Be careful, they are hard to stop eating!

Fresh lemon zest is the secret to incredible lemon flavor, so don’t leave it out. If you love lemons, you are really in for a treat!

How to Make Mini Lemon Drop cakes

How to Make Lemon Drops

PREP. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray; set aside.

DRY INGREDIENTS. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl; set aside.

WET INGREDIENTS. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water and bring to a boil.

COMBINE. Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients and beat with a hand beater till barely blended. Beat in the sour cream, egg, zest, and lemon juice till smooth.

BAKE. Scoop batter into muffin pans. Bake at 325° for about 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn onto cooling racks. Cool completely before glazing.

MIX. Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Heat for about 10 seconds in the microwave till glaze is very thin.

GLAZE. Dip lemon drops top side down into the glaze. Let excess glaze drip off into the bowl, then invert lemon drops bottom side down onto cooling racks. (Place waxed paper underneath the cooling racks for easier clean up.) Let sit till glaze hardens.

Mini Lemon Drop Cakes glazed and stacked on a white plate

SToring Info

These mini lemon drop cakes might just be the perfect lemony dessert! Here are a few helpful tips you might like before you get started with baking them:

STORE covered on your countertop at room temperature if you plan to eat within a few days.

FREEZE them before you add the glaze. Flash freeze the cakes on a baking sheet for about an hour and then add them to a freezer safe container or Ziploc bag. They will store well frozen for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat them just thaw out on your countertop and then make the glaze and dip your cakes.

If you love lemon, Here are a few more recipes to try:

4.83 from 128 votes

Lemon Drop Mini Cakes

By: Lil’ Luna
Mini lemon drop cakes are drenched in a mouthwatering lemon glaze making them delicious and addicting and perfectly sweet + tangy!
Servings: 48
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 27 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Lemon Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
  • 1 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp milk

Instructions 

  • Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray; set aside. 
  • Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl; set aside.
  • Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add water and bring to a boil. 
  • Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients and beat with a hand beater till barely blended. Beat in the sour cream, egg, zest, and lemon juice till smooth.
  • Scoop batter into muffin pans. Bake at 325° for about 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn onto cooling racks. Cool completely before glazing.
  • Dip lemon drops top side down into the glaze. Let excess glaze drip off into the bowl, then invert lemon drops bottom side down onto cooling racks. (Place waxed paper underneath the cooling racks for easier clean up.) Let sit till glaze hardens. 

Lemon Glaze

  • Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Heat for about 10 seconds in the microwave till glaze is very thin.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 5mg, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 75IU, Vitamin C: 0.6mg, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!


About Kara

Hi! I'm Kara from Creations by Kara, and I'm addicted to creating pretty and yummy things. I love sharing home decor ideas, DIY projects, tasty recipes, and simple tips! I hope that I am inspiring women everywhere to use their creativity to build a better life.

So Easy & So Yummy

Get my cookbook!

My new cookbook is the ultimate resource for feeding your friends and family with 200+ simple recipes including videos, tips & more!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




207 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    i making them for the 2nd time and they were a big hit the first time. i remember they were really good the 2nd day.

  2. 5 stars
    I had trouble getting them out of the pan and it was sprayed very well all and all they were amazing i love lemon and will be making them aGain

    1. Maybe try spraying & adding a little flour to dust the pan. Glad you liked them 🙂 Thank you!

  3. 5 stars
    Yum!!! I made them for Mothers day. We had a brunch and so i thought these Would be Good for brUnch i took about 70 and they were devouRed!!! You were defintely right wHen you said they were addicting. My mom was dissappointed that they were all gone so i promises i wiLl make another batch just for her this week!!! Thanks!!

  4. 5 stars
    Thank you for the delicious little recipe – it truly is addicting! Even my sister who insists she has always hated lemon had a sweet tooth for these. will definitely make again; no changes necessary in my opinion.

  5. 5 stars
    Made these for mother’s day and they were a hit! My Choc loving husband could stop eat them. Amesome!

  6. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing. Simple to make and extrEmely addicting. I will definitely make again and again. So glad i found this recipe.

  7. I normally check comments before trying a new recipe online but I didn’t this time *ended up with 24 stuck mini muffins LOL. Good thing I had doubled the recipe w/ the intent to share. Instead I made Lemon drop balls out of those with the glaze LOL.

    Next time I did it I put liners in my mini muffin tins and they worked better, I also tried them in normal size muffin tins with liners and those collapsed when I checked on them after 16 min in the oven. I lightly POURED the glaze over top of the larger muffins and dipped the smaller ones into the glaze. THEY are still very yummy and lemony!
    I think these definitely work better in shallow pans and would like to try them in Madeleine pans!
    Thank you!

  8. 5 stars
    I have never been much of a baker, but this recipe fooled everyone. these little gems are absolutely delicious, not to mention addictive. i also had some problems with them sticking but carefully going around the edges solved the problem. i will be making again and again and use suggestions about greasing the cups. thank you so much for sharing this recipe

  9. This looks delish! I’m planning to make these soon, and Would love to do 12 mini muffins and the rest in tiny bread loaf pans. Any suggestions for How to adjust the baKing time And/or temp for the breads?

    1. I haven’t made them into mini loaves, so I couldn’t tell you the exact, since I haven’t tried. You could keep the temp the same or maybe 350 for the bread. It will need more time, so maybe start checking it around 18-20min?