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.
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 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.
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:
Lemon Drop Mini Cakes
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Luna: I happy to see a nice recipe with lemon and also gave you 4 stars as it s so easy to do and also you use simple ingredients that can be bought at the grocery store. I m looking forward to receive your e-mail as I just registered.
Fantastic!!
I read the comments about watery batter so I reduced it by half, and used lemon extract instead of zest in the glaze.
They were so good that I made a batch on Saturday and it was gone so fast I made another batch Sunday to take to work.
Kids, adults, everyone loves these!
Thanks for sharing your changes! I’m so glad they were a hit!!
The batter was very runny I used a measuring cup to pour it into the muffin pan. I double & triple checked to make sure I got all ingredients i did. I am not new to cooking I bake all the time. I used Ree Drumonds (Pioneer woman) the last time they turned out perfect. These not so much🙁
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the cakes. Thanks for your feedback!
Can you use cream cheese instead of sour cream?
You could! I would thin the cream cheese with a splash of milk and then whip it up. It should become a pretty similar consistency as the sour cream. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out!
Had these at a tea party and couldn’t stop eating them. Sweet, lemony and tender; they nearly melt in your mouth!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing!
It turned out really well. Loved the lemony cake. I did booze it up. I added Ketel One to the glaze. Took them to girls night and they were gone in a flash!! Thank you for a great recipe! A real keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them at your girl’s night! Thanks for sharing!
Love, love, love anything lemon! These are great! Curious as to why the bottoms are glazed rather than the tops!
Do they need to be refrigerated?
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! It looks like the instructions on the recipe need to be adjusted to include dipping the tops of the lemon drops into the glaze instead of the bottoms. I will make that change. Thanks so much for catching that! They do not need to be refrigerated. 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes. I have a Meyer Lemon tree and can hardly wait for the lemons (it really only produces a few) to make these. Actually, I can’t wait and buy Meyer lemons from grocery also. I usually double, bake in 9 X 13’s, glaze when cool, cut in petit four size squares and freeze on cookie sheet then store in container in freezer separated with parchment. They don’t freeze ‘rock solid’ and are good eaten that way as well as completely thawed.
I’m so glad you like it so much! Having a Meyer Lemon tree that you can pick from sounds heavenly! Thanks for sharing what you do!
These just came out of the oven and are cooling. I am not a fan of lemon but my guests love it so I will have to wait to get a review on the taste.
I was worried about others comments that they stuck in the pan. I purchased a “Super Silicone Technology” silicone mini cupcake pan two years ago and it is fabulous. Just to be on the safe side, I did spray it with Pam Baking spray and they popped out. For the second batch, I did not respray the pan and that batched popped right out too.
They look wonderful!
I am surprising 21 people in church next month with baked goods that I will be delivering to their porch before our Zoom meeting. This will be one of the baked goods I include!
That’s so nice of you! Thank you for trying them! I hope they are a hit with everyone!
Update! These were a hit with my family. Even my husband who does not like lemon, loved them! I told him I was going to give away the leftovers and he said “NO…I want them!” Moist, lemony and delicious! Thanks so much for a great bite-size recipe.
Haha..love that!! Tell him thank you & thank you for letting me know 🙂
Can the zest be substituted?
I haven’t tried substituted it. It really does add a lot of the flavor.
I’ve made these a few times and each time they come out even more delicious! So lemony and they melt in your mouth!
Was wondering if you have ever tried baking this recipe in a loaf pan????
I am glad you like it! I have not made this specific recipe in a loaf pan, but if you search lemon loaf on my site, there are quite a few delicious lemon breads 🙂