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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.
By hand beater, do you mean a whisk? I don’t want to overbeat. As to P Johnson’s concern, I would mix the egg into the sour cream, lemon juice and zest first and that should prevent any problems with the egg. I am excited about trying this. I am in charge of the menu for a ladies luncheon and want to serve these and the mini Texas sheet cake ones. Will be doing a test run Saturday by serving them at a play-off football game party. They seem like the perfect dessert for a football party. Bite size.
I use a hand mixer, but you could whisk too. Hopefully they were a success! The Texas Sheet Cake bites are delicious too.
As a side comment, it’s odd that this recipe was a complete disaster for some and came out perfectly for others. I loved this recipe. I thought it seemed a little odd as far as the process but I’ve made them a couple times, and everyone comments on them. They are a big hit with everyone I’ve shared them with. I took them to a potluck, and one lady said she waited to see who picked up the pan so she could get the recipe. Have you used Meyer lemons with this recipe? I’m wondering what the difference would be. Thanks.
I haven’t tried with Meyer lemons, so I’m not sure. But I’m so glad to hear the drop cakes have been a success for you!!
Amazing!! Came out perfect and delicious! Anyone complaining did something wrong. Easy instructions and no problem here 😘
Amazing!! Came out perfect and delicious!
The lemon cakes were a hit at the party. The recipe is a keeper.
Had to add lemon curd to the top. Not much lemon flavor on them. Cur milk on half on glaze, and added difference in lemon juice. Still not much lemon flavor. Cake is very tender. Very nice.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
Terrible. Like many others below it was a complete disaster. Don’t try to comment that its because I am not experienced because I am very experienced. The batter was so runny I knew it wasn’t going to come out of the pan nicely no matter how much you grease it. Silicone might be sucessfull, if you try freezing them before popping them out of the silicone. I tried everything to get them out in one piece but they all tore apart. There has to be something wrong will the ratio of wet to dry ingredients or adding boiled butter directly to the batter followed by eggs. I knew to work quickly and didn’t have an issue with cooked egg but I can see how others did.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!!
Very tasty…. A winner!!!!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed the cakes!
Absolutely awful. Followed to the letter and didn’t begin to cook in 12 minutes,
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try. Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy.
I’ll comment so others will learn from my “lessons”. First I used the “magic” release suggestion mentioned in another comment and my cupcakes released beautifully. i used 2T of each ingredient and will have plenty to use in the future.
I happened to have some blueberries on my counter, so i thought i would tuck a small blueberry into each cupcake. If i had been a more experienced baker, i would probably have realized that the berry would bake, implode and leave a cavity in the cupcake. My plan was to freeze the cupcakes and glaze at a later date, so i will most likely fill the cavity with a jam or buttercream before glazing.
Lastly, i couldnt resist a couple of the cakes and tried the cake portion of the cupcake and it was delicious, so i am looking forward to tasting it with the glaze all assembled. Great recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing what you did! I hope it turned out delicious with the glaze assembled. Thanks for trying the recipe!
Hi, Nadine
I looked for the magic release suggestion in other comments, but I couldn’t find it. What is it?
Thanks in advance. Anna