Mini Lemon Pound Cakes

What You’ll Need

This recipe is made with simple, straightforward ingredients you can easily find at any grocery store. Here’s what you’ll need.

For the cakes:

• All-purpose flour
• Lemon zest – You can get the zest and the juice from 1 medium lemon; if you’re making the glaze too, you’ll need 2 medium lemons for the whole recipe.
• Salt
• Unsalted butter – The butter needs to be softened, so set it out about half an hour before baking.
• Cream cheese – At room temperature, please!
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs – Also at room temperature
• Lemon juice

For the glaze:

• Confectioners’ sugar
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest – I recommend using a fine zester so you don’t have large pieces of lemon zest in the glaze.
• Milk

How to Make Mini Lemon Pound Cakes

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make mini pound cakes:

• Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease 48 mini muffin cups with butter or nonstick spray.
• Whisk dry ingredients. Combine the flour, zest, and salt in a large bowl, and whisk to combine.
• Beat the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in another large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the lemon juice.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Continue to mix until just combined.
• Fill the muffin cups. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, using about 1 & 1/4 tablespoons per cup.
• Bake. Place the muffin tins in the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
• Cool. Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully remove them and let them finish cooling on a wire rack.
• Make the glaze. Combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of milk in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Add more milk a tablespoon at a time until the glaze is pourable, but still thick.
• Glaze the cakes. Spoon the glaze over the cakes or dip the tops of the cakes into the glaze. Place the cakes on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper to catch any excess glaze that drips from them. Allow the glaze to set, then serve.

How to Store

These Mini Lemon Pound Cakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up about 5 days, or at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, these pound cakes are perfect for freezing! I recommend freezing them on a sheet pan lined with wax paper; once they’re frozen solid, pop them in an airtight storage container or freezer bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months; let them thaw in the refrigerator before eating.