Lemon Mini Cakes Food

MINI LEMON BUNDT CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (without fan).
• Grease and lightly flour 12 to 15 mini bundt pans (metal or silicon). (Please see Kitchen Notes)
• Place the mini bundt pans onto a baking tray.
• Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until light and fluffy. I like to do this using an electric stand mixer with the flat-paddle attachment.
• Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
• Beat the eggs, one at a time, into the creamed butter and sugar, followed by a tablespoon of the dry ingredients to help prevent the batter from curdling.
• Once all of the eggs have been added, add the remaining dry ingredients, together with the lemon juice and milk.
• Beat until the batter is thick and smooth.
• Spoon the batter into the mini bundt pans until they are about 2/3 full, and use a small spatula to smooth out the batter.
• Give each mini bundt pan a gentle tap on the kitchen bench to make sure the batter settles into the grooves of the bundt pan.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the cakes comes out clean.
• Leave the cakes to settle in the bundt pans on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, before carefully unmolding the cakes.
• Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the icing sugar (powdered sugar) with some lemon juice until you have a thick, but pourable, consistency.
• A thin frosting will cover more of the cakes, but it will be more transparent.
• A thick frosting will cover mostly the top of the cakes, but it will dry to an opaque white colour (like shown in the photos).
• Place the cakes on a wire rack with a sheet of baking paper underneath to catch the drips from the frosting.
• Spoon the lemon glaze over a few cakes a time, a decorate with some finely grated lemon zest.
• Repeat Step 2 for the remaining cakes. The glaze needs to be wet for the lemon zest to stick to it, and the glaze will set more quickly the thinner it is. Hence, I recommend frosting just a few cakes at a time.
• Leave the cakes for at least 15 minutes to set before serving.

MINI LEMON SPONGE CAKES

Steps:

• Make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan. Beat the egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, the vanilla and lemon zest in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale, fluffy and doubled in volume, 3 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan with a few inches of water to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Combine the egg whites and salt in a large heatproof bowl and place on top of the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water). With clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium high and gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar; continue beating until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 more minutes. If the mixture gets too hot, remove the bowl from the pan.
• Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture with a rubber spatula in four batches, sifting in the flour in alternating batches. It's OK if some streaks remain -- do not overmix. Remove 1/2 cup of the batter to a small bowl and whisk in the melted butter, then gently fold back into the batter. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until the centers spring back when pressed, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan on a rack, then loosen with a paring knife and remove to the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Place a fine-mesh sieve in a medium bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice water. Whisk 1/4 cup milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, the egg yolks and cornstarch in a separate medium bowl until smooth. Heat 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons sugar and the salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Whisking constantly, gradually pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking frequently, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes, then continue whisking for 30 more seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Immediately strain into the bowl set in the ice water and let cool, stirring occasionally, until lukewarm. Remove from the ice water, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the filling and refrigerate until completely cooled. When ready to assemble the cakes, whisk in the lemon curd, limoncello and lemon juice. Whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into the filling.
• Make the lemon syrup: Combine the water, sugar and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat. Stir in the limoncello. Let the syrup cool.
• Fill the cakes: Trim the domed tops of the cakes to make them level (this will be the bottom). With a paring knife, cut a 1 1/2-inch-wide hole in the cakes; scoop out some of the inside to make a cavity, reserving the scraps. Brush the insides with some of the lemon syrup, then fill with the lemon filling, reserving the rest of the filling for the glaze. Close the hole with the cake scraps. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup until all the syrup is used.
• Glaze the cakes: Place the cakes trimmed-side down on a rack set on a baking sheet. Whisk 5 to 6 tablespoons milk into the reserved lemon filling until pourable. Spoon over each cake to completely cover. Transfer to a platter and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Garnish the cakes: Beat the heavy cream and sugar in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe around and on top of each cake. Top with candied lemon peel.

MINI LEMON BLUEBERRY CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 4 to 6 mini loaf pans or small baking dishes. Reserve 1/4 cup of flour to coat the berries (see notes, above). In a medium bowl, sift 2 3/4 cups of flour, sugar, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter; add lemon extract and gradually add sugar. Beat 2 minutes. Beat in 2 eggs at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed after each addition. On lowest speed, add half the flour, beating only until blended. Add all the sour cream, then the balance of the flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in flour-coated blueberries. Pour into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-55 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn onto a cooling rack.