Description
Delightful mini lemon pound cake bites showcase zesty citrus flavors with elegant simplicity. Compact dessert treats offer perfect balance between tangy lemon notes and sweet buttery crumb for quick indulgence.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
- 2 tbsps lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups (220g) confectioners sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsps lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
- 2 tsps lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
- 1 to 2 tbsps milk
Instructions
- Preparation: Set up baking station with mini muffin pan, lined or sprayed with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350F (175C), ensuring precise temperature for uniform baking.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl, creating a smooth, lump-free foundation for the pound cake bites.
- Butter-Sugar Transformation: Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale, developing a luxurious base for the batter.
- Liquid Integration: Blend eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice, ensuring comprehensive incorporation of citrus notes and maintaining a silky consistency.
- Batter Harmonization: Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to the wet mixture, folding gently to preserve the batter’s delicate structure and prevent overmixing.
- Pan Filling and Baking: Distribute batter into mini muffin cavities, filling three-quarters full. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean when tested.
- Cooling Process: Allow cakes to rest briefly in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, preserving their tender texture and preventing moisture buildup.
Notes
Prevent Overmixing: Mix ingredients gently and minimally to maintain the cake’s tender, light crumb and avoid developing tough gluten strands that can make the pound cake dense.
Control Moisture Balance: Measure lemon juice precisely to prevent excess liquid from compromising the cake’s structural integrity, ensuring a perfectly moist yet firm texture.
Optimize Zesting Technique: Use fresh, organic lemons and carefully zest only the bright yellow outer layer, avoiding the bitter white pith to enhance citrus flavor without introducing unwanted bitterness.
Temperature Consistency Matters: Allow ingredients like butter, eggs, and milk to reach room temperature before mixing, promoting smoother incorporation and more even baking results in these mini pound cake bites.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 212
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 58mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 47mg