Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes | #SpringSweetsWeek
This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine.
Every good cook should have at least one real dessert recipe up their sleeve (and not a deconstructed version of something or a microwave mug cake). These beautiful, lightly glazed Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes could be yours. The individual portions are perfect for small intimate gatherings or outdoor parties where everyone can dip and decorate their own dessrt. Simple lemon pound cake should be moist, rich, feel like springtime, and taste incredible under a thin, yet flavorful layer of lemon glaze.
Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cake is a lighter-crumbed quick bread– soft and airy like birthday cake, because of the self-rising flour but with big and bright lemon flavor that hits as soon as you take the first bite because of the Taylor & Colledge lemon paste extract. It's moist, dense without being heavy while super rich and buttery smooth with a velvety crumb.
WHAT IS POUND CAKE?
Traditional American pound cake is a cake containing a pound, or equal weights, of flour, butter, and sugar. One of the original pound cake recipes was:
• 1 pound sugar
• 1 pound butter
• 1 pound flour
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
In modern times, these ratios have changed and the addition of sour cream, vanilla, rum and alternative flours are used.
WHAT IS A TEA CAKE?
First of all: It's not actually a cake. Traditonally, a tea cake is a big ol' cookie with crispy edges that snap when you bit into it and gnerally served with tea. The tea softens them up for make them edible. They are of American southern and British origin.
To dispel disappointment, I added some sweet tea to my lemon glaze to make it a little floral and a little more southern than your usual cake. Sweet tea is a religion down here and if people can brine chicken with it, I certainly can glaze a mini cake with it.
WHAT KIND OF PAN DO I BAKE MY POUND CAKE IN?
Loaf pans (longer rectangle pan) are common when making pound cakes; As are bundt cake pans or decorative molded pans. A standard loaf pan size is 9x5x3. Using the Circulon mini loaf pan for this recipe is easy because it's nonstick, browns the outside of the cake evenly and uniformly and fits on the top rack of my dishwasher.
HOW DO I GLAZE EACH CAKE?
Each mini lemon pound cake is flavorful enough to stand on its own, but the glaze adds a little oomph. While the cake is still warm, dip the cake, bottom side down into a shallow bowl of icing. Let it soak into the cake, then dip it again after it has cooled.
Friday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes
- Candied Kumquats by Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Citrus Biscotti by Pook's Pantry
- Citrus Rhubarb Custard Bars by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Coconut Macaroons by Books n' Cooks
- Easy Key Lime Mousse Tarts by Blogghetti
- Eclairs by House of Nash Eats
- Grapefruit Mint Julep by The Spiffy Cookie
- Key Lime Soufflé by Art of Natural Living
- Lemon Raspberry Parfait by The Carefree Kitchen
- Mandarin Orange Scones by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes by Nik Snacks
- No-Cook Candied Kumquats by Shockingly Delicious
- Pineapple Cheesecake Shooters by Jen Around the World
- Rhubarb Cream Cheese Danish by Devour Dinner
- Rhubarb Lavender Crisp by Sweet Beginnings
- Walking Banana Pudding Dessert Bags by For the Love of Food
We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.
Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes
Yield: 12
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min
Ingredients
Mini Lemon Pound Cake
- 1½ cups self-rising flour
- ½ (1 stick) cup butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoons Taylor & Colledge Lemon extract paste
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1½ cups buttermilk
Lemon Sweet Tea Icing
- 1/4 cup whole milk or cream
- 5 black tea bags
- juice of ½ lemon
- 2½ cups Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Measure 1½ cups of flour and then level it off.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the extract.
- Beat mixture until it is light and fluffy, about four minutes. alternate adding the flour and buttermilk to the egg mixture. Carefully pour batter into prepared pan. Gently smooth the top surface of the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. When cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, it is done.
- Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack to dip in the lemon sweet tea icing. If cake doesn't want to release completely from the pan, tap lightly on top and sides of the upside-down pan with a spoon.
Icing
- Heat the milk in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and then add 30 more seconds. Place the tea bags in the milk and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the bags of tea and discard. Add lemon juice. Use a hand mixer or whisk to mix the powdered sugar, sweet tea, and lemon juice together until no lumps remain.
- If desired, slowly add more sugar to thicken the glaze or add more sweet tea to thin out the glaze.
- While the cake is still hot, dip each loaf into the glaze and turn it over, glaze side up to set. Once the cake has fully cooled, pour the glaze over the cakes fof hand-dip them again.
- Serve.
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
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About the author
Nikki Miller-Ka
Ms. Miller-Ka is a classically trained chef with a BA in English from East Carolina University and a Culinary Arts Associate Degree from Le Cordon Bleu-Miami.
Formerly, she’s worked as a researcher, an editorial assistant, reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has also worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker. Presently, she is a food editor, freelance food writer, and a tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.
Well aren't these precious! Lemon is my jam and I am going to need a batch of these right NOW!
ReplyDeleteNikki, this is right up my alley! Beautiful cakes, and I always love your writing and photography. Happy Spring!
ReplyDeleteLemon and sweet tea! I absolutely love the concept!
ReplyDeleteThat glaze sounds lovely! I could use it on so many different things but your pound cake sounds perfect!
ReplyDeleteEven plain pound cake is delicious. This would really be over the top!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun little cakes and that frosting sounds amazing with the tea and lemon!
ReplyDeleteThese look amazing and I'm sure they are DELICIOUS!
ReplyDeleteThese are darling and oh, so delicious! What a great lemon dessert! Thanks for the great recipe!
ReplyDeleteFun little yummy cakes. That frosting looks and sounds amazing
ReplyDelete