Mini Lemon Chamomile Cakes
For an elegant alternative to cupcakes, you can’t miss with these charming, shareable mini cakes. The cake is fluffy and delicately flavoured with chamomile tea for a surprising and sophisticated taste. We chose lemon buttercream icing for a classic look with a citrus twist. Make any spring or summer occasion a little sweeter with this crowd-pleaser!
2 hours cooling time
Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar
Light-coloured and just right for baking, the subtle notes of caramel and moist texture make it ideal for allowing delicate flavours to shine through in your creations.
Redpath® Icing Sugar
Use it to make the smoothest frostings, icings, and glazes you’ve ever seen for the finishing touch on your cakes, cupcakes, and more.
For the cake:
- ¾ cup (188 ml) milk ¾ cup (188 ml) milk
- 4 (10 g) chamomile tea bags, divided 4 (10 g) chamomile tea bags, divided
- 2½ cups (280 g) cake flour 2½ cups (280 g) cake flour
- ¾ tsp (4 g) baking powder ¾ tsp (4 g) baking powder
- ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda ½ tsp (2 g) baking soda
- ½ tsp (3 g) salt ½ tsp (3 g) salt
- ¼ cup (63 ml / 65 g) plain yogurt ¼ cup (63 ml / 65 g) plain yogurt
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (244 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed 1 cup + 2 tbsp (244 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar, packed
- ¾ cup (170 g) butter, cubed ¾ cup (170 g) butter, cubed
For the lemon buttercream:
- Double the recipe “Quick Buttercream” Double the recipe “Quick Buttercream”
- ¼ cup (63 ml) lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed ¼ cup (63 ml) lemon juice, preferably freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp (12 g) lemon zest, finely grated 2 tbsp (12 g) lemon zest, finely grated
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt 1 tsp (6 g) salt
Garnishes (optional):
- Lemon slices Lemon slices
- Lemon zest Lemon zest
- Fresh or dried chamomile flowers (food grade/pesticide-free) Fresh or dried chamomile flowers (food grade/pesticide-free)
Equipment:
- Half baking sheet (18 x 13 inch) Half baking sheet (18 x 13 inch)
- Parchment paper Parchment paper
- Liquid measuring cup Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring spoons Measuring spoons
- Small heavy-bottomed saucepan (with lid) Small heavy-bottomed saucepan (with lid)
- Spoon Spoon
- Scale OR dry measuring cups Scale OR dry measuring cups
- Medium bowl Medium bowl
- Whisk Whisk
- Small bowl Small bowl
- Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment OR large bowl with hand mixer Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment OR large bowl with hand mixer
- Rubber spatula Rubber spatula
- Large offset spatula Large offset spatula
- Wire cooling rack Wire cooling rack
- Round cookie cutter (3 inch) Round cookie cutter (3 inch)
- Small offset spatula x 2 Small offset spatula x 2
- Cake board(s) OR plate(s) OR cake stand(s) Cake board(s) OR plate(s) OR cake stand(s)
- Piping bag Piping bag
- Plain round tip (¼- to ½-inch opening) Plain round tip (¼- to ½-inch opening)
Instructions
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a half baking sheet (18 x 13 inch) and line with parchment paper.
Add milk to a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over medium heat and warm until it barely begins to simmer. Remove from heat. Add in two of the chamomile tea bags, cover, and steep; 10 minutes. Gently press the tea bags with the back of a spoon to extract as much flavour from the tea as possible. Discard tea bags. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Open the remaining tea bags and add the contents into the dry ingredients. Whisk well to distribute the tea evenly.
In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lightly beaten eggs, and pure vanilla extract until smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar and cubed butter. Cream on medium speed until pale in colour and creamy; about 3 minutes.
Add in the dry ingredients and infused milk (room temperature), and mix on low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium and mix until well combined; 2 minutes.
On low speed, add in a third of the yogurt mixture. Increase speed to medium and blend well until the yogurt mixture is fully incorporated into the batter. Repeat process with the remaining yogurt mixture.
Transfer the batter into the prepared baking sheet. With a large offset spatula, evenly spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Run a thumb around the edge of the baking sheet and the batter to check the depth and evenness of the batter and prevent cake from sticking to the edges.
Place cake into the preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently pressed. Place cake onto a wire cool rack to cool completely in the pan; 2 hours.
Once cake is completely cooled, use a 3-inch round cutter to cut out as many rounds from the sheet as possible. Each mini cake will have 3 layers. Use a small offset spatula to remove excess cake from around the rounds (see Chef’s Tips).
For the lemon buttercream:
Make as directed in the recipe “Quick Buttercream.” Beat in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt when instructions mention adding the vanilla. If buttercream is too thin, add an additional ½ cup (60 grams) of Redpath® Icing Sugar. If buttercream is too stiff, beat in another tablespoon of heavy cream.
To assemble:
Refer to “Frosting a Cake” for visuals.
Place a completely cooled cake layer onto a cake board, plate, or desired stand.
Transfer some of the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a plain round tip. Pipe a single layer (concentric circles) onto the cake layer. If desired, use a small offset spatula to smooth the buttercream. Place another cake layer on top of the buttercream, gently pressing down to adhere. Repeat process.
If making “naked” cakes, pipe a final layer of buttercream on the top of the third cake layer, and smooth the top of the buttercream with the offset spatula.
For fully covered cakes: Pipe a small amount of buttercream on the top and sides of the 3-layered cakes. With the offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cakes sealing the crumbs onto the cake. This is called a crumb coat.
Place the cakes into the fridge to chill; 15 minutes.
Remove cakes from the fridge (one at a time), and pipe a small amount of buttercream (refer to “Frosting a Cake”) on the top and sides of the cake for the final coat. Using the offset spatula, evenly smooth the buttercream over the top and sides of the cakes.
Decorate cakes with lemon slices, lemon zest, and/or fresh or dried chamomile flowers.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container (see Chef’s Tips).
Chef's Tips
*Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
*Use high-quality chamomile tea, preferably organic and/or one that you enjoy drinking.
*Cake can be made several hours in advance or the day before. The completely cooled cake can be covered and stored at room temperature.
*Cake scraps can be eaten or stored in an airtight container and placed into the freezer for up to 3 months. Use cake scraps to make cake pops: “Celebration Cake Pops.”
*Leftover mini cakes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. To keep cakes from drying out, any exposed or cut cake layers should be covered in plastic wrap or parchment paper. For example, if making naked cakes, wrap the sides of the cake with plastic wrap or parchment to prevent cakes from drying out when storing. Alternatively, brushing the cake layers with “Brown Sugar Simple Syrups” before piping on the buttercream can also help prevent cakes from drying out.
