Well, a couple of days late and likely a few dollars short for Valentines Day, but here is the next thing for “Citrus week” — Lemon Mini-Heart Cakelettes. I had actually planned to make them with a raspberry swirl in the frosting, but that didn’t work out as planned. The whole reason for these was actually trying out my new “heartlet” plan. I found it at the local ACE hardware, but they are available off Amazon too. I was actually afraid that the little tarts wouldn’t release well from the cast iron, but turned out well. I’ll have to try mini-mini pies next.
Lemon Mini-Heart Cakelettes
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon extract
5 eggs, separated
2 cups unbleached flour + 1 teaspoon salt, sifted
for the glaze
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
a pinch of salt
1/4 tablespoons lemon juice
You will also need a small tartlet pan such as this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XNL7JXM, however, you can also just a standard size muffin pan in a pinch, as well as a small squeeze bottle with a small tip and a toothpick.
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350F. Generously butter and flour your pan.
In the work bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Transfer mixture to a second large mixing bowl (you will need the stand mixer bowl again). Wash the stand mixer bowl.
Separate the yolks and whites. With the whites, put them in the stand mixer bowl and whip until soft peaks form. In the meantime, add the egg yolks, one at a time, to the butter and sugar mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. Fold in the flour to the butter and sugar mixture in 2 batches, mixing after each addition until well combined. Be careful not to over mix. Fold in the whipped egg whites, carefully not to deflate too much. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a skewer poked into the cake comes out clean. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil if the crust browns too quickly.
Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting, removing the pan and letting cool completely.
Once the cakes are completely cooled, glaze. Combine confectioners’ sugar, salt and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk together. One at a time, dip each minicake into the lemon glaze, place on a cooling rack. Let glaze harden completely.
