Spring Lemon Mini Tea Cakes

Instructions:

• Lemon curd (make beforehand):
• Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, caster sugar, 1 egg, unsalted butter, and 1 egg yolk in a saucepan.
• Heat the mixture gently over low heat, whisking continuously until it thickens.
• Remove from heat, add salted butter, and whisk to combine.
• Strain the curd through a sieve, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to set. (Lasts approximately 1-2 weeks stored in the refrigerator).
• Vanilla sheet cake:
• Preheat the oven to 176°C/350°F.
• Cream together unsalted butter and sugar until fluffy using an electric hand mixer.
• Add vegetable oil and mix until combined. Incorporate eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
• In another bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Sift half of the flour mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
• Add milk, then the remaining flour mixture, and mix until fully incorporated.
• Pour the batter into a lined 10 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
• Bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the pan.
• Buttercream:
• Beat softened unsalted butter in a large bowl until smooth.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and milk, mixing until smooth and creamy.
• Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if necessary.
• Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag for assembly.
• Assembly:
• Ensure the cake is completely cooled before proceeding.
• Use cookie cutters to cut out mini tea cake shapes (I used these ones). Reserve any leftover cake for cake pops or snacking.
• Cut the mini tea cakes in half horizontally to create two layers.
• Pipe buttercream onto a single layer of cake, ensuring the edges are high enough to contain the lemon curd.
• Spoon about ½ – 1 tbsp of lemon curd into the center.
• Top with the other cake layer and repeat the process for all tea cakes.
• Transfer the assembled cakes to a plate and refrigerate while preparing the glaze.
• Lemon Glaze:
• In a bowl, mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk until smooth.
• Set aside 2-3 tbsp of glaze for decoration and transfer it to a piping bag.
• Divide the remaining glaze in half and color one portion with pink food coloring and the other with green.
• Once the cakes are completely cooled, pour the colored glazes over the top.
• Allow the glaze to set before decorating with the reserved white glaze.
• Decorations (optional):
• Brush edible golden glitter or luster dust onto silicone mold figures. (I used these butterfly and flower ones).
• Fill the molds with melted white chocolate wafers and allow them to set.
• Carefully remove the chocolate figures from the molds once set.
• Decorate the tea cakes with the reserved white glaze and add the chocolate figures on top (like in the video).
• Enjoy the cutest pastries for spring!~