Lemon Cornmeal Tea Cakes with Lemon Curd Buttercream
Sweet and lemony with the crunchy texture of cornmeal, these mini tea cakes are topped with a lemon curd buttercream and garnished with fresh berries. Makes 24 single (2-inch) cakes or 12 two-layer cakes
Servings: 12 mini 2 layer cakes
Equipment
- mixer
- 14 ½ x 9 ½ inch jelly roll pan
- large open star tip and pastry bag
Ingredients
Cornmeal Cakes
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Sliced strawberries, fresh blueberries, sprig of mint to garnish
Lemon Curd Buttercream
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
- ¼ cup lemon curd
Instructions
To make cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 14 ½ x 9 ½ inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper with edges hanging over edge of pan and lightly spray parchment; set aside.
- In medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, almond flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In medium bowl, beat together butter, sugar and lemon zest with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximated 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Add sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla into butter mixture, beating until incorporated.
- Using a spatula, fold cornmeal mixture into butter mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan using an offset spatula to smooth top.
- Bake until edges of cake are golden and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cake cool completely in pan. Place in freezer until firm, about 1 hour.
- When cake is frozen, lift cake out of pan using edges of parchment. Trim edges of cake and cut into (24) 2-inch squares.
- Pipe buttercream onto 12 squares for double decker cakes; top with cake square. Pipe top of cakes and top with sliced berries right before serving to prevent berries from weeping. If making ahead, store cakes in an airtight container until ready to top with berries and serve.
To make Lemon Curd Buttercream
- In medium bowl, beat butter with mixer at medium speed until light and creamy.
- Gradually beat in sugar until well incorporated, stopping to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.
- Beat in lemon curd until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Fill piping bag fitted with a large open star tip to pipe buttercream between cake layers and on top.
Notes
- Alternatively, use a doctored lemon cake mix and bake in 17-x-12-inch rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Freezing the cake before cutting prevents the cake from crumbling.
- If making ahead, store cakes in an airtight container until ready to top with berries and serve.
- Wait to add sliced berries to top of cakes right before served to prevent berries from weeping.