Go Back

Brown Butter Lemon and Raspberry Mini Cakes

Little gluten-free brown butter almond cakes filled with sharp lemon curd and finished with fresh raspberries, plenty of lemon zest and a touch of sea salt. Rich, nutty and bright, without needing frosting or cream.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Cooling and assembly:1 hour
Course: Dessert
Keyword: almond meal cake, brown butter cake, gluten free lemon cake, gluten free mini cakes, lemon almond cake, lemon curd mini cakes, lemon curd raspberry cake, lemon raspberry mini cakes, mini almond cakes, mini lemon cakes
Servings: 24 Mini cakes

Ingredients

Brown butter almond cakes

  • 170 grams unsalted butter
  • 160 grams caster sugar
  • 2 zest fresh lemons
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 200 grams ground almonds
  • 40 grams fine polenta
  • 35 grams cornflour
  • 1 1/2 tsps gluten free baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 60 ml milk
  • 15 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 150 grams fresh raspberries

Lemon Curd

  • 2 large large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 130 grams caster sugar
  • 2 zest lemon
  • 120 ml fresh lemons juice
  • 100 grams unsalted butter
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Brown butter almond cakes

  1. Brown the butter until deeply golden and nutty. Pour into a bowl and cool until barely warm.
  2. Rub the lemon zest into the caster sugar with your fingertips.
  3. Whisk the eggs and lemon sugar for 2–3 minutes until lighter and slightly aerated. Whisk in vanilla and gradually whisk in the brown butter.
  4. Combine almond meal, polenta, cornflour, baking powder and salt.
  5. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Fold through the lemon juice last.
  6. Pour into a greased and lined 20cm springform or cake tin.
  7. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the cake itself comes out clean. Cool completely.

Lemon Curd

  1. Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, zest and juice together in a saucepan.
  2. Cook gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to heavily coat the back of a spoon, approximately 82–84°C if using a thermometer.
  3. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time. Add the salt.
  4. Strain, cover the surface directly and refrigerate until cold.

Assembly

  1. Using a piping bag with a round tip, or a spoon if you don’t have a piping bag, pipe a small dollop of lemon curd on each mini cake.
  2. Tope the curd with one fresh raspberry and finish with a fresh sprinkle of lemon zest over the top.