Paula Deen Lemon Blossoms are bite-sized cupcakes made with yellow cake mix, instant lemon pudding, and a fresh lemon glaze. Ready in 30 minutes, they make 15 servings and fit right in at Easter spreads, bridal showers, and church potlucks. Down South, a tray of these shows up anywhere sweet tea is being poured.
The glaze is everything here. You dip each little cake while it is still warm so the sugar soaks into the crumb. Wait too long and the coating just sits on top and cracks. Paula wants soft, sticky sweetness all the way through, and warm dipping is how you get there.
Bake these a day ahead and store them in an airtight container once the glaze sets, about an hour. Fill each muffin cup only halfway or the batter spills over the edges. One box of cake mix goes fast, so have your tins sprayed and ready before you start mixing.
Paula Deen Lemon Blossoms
Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy15
servings15
minutes15
minutes410
kcalSoft, bite-sized lemon cupcakes made from a cake mix and pudding batter, baked in miniature muffin tins and dipped warm in a sweet lemon glaze that soaks right into the crumb.
Ingredients
4 large eggs
1 (3.5 oz) package instant lemon pudding mix
1 (18.5-oz) package yellow cake mix
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons for glaze Vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 zested lemon
3 tablespoons water
Directions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Mix and bake: Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, 3/4 cup oil and 3/4 cup water and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel.
- Make the glaze: To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, 3 tablespoons oil and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.
- Glaze the cupcakes: With fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they’re still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about one hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.
FAQs
Can I use a different flavor of pudding mix?
You can try vanilla or coconut cream, but lemon pudding does two jobs here. It adds citrus flavor to the batter and keeps the crumb extra moist. Swapping flavors changes the taste more than you would expect from one small box.
How long do lemon blossoms stay fresh?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they stay good for 3 to 4 days. The glaze acts like a seal and keeps the inside soft. After day four the texture starts to dry out, so make only what you can eat or give away that week.
Can I freeze lemon blossoms?
Yes. Let the glaze set completely, then layer them between waxed paper in a freezer-safe container. They hold well for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter for about an hour before serving.
Why did my batter overflow the mini muffin tins?
You filled them too high. Each cup needs to be no more than half full. The batter rises fast because of the pudding mix and spills over if there is too much. If your tins have smaller wells than standard, use even less.
Do I have to use fresh lemon juice for the glaze?
Fresh juice makes a sharper, brighter glaze. Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, but the flavor is flatter and slightly more bitter. Add a little extra zest to make up the difference if you go that route.
