Vanilla Mini Bundt Cakes

The base exchange is a dangerous place. It's busy and crowded, and mostly overwhelming if you are not smart like me and choose to go right when everyone is getting off from work. Not to mention it's basically the only store with familiar products on the entire island of Okinawa. The other option is ordering things online, which is a whole different can of worms. So as I am walking through knowing that I don't need anything other than what is already inside my shopping cart, I just happen to stumble upon the baking/cooking section. 

By stumble upon, I mean I walked by there before getting what I needed, while getting what I needed, and again prior to actually checking out.

A baking pan happened to catch my eye. Mini-bundt cakes! An impulse purchase by all accounts, but still fun. One can never have too many baking pans, right? Besides, I wanted to stay awake all that night since it was my night off from work.

These little cakes turned out to be scrumptious!! To me they tasted like a sugar cookie, which is always two thumbs up in my book. Originally I wanted to make a strawberry glaze but after tasting a plain cake lemon seemed like it would compliment the lightness of the cake better. Or whatever, just eat them plain, I won't judge! I ended up overfilling the cups so the picture below is the "muffin tops" that I cut off as extra. I may or may not be sharing them with my husband. :) 

Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Glaze

Cupcakes: As seen on AllRecipes.com

Glaze: a Butter Than Toast original

Vanilla Cake:

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

Lemon Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch. As the cake cools, mix together ingredients for glaze, then drizzle it on with a spoon or use a piping bag. Let the icing harden and enjoy!