Lemon Cherry Tea Cakes

Makes 12

For the tea cake batter:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
12 whole cherries, with stems

For the glaze:
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more, if needed for thickening

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 12 muffin cups and set aside.

2. Make the tea cake batter: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.

3. Combine the sour cream, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg in a separate bowl, and then pour into the well in the flour mixture. Stir together, just until moist.

4. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Gently push a cherry into the batter in each cup, with the stem pointing up. Bake for 16 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.

5. Make the glaze: While the cakes are cooling, combine the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl. Remove the cakes from the pan and drizzle the glaze over the warm cakes, using a pastry brush to evenly distribute it. Finish cooling on a wire rack.