Lemon Poppy Seed Baby Cakes

Mmmm, it's almost, (dare I mention it?) ... almost time for HOLIDAY BAKING! (*Gasp!!*) I know, I know, I said the "H" word.

If you're like me - and by all accounts it appears most of my fellow bloggers are not - the Holidays will find you doubly rushed and scattered and disorganised.

This is the story of my life anyway, I don't need the extra pressure through November and December to whip up EXTRA-beautiful and EXTRA-tasty treats for every potluck, exchange and food-related-function on the calendar. But it happens every year, like it or not, and each year I attempt to find more ways to plan and prepare ahead.

That's where these darling little Lemon Poppyseed Mini-Bundt Cakes (which my kids fondly call "Baby Cakes") come in. The secret? Leave off the glaze, and they FREEZE perfectly!! Then when a Holiday event pops up unexpectedly, just whip these babies out of the freezer, drizzle with a zesty, lemon-y glaze and you'll be the hit of the party.

Best of all, they are light, fluffy, VEGAN and don't use white sugar (OK, the glaze does.).

Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Baby Cakes

(or muffins)

nonstick cooking spray

1 whole lemon (you'll use all of it)

2/3 cup Silk Soy Creamer (or 1/3 cup plant milk and 1/3 cup blended silken tofu)

1 1/3 cup WW pastry flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup agave nectar or corn syrup or golden syrup

1/2 cup real maple syrup

1/2 tsp real vanilla extract

1/4 cup cornstarch (No, don't sub this, it's totally what makes them fluffy!!)

Preheat oven to 350.

Take your lemon and grate the yellow rind. Set aside. Juice well, adding any pulp you can. Set aside.

Spray 4 mini-bundt pans or 6 muffin pans with non-stick spray.

Mix lemon zest and juice with Silk Creamer. Set aside.

Combine dry ingredients (except cornstarch) and set aside.

With an electric mixer, mix wet ingredients together and slowly sprinkle in cornstarch. Beat until smooth.

Reduce speed to low and add the dry mixture a little at a time, then the lemon-creamer mixture, alternating back and forth a couple times until it's all mixed really well.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 20 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool. Freeze if you want them for later. Or glaze.

Lemon Glaze

1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup non-bone-char powdered sugar

Stir together, drizzle over Baby Cakes.