1.Preheat oven to 350° F. Place oven rack in center of oven. Lightly spray with cooking spray 2-8″ round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper rounds and spray with cooking spray. Wrap pans with wet cake strips for flat cakes.Set aside.

2.In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add cake mix, dry pudding mix.eggs, oil, sour cream and lemon extract. Beat on med-high speed for 2 minutes.

3.Divide cake batter between the two pans.

4.Bake for 23-25 minutes. Remove from oven. Place cakes on cooling rack, wait 5 minutes then release cake from pans.

5.With a 2″ round biscuit cutter, cut out mini cake rounds from cakes making 6-7 per cake.

6.Make Lemon Buttercream frosting. In bowl of stand mixer, add softened but cool butter, 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, lemon extract, whip until smooth and creamy. Add remaining confectioner’s sugar, whip.

7.Fill disposable piping bag fitted with a large round tip # 12 with Lemon Buttercream. Pipe frosting around the top of mini cakes beginning in the center of each cake and circling around the center in rings.With a warm off-set spatula, carefully smooth the frosting. No need to frost the cake sides.

8.Right before serving place a single pansy on top of each Mini Lemon Cake. Recipe makes 14-16 mini lemon cake servings.