Lemon Bundt Cake

 

Nothing says summertime like old-fashioned lemonade.  Just sugar, freshly squeezed lemons, and water served in a beautiful pitcher. Don't forget to toss a few slices of lemon among the ice cubes. Now, take a seat on the deck or the porch, take a long, slow sip and just enjoy. Like the best things in life, it's easy and simple. Now,  imagine that intense lemon flavour in a moist buttery cake, a lemony rich cake that is first drenched in lemon soaking solution, and then topped with a glaze. Yes, it can be summertime any day of the year when you have a slice of this bit of heaven.



This Lemon Bundt Cake is essentially a moist and very flavorful pound cake. It actually improves when first basted, wrapped, and left in the fridge for a few days. Don't glaze it until you are ready to serve. If you can hold off, I really recommend not skipping this step.  Because it is baked in a bundt pan, it doesn't even really need frosting, it looks so pretty as is. But, after basting it with a lemon soaking solution, I like to drizzle it with a pound cake glaze.  This cake will put a sunny smile on anyone's face.


Lemon Bundt Cake
(from Bakewise by Shirley O. Corriher)
Nonstick cooking spray with flour
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter cut into chunks
1/2 cup (96 g) shortening (Crisco in USA, Trex in UK)
3 cups (595 g) sugar
1/3 cup (79 ml) canola oil (I use rapeseed oil in the UK)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure lemon extract
Grated peel of 4 large lemons
3 tablespoons (45 ml) lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
5 large eggs
2 & 2/3 cups (332 g) all-purpose flour. In the UK, I use plain flour because it has no leavening in it.
1/2 cup (52 g) finely ground almonds. I found this in the baking aisle.
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream. In the UK, I use single cream.
Lemon Soaking Solution (recipe follows)
Pound Cake Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350F/177C
2. Spray a 10 inch (25-cm) tube pan or a 12-cup (2.8-L) Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour.
3. On medium speed, beat butter to soften. Add shortening, beat until light and pale in colour, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and continue to beat (cream) until very light, scraping down the sides at least once. At this point, check the bowl to see if it feels cool. If not, put the bowl in the freezer for 3-5 minutes and then continue creaming. Next, beat in the oil, lemon extract, grated lemon peel, and lemon juice.
4. On the lowest speed, blend in yolks and then whole eggs, one at a time.
5. In medium bowl, using a fork, beat together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, and salt for 30 seconds.
6. On the lowest speed, blend flour mixture into butter mixture in 3 additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once.
7. Place a bowl, beaters, and cream in the freezer for 5 minutes.  Whip the cream until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Beat just a little more past this stage, about 1 minute. Now stir 1/4 of the cream into the batter to lighten it. Now very gently fold the rest of the cream into the batter using a flat cake spatula.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan. Drop cake pan onto counter from a height of 4 inches to knock out the air bubbles. Smooth the batter with a spatula.
9. Place cake in oven and bake until cake springs back when touched, or a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean but moist, about 1 hour. Ideally, the cake should not pull away from the sides until just out of the oven. Let cake cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Knock cake against counter to jar it loose and turn it onto a serving platter to finish cooling.
10. While the cake is still hot, baste cake with lemon soaking solution. See recipe below. Next, wrap cooled and basted cake and put in fridge for 2 or 3 days. When ready to serve, drizzle with pound cake glaze. See recipe below.
Lemon Soaking Solution

1/3 cup (79 ml) lemon juice
1/2 cup (99 g) sugar


Stir lemon juice and sugar together until sugar is completely dissolved. If necessary, heat slightly until dissolved. Brush on the hot cake until all the solution is absorbed.

Pound Cake Glaze

1 cup (120 g) confectioners sugar or icing sugar 
2 to 3 tablespoons  (30-45 ml) cream ( heavy or single, depending on where you live!)
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) pure vanilla extract


Stir together all the ingredients and drizzle over cake. You want the consistency thick and just barely pourable. Add more sugar or cream until you get it right. Drizzle over the cake so the that it trickles down the sides. Serve to very happy guests. I suggest you put aside a piece for yourself for later, as this cake goes very fast.


Comments

  1. i love that picture of the laughing ladies. this cake looks simply awesome. lemon puckers up anyone that is for sure!

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  2. Absolutely gorgeous cake....and love the pics too...One cake that i am gonna try soon for sure...

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  3. Thanks, MeetaK, this was an American birthday for my English "daughter" (my daughter's bf) hence the American flags. Lemon is her favorite cake. She said this one was better than her real mom makes! ;)

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  4. Debugcooking, thanks for the compliments. Do give it a try, it's basically foolproof, (most cakes baked in a bundt pan are) but the results are really impressive!

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  5. Dear Stacey and Tash, it is always so lovely to visit this corner. The way you write nearly pushes me into the kitchen. I love bundt cakes. Back home it was one of the most common types of cakes. Lemon..lemon cakes are delicious and as you say, they might not need much. The birthday cake, all dressed up in beautiful drizzle is gorgeous. No wonder you English daughter has a smile on her face. Moments like that stay with one forever. As for the lemonade, I grew up on something that we call back home in Brazil 'the swiss lemonade'. It consists of a lemonade with lime. You would cut the ends of the lime and they quarter it. leave the skin on. We would then throw the lime in the blender, with water and sugar. It had to be whizzed very quickly otherwise it would get too bitter. you would then strain it and put it back in the blender with loads of ice. Another quick whiz. oh, the most delicious refreshing drink. It might look like hard work but it wasn't really. Your post brought memories of this lvoely, refreshing beverage.

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  6. Valentina, your swiss lemonade sounds delish! I will definitely give it a try as soon as I get to the States where it is nice and hot, like summer should be! How many limes should I use? Thanks for stopping by, it's always great to hear from you.

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  7. That looks like a fantastic cake and it's great you had so much fun making it. I have some mini bundt moulds but haven't used them yet. Sticky icing on top really finishes them off doesn't it?

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  8. What a delicious looking cake. Soaking it with lemon flavor sounds so yummy! Planning to get a new cake pan - love the traditional shape of the pan you used! Maybe I can find a good one during my trip to Michigan next week! xoxo

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  9. oh, how many? Hold on, i haven't made it again in ages. I would say about 4 but i will try tomorrow and confirm.Visit me at http://aweebitofsugar.com when you have sometime. Miss you girls. Must meet up when you come back.

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  10. Oooh, I love lemon cake! Great pic with the icing dribbling down over the cake - really luscious :)

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  11. Thanks, Cooksister, give this cake a try, it is really yummy!

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  12. I always wonder about heavy cream when I see it in recipes so thank you for the translation to single cream! This cake looks like something I would enjoy very much.

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