Some desserts are just so pretty I wish I could keep them on the counter for a few days as decor. Bundt cakes generally fall into this category, and this lemon bundt cake with its bright lemon glaze is no exception.
Isn’t it a cake that just looks like spring? I know it’s officially summer now, but spring is my favourite so that’s what I’m trying to channel all summer long until we get to fall, my other favourite :) I’ll get into frozen desserts soon enough, no doubt, when it’s too hot to turn on the oven, but for now, let them eat cake!
Bundt cakes are one of my favourite things to make for Sunday tea. They generally use basic ingredients, require no fancy techniques, and easily feed a crowd, making it easy to invite someone over at the last minute and not wonder if there are enough Oreos to go around.
Bundt cakes have a denser texture than, say, a birthday cake, which makes it perfect for sharing with kids since the crumb mess is less. The texture also means you can slice off a piece while you walk by and eat it right out of your hand, saving dishes…or you can grab a dish and fancy it up with some fresh berries and whipped cream. Berry season is definitely something to love about summer.
Lemon and raspberry are meant to be friends, and if you want them to get even closer or you don’t have a bundt pan handy you could also try lemon raspberry trifle or lemon raspberry cream pie. But if the bundt pan and the lemons are handy, I highly recommend adding this to your weekend plans!
- CAKE:
- 1¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4½ teaspoons lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- LEMON ICING:
- 1¾ cup icing sugar , sifted
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan thoroughly with butter, oil, or cooking spray, and dust with a sprinkle of flour.
- To make the cake, beat sugar, lemon zest and butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and lemon juice and beat well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, along with half of the buttermilk, and mix on low speed. Add remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan with a spatula, smoothing top. Bake 40 to 45 minutes,until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting cake onto a rack to finish cooling.
- When the cake is cool, drizzle with lemon glaze: In a small bowl, whisk icing sugar with lemon juice until smooth; whisk in water, ½ tsp at a time, until about the consistency of molasses. Drizzle over cake; garnish with additional lemon zest if desired. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.
- Best served fresh, but this cake also stores well in an airtight container at room temperate for 2-3 days.
*Adapted from Canadian Living.
Looks and sounds delicious, adding to my baking list. I also like the suggestion to add poppy seeds, yum!
This was nice and lemony… I think I want to try adding poppy seeds and turn them into muffins next time. :-)