Garden Party Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Bundt Cake ::: Sarah McKellar

You will need between five and six T. of lemon juice for this recipe. Because of the amount of juice can vary from lemon to lemon, we suggest you first measure the juice from three lemons you have zested, then juice a fourth lemon if necessary. Serve this cake as is or dress it up with lightly sweetened berries. The cake has a light, fluffy texture when eaten the day it is baked, but if well wrapped and held at room temperature overnight its texture becomes more dense, like that of pound cake, the following day.

Cake Ingredients

3 Lemons, zested and saved, then juiced for 3 T. juice (see note above)

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces)

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 t. vanilla extract

3/4 c. low-fat buttermilk (preferably)

3 large eggs, at room temperature

18 T. unsalted butter (2 1/4 sticks), at room temperature

2 c. sugar

Glaze Ingredients

2-3 T. fresh lemon juice (see note above)

1 T. buttermilk

2 c. confectioners' sugar (8 ounces)

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with non-stick baking spray with flour (alternatively, brush pan with mixture of 1 T. flour and 1 T. melted butter). Mince lemon zest to fine paste (you should have about 2 T). Combine zest and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside to soften, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Combine lemon juice mixture, and buttermilk in a medium bowl. IN a small bowl, gently whisk eggs and yolk to combine. In standing mixer fitted with a flat beater, cream butter and sugar at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes; scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce to medium speed and add hald of eggs, mixing until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining eggs; scrape down bowl again. Reduce to low speed; add about one-third of flour mixture, followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until just incorporated after each addition. Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at med-low speed until patter is throughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Scrape into prepared pan.

Bake until top is golden brown and wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into center comes out with no crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes.

FOR THE GLAZE: While the cake is baking, whisk 2 T. lemon juice, buttermilk, and confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding more lemon juice gradually until glaze is thick but still pourable. Cool cake in pan on wire rack set over baking sheet for 10 minutes, then invert cake directly onto rack. Pour half of glaze over warm cake and let cool for 1 hour; pour remaining glaze evenly over top of cake and continue to cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours. Cut into slices and serve. Yields 12-16 servings.