Zingy Lemon Bundt Cake
Oh. My. Guess what I’ve made four times in the last two months? My Zingy Lemon Bundt Cake. If I had to live off one cake for the rest of my life, this is it. And that's kind of a big deal. This cake is vibrant, fresh and darlingly a little sweet thanks to the smooth and velvety vanilla buttercream topped with edible flowers and dried slices of citrusy lemon. But get this. It's so divine, and light, and zingy that it doesn't make you feel guilty when you go back for seconds, and thirds. Also, this is THE cake to make for Mother's Day. I guarantee she'll love it. The only thing I can't guarantee is if she'll let you take any leftovers home.
Would all the lemon lovers please stand up? Hi hi! Welcome to the Lemon Love Club. I love lemon, and I have to admit I am a little aggressive when it comes to adding lemon to cakes. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am that girl who adds more lemon juice, and more lemon zest until it's perfectly zingy and vibrant - like a pleasant citrus disco in your mouth.
What is a bundt cake?
A bundt cake is simply a cake that is simply baked in a bundt pan, which is distinctly shaped like a ring with fluted or grooved sides, leaving a cylindrical hole through the centre of the cake. By using a bundt pan, it allows more of the cake to be in contact with the edges of the pan, and therefore the heat is transferred more evenly leaving a lovely brown crust around the edges. For this recipe, I used a bundt pan that I found in a charity shop! The best bunt pans are by far the range from Nordic Ware, which you can find on Williams Sonoma in Australia. If you don't have a bundt pan, then it's not really a bundt cake as it's all about the shape. So I highly recommend buying one if you can.
Why you are going to love this Lemon Bundt Cake!
I have been working on this recipe for months and therefore I have made sure it's easy to follow.
This is the cake you make for someone you truly love. It shows them how much care you took to make something so utterly beautiful and more importantly, delicious.
It's so fresh, and light, and zingy that it's going to leave you wanting more. It doesn't make you feel sick after one slice; if anything, blink and you'll be back for seconds and thirds before you know it.
While the cake is a citrus lemony bomb, the vanilla buttercream pulls it back and balances out this cake to perfection.
It's important you use a bundt pan for this recipe, otherwise it won't work. So do invest in one if you can or try to find something similar and less expensive, like this pan or this pan.
Taking the cake out of the pan is a lot of fun but it can be a bit scary - even I'll admit that! Remember to thoroughly grease your pan with butter before adding the batter to the pan. This step is very important.
You can store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. But better yet, I recommend slicing any leftovers (shock horror if this is the case!), wrapping each individual slice in clingfilm and freezing for up to 3 months. When you're looking for a something sweet but light (and not decadent like chocolate), simply take a slice from the freezer and let it thaw on the kitchen bench for 5 to 10 minutes. If anything, I think it actually tastes better chilled!
Have I convinced you to make my Zingy Lemon Bundt Cake this week or for Mother's Day? I hope so! Let's get cooking. And if you love my recipe (fingers crossed), I would love you to leave a 5 star rating below. Huge thank you's in advance! And did you know? You can also stay in touch with me by following along on Instagram and Pinterest.
Zingy Lemon Bundt Cake
Servings
8
Oh. My. Guess what I've made four times in the last two months? My Zingy Lemon Bundt Cake. If I had to live off one cake for the rest of my life, this is it. And that's kind of a big deal.
This cake is vibrant, fresh and darlingly a little sweet thanks to the smooth and velvety vanilla buttercream topped with edible flowers and dried slices of citrusy lemon.
But get this. It's so divine, and light, and zingy that it doesn't make you feel guilty when you go back for seconds, and thirds. Also, this is THE cake to make for Mother's Day. I guarantee she'll love it. The only thing I can't guarantee is if she'll let you take any leftovers home.
Ingredients
Lemon Bundt Cake
250g salted butter, room temperature (plus extra for greasing the bundt pan)
250g plain flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp flaky sea salt
200g caster sugar
Zest of 4 lemons (reserve juice for sugar syrup below)
4 large eggs, room temperature
Sugar Syrup
125g caster sugar
Juice of 4 lemons
Vanilla Buttercream
300g salted butter, room temperature
3 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp vanilla extract
60ml thickened pouring cream
Cake Decoration
Edible flowers, from your local fruit and vegetable market. I bought these from the Tewantin Market Garden.
Dried lemon slices, I bought these from Mary Valley Food Co.
Directions
Preheat oven to 180C. Generously butter the inside of the bundt pan using your hands. Make sure you push the butter into every groove and be very generous with how much butter you use, otherwise the cake won't turn out of the pan.
Add flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
In a stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric beater, cream together butter, sugar and lemon zest until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and make sure each egg is fully combined before adding the next egg.
Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture using a silicone spatula. Take care and avoid knocking out the air you have whisked in the butter mixture.
Dollop the mixture into the greased bundt tin and lightly smooth out the top with the silicone spatula. Gently drop the tin down onto the kitchen bench to get rid of any surface bubbles in the mixture.
Bake for 40 mins to 60 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. The reason why the bake time is quite broad is due to the tin you're using so check your bundt cake every 5 to 10 mins after the first 40 mins.
Take the cake out of the oven when it is cooked and poke holes in the surface with a fork or skewer. Don't worry if you poke all the way down to the inside of the bundt tin.
Whisk caster sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl using a fork, then generously pour all over the cake and making sure the sugar syrup soaks into the holes you have just created. Leave the sugar syrup to soak into the cake for 10 mins. Turn the cake out of the bundt pan and onto a cooling rack. Leave to cool completely.
When the cake is cooled, make the buttercream. For the vanilla buttercream, whip butter and icing sugar in a stand mixer for at least 5 mins until the buttercream is pale and fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Keep whipping for 3 mins. Finally, add the cream and keep whipping for a further 5 mins.
Using a butter knife or palette knife, generously ice the top of the bundt cake with the vanilla buttercream. Decorate with edible flowers and dried lemon slices.
Recipe note:
I have been working on this recipe for months and therefore I have made sure it's easy to follow.
This is the cake you make for someone you truly love. It shows them how much care you took to make something so utterly beautiful and more importantly, delicious.
It's so fresh, and light, and zingy that it's going to leave you wanting more. It doesn't make you feel sick after one slice; if anything, blink and you'll be back for seconds and thirds before you know it.
While the cake is a citrusy lemony bomb, the vanilla buttercream pulls it back and balances out this cake to perfection.
It's important you use a bundt pan for this recipe, otherwise it won't work. So do invest in one if you can or try to find something similar and less expensive, like this pan or this pan.
Taking the cake out of the pan is a lot of fun but it can be a bit scary - even I'll admit that! Remember to thoroughly grease your pan with butter before adding the batter to the pan. This step is very important. I also found using a knife just to ease the cake edges away from the bundt pan also helps.
You can store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. But better yet, I recommend slicing any leftovers (shock horror if this is the case!), wrapping each individual slice in clingfilm and freezing for up to 3 months. When you're looking for a something sweet but light (and not decadent like chocolate), simply take a slice from the freezer and let it thaw on the kitchen bench for 5 to 10 minutes. If anything, I think it actually tastes better chilled!
