I picked up my first Bundt pan this weekend really wanting to try this recipe. Lemon desserts make me think of spring and I know spring is on the way here in MN so I'm hoping and praying it comes sooner rather than later. Thinking back, Bundt cakes used to be a bit more popular than they are today I imagine. This isn't the Bundt cake with the pudding in the center, this isn't your grandmothers cake. This Lemon Bundt comes from America's Test Kitchen, which is one of the most watched cooking shows on Public TV. These fine folks work with a recipe until it can be replicated with the same consistent results in different environments every time. If these nice people dole out a recipe, pay attention, it's the very best there is.
The Bundt pan is a Minnesota native of Nordic Ware. What started as a family owned, home grown operation in their own kitchen, now boasts a huge empire of over 60 million Bundt pans in Kitchens across the United States. Here is their pdf tip sheet on how to bake a perfect Bundt!
Lemon Bundt Cake (from America’s Test Kitchens as seen on Kelsey’s Apple a Day Blog)
Cake:
3 Lemons, zested and juiced for at least three Tbsp. lemon juice
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup lowfat buttermilk
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
18 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (2 ¼ sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
Glaze:
2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp buttermilk
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray with flour (alternatively, brush pan with mixture of 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon melted butter). Mince lemon zest to fine paste (you should have about 2 tablespoons). Combine zest and lemon juice in small bowl; set aside to soften, 10 to 15 minutes.
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Combine lemon juice mixture, vanilla, and buttermilk in medium bowl. In small bowl, gently whisk eggs and yolk to combine. In standing mixer fitted with flat paddle mixer attachment, 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 half 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 (about 5 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture. Scrape bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly 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 cake is baking, whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice, buttermilk, and confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding more lemon juice gradually as needed until glaze is thick but still pourable (mixture should leave faint trail across bottom of mixing bowl when drizzled from whisk). 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.
