Yesterday was overcast, cool, and rainy. Wednesday is also the day we go to my parent's house for supper every week. Sounded like the perfect day to bake a cake! I came across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen on Pinterest a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to try it out.
The cake was time consuming, but simple to make. There are a few things I would do differently next time (yes there will be a next time--this cake is amazing!) to make the process even easier on myself.
Lemon Cake
Adapted from ‘Barefoot Contessa Parties!’ and www.SmittenKitchen.com
Yield: 2 loaf cakes (or one bundt)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (I only had large)
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons) *Tip: Zest all lemons before you begin and use the remainder of zest for chicken, fish, smoothies, etc. later
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used a gluten free variety and it was perfect)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used regular)
3/4 cup plus 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice *Tip: Juice 6 lemons before you begin
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (I used buttermilk powder and water instead)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (I didn't sift)
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 1/2-by-4 1/4-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans or one bundt pan, and line the bottoms with parchment paper (don't need to line the bundt pan).
Cream butter and 2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mixing at medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, and lemon zest.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla.
Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
Divide batter evenly between pans, smooth tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.
When cakes are done, let them cool 10 minutes. Brush some of the syrup on the "top" of the cake while it is still in the pan.
Invert the cake onto a large plate, poke holes into the cake with a skewer, and brush lemon syrup over cakes with a brush. Let cakes cool completely.
For glaze, combine confectioners’ sugar and remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a whisk until smooth. My icing was thick so I used more lemon juice but next time I would use milk instead because my icing was very lemon-y!
Pour over top of cakes, and allow glaze to drizzle down the sides.
This cake was so amazingly delicious, moist (that syrup step is important), tangy, and sweet.
I ate two pieces last night and am enjoying my last as I write this post. The rest of the cake went to work with my husband for his coworkers to enjoy. Had the cake remained in my house I would have ate it all. Seriously.
Did I mention I skipped the gym yesterday to bake this cake? So after 3 pieces of the most delicious lemon bundt cake I have ever eaten, I am going to spend a few hours at the gym today because the sun is shining and I am going to the beach tomorrow. In a bikini. It will be an ab workout day for sure.
P.S. Make this cake NOW!
