Lemon Cake
My mother’s family is known for their love of a somewhat unusual bundt cake we refer to as “Lemonade Cake”. I am not sure the origin, but I have made it every year for Mother’s Day, my mother’s birthday, and my grandmother’s birthday. It involved adding a package of lemon jello to a vanilla or lemon boxed cake mix, poking holes in the cake after it is cooked and then pouring over a thawed container of frozen lemonade concentrate. Unusual, I know, but it was satisfyingly tart and sweet and somehow just worked. However, as much as this is my mother’s favourite cake, almost every man I have ever met dislikes it.
Having become something of a baking snob in my old age, I wanted to see if I could replicate the taste without using a boxed mix, boxed jello and frozen Minute Maid. And if my husband and father actually liked the end result- well that was just a bonus.
By happenstance, I came across an older recipe from Ina Garten for a lemon pound cake that had a soaking syrup (just like lemonade!). The original recipe was intended to make two loafs, but it was easily converted to a bundt cake. The result was everything I hoped for! The cake was moist, the right balance of tart and sweet, and it included a bonus lemon glaze that hid any imperfections that resulted from poor greasing of the pan. My father even choked down a piece.
The original recipe calls for spooning the syrup over the cake once it is removed from the pan. This created a giant mess. If you are using a bunt pan, I recommend keeping the cake in the pan and poking holes all over the top (which will end up as your bottom), pouring the syrup into the pan and letting it soak in.
Lemon Cake
Loosely adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Makes 1 bundt cake or 2 loaf cakes
1 cup (225 g or 8 oz) butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups (500 g) sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (about 6 large lemons)
3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt
3/4 cup (175 ml) plus 3 1/2 Tbsp (50 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan or two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans. If using the bundt pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and 2 cups (400 g) of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Mixing at medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the lemon zest.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl (or a glass measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup (60 ml) of lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternatively to the butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared bunt or divide between the loaf pans, smooth the top(s), and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Make soaking syrup: Combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
When the cakes are done, let them cool 10 minutes. If using Bundt pan, poke holes all over the cake while it is still in the bunt pan with a cake tester or toothpicks. Pour the lemon syrup over the cake and allow it to soak in before inverting the cake onto a rack. Alternatively, if using loaf pans, invert them onto a rack set over a tray, and spoon the lemon syrup over the cakes. Let the cakes cool completely.
Make the glaze: Combine the confectioners’ sugar and remaining 3 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a whisk until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake(s) and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.