A little belated, but hey, at least I’m getting this posted within the week! If you don’t follow The Food Librarian and her 30 days of bundts in celebration of Bundt Day, then you’re missing out on all the fun. Whenever I’m in need of a good bundt recipe, her blog is the first place I check out. Given my inclination towards all desserts citrus, when I saw her recipe for a lemon bundt, soaked with a lemon syrup and topped with a simple glaze, I was sold. This would be my celebratory bundt.

Good choice on my part! This cake reminds me of a very lemony, quite dense, pound cake. I love the tart syrup that you coat the cake with afterwards – it soaks right in and amplifies the lemon flavour while giving the cake a slightly sticky-sweet exterior. I don’t know if the light glaze is even needed, but it does sweeten out all the citrus notes in the cake.

This is an easy, great bundt. I can imagine it being perfect for adding berries too, and would make a nice summer cake.

My apologies for the plethora of lemon desserts these days – next up, something more fall appropriate, promise!

Lemon Bundt Cake
Adapted from The Food Librarian
Printable Recipe

1 cup plain lowfat yogurt
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
4 large eggs, room temp
2 3⁄4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

LEMON SYRUP
1⁄2 cup each lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup water

GLAZE
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 to 5 tsp milk

1. Preheat oven 350ºF. Prep a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan. I spray mine with Pam with Flour.

2. Whisk together yogurt, lemon zest, juice and vanilla in small bowl.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl.

4. With a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Reduce to low speed. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt mixture, followed by the remaining dry mixture. Mix just until blended. Don’t overmix, and finish off with a spatula.

6. Scoop into prepared Bundt pan.

7. Bake 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10-20 minutes before inverting on rack.

SYRUP
While cake is cooling, bring syrup ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, uncovered, 12 minutes or until syrupy. Brush over warm cake; let cake cool completely.

GLAZE
Mix confectioners’ sugar and just enough milk until smooth; spoon over completely cooled cake.

I made this cake ages ago, and I can’t even remember the occasion I made it for. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to share the recipe, because it was a really good cake. It had all that citrus that I love, plus a perfect cream cheese frosting, plus berries…how could it go wrong?

I’m a terrible cake decorator, so I prefer to just slather frosting between the layers and on the top. For this cake, I topped it with fresh blackberries and candied lemon peel. The end result was pretty much a perfect cake – light and lemony, with plump, juicy berries, and a rich, tart frosting. Not really a fall recipe, but still, a great cake.

Stay tuned for the candied lemon recipe, if interested…I’m participating in the Cupcake Camp Montreal this weekend, and candied lemon is on the menu!

Berry-Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Dairy Goodness
Printable Recipe

BERRY LEMON CAKE
3/4 cup (175 ml) butter
1-1/2 cups (375 ml) granulated sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla
2-1/2 cups (625 ml) cake flour
2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
3/4 cup (175 ml) milk
1 cup (250 ml) fresh berries (I used blackberries, but the original recipe calls for blueberries)

LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 (8 oz/250 g) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (50 ml) butter
1/4 cup (50 ml) fresh lemon juice
5 cups (1.25 l) icing sugar

CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter two 9-inch (23 cm) round baking pans and line with parchment paper. Butter the paper and set aside. Cream butter and gradually beat in sugar until fluffy. Stir in egg yolks, lemon juice and vanilla.

2. Blend flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk and beat until smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry using clean beaters. Fold into batter. Divide batter between prepared baking pans. Sprinkle with berries. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched lightly. Cool for 10 minutes in pans. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

FROSTING
1. Beat cream cheese until very smooth. Add butter and blend. Beat in lemon juice until there are no lumps. Add icing sugar a little at a time and beat until smooth. Place one layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate and frost evenly. Add second layer, bottom side up, and frost.