OK, confession time. You see that picture above, that was my attempt at making a lemon Bundt cake with a lemon drizzle. And as experienced as I am at baking Bundt cakes, this one came apart on me.
My first thought was that the cake must have fallen in love with the Bundt pan while they were in the warm, intimate environment of my oven. Because a good 1/8th of the cake was still clinging to the bottom of the pan as the rest of the cake lay topless on my cake dish. And even then, as I went after the recalcitrant bits, I almost destroyed the pan in the process! But I got even. I drowned the remaining bits and sent them down to visit Gritsner (the name I have given to our garbage disposal), and by now they are drowning in (never mind)!
My more reasonable second thought about why my cake refused to cooperate was because I floured the pan with 7 or 8-year-old Wondra flour. I have subsequently learned that instead of using flour of any kind, I should have used finely ground nuts or granulated sugar. (You learn something new every day.) But I’m not taking any chances the next time I build this cake. (And believe me, there will be a lot more times I build this cake.) The batter is going into a 9×13-inch glass pan that I know I can use a heavy spatula if necessary to release pieces from their rectangular enclosure!
So, back to yesterday’s fiasco. You know what they always say about lemons: If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Well, my version now goes like this: If a lemon glaze won’t cover up your Bundt cake disaster, make a thick creamy frosting instead. So, of course, that’s exactly what I did.
But even with all the trials and tribulations, the cake turned out to be very delicious. And with a perfect moist and tender crumb. And oh, so easy to prepare. And the frosting, well, I’d give myself 6 stars for this one.
As always, just when I started feeling a bit over pleased with myself, the God’s decided I needed a lesson in humility. And you know what? They must keep their eyes peeled on me all the time, because I get these lessons frequently. And for that I am extremely thankful. Because the last thing this world needs is another conceited (your word) taking up space. There are far too many (your word) already.
Peace and love to all. And please make this cake. It is really, really tasty.
Lemon Cake:
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
2 c. granulated sugar
3 lg. eggs
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour , fluffed
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fine sea salt
zest of 2 lg. lemons
1 c. sour cream
Preheat the oven to 325-degrees. Grease and flour a 9X13-inch baking pan. (Glass is best.) Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with sour cream, beating batter briefly after each addition. Don’t over-mix. Scoop batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Check after 23 minutes to be sure.) Don’t over-bake.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before frosting.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz. (½ 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, softened
½ stick unsalted butter, softened
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ – 1 tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt
2 c. powdered sugar, or more to achieve desired thickness
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth and no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt.
Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the powdered sugar. Once the sugar begins to incorporate, increase the mixer to high speed and beat until soft and creamy. Add additional powdered sugar as needed. Frost the cake as soon as it’s completely cooled.