Lemon Bundt Cake

Summer vacaaaaaaation! 

This summer has been absolutely relaxing! Besides spending lots of time at home (in the farmlands of New York), we went on a family vacation. It might be one of the last family vacations we'll be able to take for a while, but it was well worth all the battle scars -bruises, mosquito bites, and  scrapes- that Em and I accumulated from the trip.  

It's the first real summer vacation either one of us have had in a long time.  Usually we're busy working or learning/studying or a combination of both. So what have we been doing instead? 


Absolutely nothing! It's rather liberating to just spend time with extended family and friends and realize the importance of "the small things". 

On an entirely different note...

Lemon Lemon Lemon Lemon Lemon Lemon

In celebration of Kay's birthday some time ago, I made this Lemon Bundt Cake!

Since Kay is a lemon lover (this title reminds me of the Lonely Island video mother-lover...bad?), I knew whatever I decided upon would have to be infused with a million lemons.


After finding this bundt cake from America's Test Kitchen, I absolutely knew that it was perfect for Kay! While I knew ATK's recipes are tested to perfection, I wanted that extra lemon zest and juice kick! Consequently, I used the zest of 5 lemons and the juice of 6!

Zesting actually takes a good amount of time... I didn't exactly allot enough time for this! So Zester Beware!!

Also, the cake is a little homely looking with numerous bald spots... butter/flour fail! Bundt cakes are notoriously difficult to pop out looking perfectly. Definitely use extra care!

To adequately (and not get a balding bundt cake) butter a Bundt pan, ATK suggests making a paste from 1 tbsp melted butter and 1 tbsp flour, or 1 tbsp cocoa powder for chocolate cakes.  Apply the paste with a pastry brush so all parts of the pan are buttered!


Recipe (From Cook's Illustrated)


3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice ( this was more around 5-6 tbsp for me)
3 tbsp lemon zest (this was more around 4-5 tbsp)
2 1/4 sticks butter, in chunks and softened
2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature


Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 350 degrees. 
Prepare bundt pan as above.
Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda together in medium bowl. 
In small bowl, whisk buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.


In large bowl, beat butter and sugar together with electric mixer until light and fluffy (3-6 min).
Beat in eggs and yolk one at a time until combined. 
Reduce speed and beat in 1/3 of flour mixture followed by half of buttermilk mixture.
Repeat with remaining flour and remaining buttermilk mixture.  Beat in until just incorporated.
Scrape batter into pan and smooth top. Tap pan gently to settle the batter.


Bake 50-60 min, until skewer inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. 
Let cool in pan for 10 min. Then flip out onto wire rack.
Let cake cool completely about 2 hours before serving. 


For a lemon glaze, beat 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice together.

For those Doctor Who fans out there...

A Tardis Cafe!!! From Neatorama

Anybody up for a trip to Glasgow?

Linked to Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Mangia Mondays