This Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake is sweet and tart and super moist just like a lemon bundt cake should be. It’s King Arthur Flour’s 2017 Recipe of the Year.
It’s the year of the bundt on King Arthur Flour and I decided I wanted to bake along with them. They’re doing 5 bundt cakes in 2017 and their first bundt recipe is this luscious Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake King Arthur Flour adapted from a recipe from Maida Heatter.
I’m crazy about lemon desserts and this bundt cake was no exception. It’s loaded with lemon flavor. First, you finely grate 2 lemons and mix it in with the batter before baking.
Then after baking, while the cake is till hot, you coat the bundt cake in a lemon sugar glaze. The glaze is both sweet and tart and really amps up the lemon flavor. It’s a lot of glaze, so just be patient and keep layering it on and the cake will just keep soaking it up. Be sure and put a pan underneath the cake to catch any drips.
After the cake cools completely, then you decorate it with a pretty lemon icing. If you put a little puddle of icing of top of the bundt cake, it will slowly run down the sides. If you like, you can do what I did and add a little additional lemon zest on top of the glaze to add a little bit of yellow.
I changed the recipe slightly to accommodate how I like to bake, mixing the flour with the leavening before mixing it into the butter and sugar. I also changed the ingredients for high altitude baking. I’ve included the changes for high altitude in the recipe notes. I didn’t have the lemon oil on hand, but would like to try that some time.
This cake was quickly devoured at my house. I can see why King Arthur Flour crowned it the 2017 Recipe of the Year. If you’re a lemon dessert lover, definitely give this cake a try.
Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons 1 cup unsalted butter*, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup milk whole milk preferred
- finely grated rind of 2 medium lemons
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice; the juice of about 1 ½ juicy lemons
- Âľ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- pinch of salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. (I like to use non-stick baking spray with flour.)
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a second mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and lightened in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once all the eggs have been added, and beat briefly to re-combine any residue.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low speed to combine. Add ½ of the milk and mix to combine. Mix in another ⅓ of the flour. Mix in the remaining milk. Mix in the remaining ⅓ flour. Stir in the grated lemon rind or lemon oil.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, leveling it and smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake the cake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A pan with a dark interior will bake cake more quickly; start checking at 40 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the lemon juice and sugar. Microwave or heat over a burner briefly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. You don’t want to cook the lemon juice, so microwave just until very warm, but not uncomfortably hot — less than 1 minute should do it. Set the glaze aside.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and carefully run a knife between cake and pan all around the edge. Place the pan upside down on a cooling rack. If the cake drops out of the pan onto the rack, remove the pan. If the cake doesn’t drop onto the rack, let it rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift the pan off the cake. If the cake still feels like it's sticking, give it another 5 minutes upside down, then very gently shake the pan back and forth to loosen and remove it.
- Brush the glaze all over the hot cake, both top and sides. Let it sink in, then brush on more glaze, continuing until all the glaze is used up.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before icing and serving.
- To ice the cake: Mix the sugar and salt, then mix in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, adding just enough additional juice to create a thick glaze, one that's just barely pourable. Drizzle it artfully over the completely cool cake.
- Store the cake, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage
Notes
- 1 Âľ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk
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Joanne
What if you don’t have unsalted butter?
Melissa Griffiths
It’ll work great.
Bari
I want to make this cake for a party, it sounds delicious. I’m at 6800 elevation and want to know if you change temperature or time with the high altitude baking?
Melissa Griffiths
No changes should be needed
Penelope
Made this today. It was pretty much perfect. Loved the texture and density. It is a keeper. Live at 4500 ft.
Eva
Thank you for this delicious cake recipe. I’m at 5,000 feet too, so this came out perfectly! After 55 minutes in the oven, the result was a delicious, tender and moist cake. So glad I found someone at exactly my elevation. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Barbara Schieving
That’s awesome – thanks Eva!
Kristin Anderson
This cake looks absolutely gorgeous! Did you adjust the baking time or temp for high altitude? I live in Denver so I’m going to make your version of this recipe. What is your altitude? Thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Kristin – My high altitude changes are in the Notes section or the recipe. I’m at about 5,000 feet, so those changes should work for you in Denver as well. Enjoy!
Liz
For the adjustments for high altitude – are these the measurements you used instead? Or in addition to?
Thanks 🙂
Barbara Schieving
Hi Liz – use those measurements instead for the sugar, baking powder, and milk if you’re cooking at high altitude.
Kelly
Beautiful! Thank you! I loved that King Arthur chose this as cake of the year.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Kelly – it really is great 🙂
Bob
Made this yesterday and it’s half gone. Which wouldn’t be a bad thing, except I live alone! Wonderful flavor and SO easy! Next time might try it with lemon oil, but the flavor is so subtle with this version….
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Bob – it wouldn’t last long with just me at home either. 🙂
vi
This was one of the best cakes I have ever made. So darn tasty! It was super east to make also. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for taking the time to let me know you made it and loved it!
Carol
You know, I used to make Bundt cakes all the time back when my daughter was growing up….they were easy and made the perfect slice of cake-plus no muss no fuss with layers. I have quite a few decorative Bundt pans along with 2 of the traditional ones. I’m with you Barbara, I LOVE lemon everything so I know this cake would be a big hit here too. Can’t get too much lemon flavor for me! I do have the lemon oil here-will be anxious to give it a try in this cake. I hope mine looks as good as yours does!
With almost 2 feet of snow in a few days, a lemon cake would be a nice thing to bake-cutting into that pretty yellow cake will be like bringing a little summer sunshine into a cold winter day.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Carol! Let me know how it tastes with the lemon oil. Stay warm! 🙂