Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake
This cake tastes decadent, like a rich buttery lemon pound cake, but it manages to be light and airy at the same time. Intrigued by the instructions order? Prepare your sugar and lemon zest and your yogurt-milk-lemon juice before preparing the bundt pan, because that gives them the most time for the flavors to marry. Adapted from Sarabeth's Good Morning Cookbook, by altering the process somewhat, fixing the flour amounts, and adding some of the frosting from Lil Luna's Better than Starbucks Lemon Loaf.
Servings: 10 -12 slices
Ingredients
Cake
- Flour and softened unsalted butter for the pan
- 3 scant cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest from 2 lemons
- 2 ½ cups (500 g) sugar, preferably superfine*
- ⅔ cup (174 g) plain (or Greek) yogurt
- ⅓ cup (90 g) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (50 g) fresh lemon juice from 1-2 lemons
- 1 cup (227 g, 2 stick)s unsalted butter diced into ½-inch cubes, chilled
- 5 large eggs at room temperature, beaten
Lemon Glaze
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) fresh lemon juice from 2-3 lemons
- ½ cup (98 g) superfine* sugar or 60g confectioner's sugar
Lemon Frosting
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
Cake
- In a medium bowl, stir or sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, use your fingertips to rub the fresh lemon zest and sugar together until quite fragrant. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, whole milk, and lemon juice.
- Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350 F. Generously coat the inside of a 10-cup (9-inch) bundt pan with butter, dust with flour, and tap out the excess (or use a nonstick spray). Be very thorough, or you will regret it when you turn out your cake.
- Beat the butter at high speed for 1 minute, until it is smooth. Add the lemon zest-sugar, then continue beating on high for another 5 minutes, scraping occasionally, until the sugared butter is almost white in color and light in texture (fluffy).
- Gradually beat in the eggs at low speed, scraping down the bowl several times to ensure full incorporation.
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternated with the liquids in two additions (flour-milk-flour-milk-flour), mixing at low speed until just barely combined each time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smooth the top.
- Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, about 45-60 minutes (mine took 55). A toothpick should come out clean from the center of the cake.
Lemon Glaze
- While the cake bakes, prepare the glaze. Dissolve the lemon juice and superfine sugar together in a small bowl. Let it stand, so sugar fully dissolves into the lemon juice. [If using powdered sugar instead, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together.]
Lemon Frosting
- Beat the butter until smooth. Add the lemon juice and extract, mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar gradually, then beat until smooth and creamy.
Assembly
- Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes. Invert the cake onto the platter you will serve it from, one with raised edges. Gently brush the glaze all over the surface of the warm cake, making several coats of glaze on the cake and letting each coat soak in before adding the next.
- Once the cake is fully cool, coat with the frosting in a thin layer. Refrigerate to let the frosting set completely.
- This cake can be stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.
Notes
*I didn't find it necessary to use superfine sugar for the cake batter itself, although it does contribute towards additionally airiness, but superfine sugar for the icing is important.
If you don't have superfine sugar for the cake, use regular sugar.
If you don't have superfine sugar for the icing, use confectioner's sugar.
If you don't have superfine sugar for the cake, use regular sugar.
If you don't have superfine sugar for the icing, use confectioner's sugar.