Because spring is here (apparently), I’ve been doing a spot of spring cleaning around here. If you’re a regular reader of this blog then you might just notice a couple of changes to the homepage – you’ll now be able to find seasonal categories when you first arrive here, as well as my latest posts and some of my all-time favourites. I’m always trying to improve my blogging skills, and I want to keep things fresh and exciting around here.
Speaking of fresh, how about this zesty lemon poppy seed bundt for a hit of citrus right about now:
I’m a massive lemon fan – it’s like my third favourite fruit – so when I picked up the gorgeous Nordic Ware Heritage bundt pan whilst on holiday in Florida last month, I knew the very first thing I wanted to bake was going to lemon based. And what’s better with lemon than some nutty* poppy seeds, am I right?
*Katie and I can’t seem to decide whether poppy seeds have a taste or not, or whether they just add texture and a bit of excitement when you cut into a cake. I am a firm believer that you can definitely taste them, but I’m having a hard time putting it into words. Not the best when you’re a blogger. Google wasn’t much help either. Apparently you can fail a drugs test if you eat too many of them though – you learn something new every day.
The cake itself comes together in no time – it’s a one bowl wonder, and is made even easier if you use bottled lemon juice like I do. Yep, the lazy girl in me strikes again. You’re going to need a lot of lemon juice once you’ve made the cake, the drizzle, and the icing, so I would save yourself the arm-ache and only buy a few fresh lemons for the zest.
When it comes to getting an extra punch of lemon flavour into the cake, the drizzle is a no-brainer. Grab a saucepan and heat the lemon juice and sugar together until you’ve got a tangy syrup, and then pour half of it into the bottom of the bundt tin. Pop the freshly baked cake back into the tin again (after poking some holes in the top) and then pour the rest of the drizzle over the bottom (or is it the top now?). Leave the cake to completely cool whilst soaking up the syrup, and you’ll have an even more perfect lemon cake than before.
And yes Katie, that explains why you had to wash up the bundt tin twice. You’re not losing your mind after all.
I’ve been getting a lot of love for the cute little dessert plates above, but unfortunately they were purchased back before Christmas as a gift for me, and Debenhams no longer make them ? But I definitely appreciate the feedback never-the-less! I can tell you that the cute ‘eat dessert first’ fork came from Milk & Honey over on Etsy though, if that’s any help.
The icing on this lemon poppy seed bundt is also lemon flavoured (of course) and I’m sure you’ll agree it makes it all the more appealing. There’s something about drizzling icing or melted chocolate (or caramel!) on a cake that just makes you want to dive in and grab a slice. I don’t know what it is.
We are living in a drip-cake age I guess.
I’m just all about those curves.
- 170g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 350g (1¾ cups) caster sugar (US granulated sugar)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 120ml (½ cup) lemon juice (from about 3-4 large lemons or from a bottle)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from about 4 large lemons)
- 80ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil (or other flavourless oil)
- 250ml (1 cup) sour cream
- 375g (3 cups) plain or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons (30g) poppy seeds
- 100g (½ cup) caster sugar (US granulated sugar)
- 80ml (⅓ cup) lemon juice (from about 2-3 large lemons or from a bottle)
- 300g (2⅓ cups) icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 60ml (¼ cup) lemon juice (from about 1-2 large lemons or from a bottle)
- 1 tablespoon (10g) poppy seeds for decoration (optional)
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F (160C fan) and grease a 10 inch bundt tin (if using non-stick spray instead of butter, then I always spray this on just before I'm going to put the batter in the tin).
- Place the butter and caster sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl) and beat well until the butter is light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, and scraping down the sides if needed. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, vegetable oil, and sour cream to the bowl and beat well until everything is well-mixed. You can't really over-mix at this stage.
- Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and poppy seeds to the bowl and gently mix together on a low speed, until just incorporated. Make sure there are no pockets of flour in there, and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl too.
- Pour the batter into your bundt tin and spread around so that it is even. Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake ring comes out clean (or just-about clean). Place the bundt tin on a wire rack to cool whilst you make the drizzle.
- Place the sugar and lemon juice into a small saucepan and place on a low to medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes. Once all the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat.
- Carefully remove the cake from the bundt tin, and poke holes all over the top of it with a toothpick or fork. Pour half of the syrup mixture into the bottom of the bundt tin, and then place the bundt cake back into the tin. The syrup will then absorb up into the cake. Poke holes in the bottom of the bundt cake and pour the rest of the drizzle onto it (whilst the cake is still in the tin). Leave to completely cool and absorb the drizzle for 30 minutes or so.
- Place the icing sugar and lemon juice into a medium bowl and mix together well until the icing is smooth and there are no lumps. If you want the icing a little runnier then add half a teaspoon more lemon juice at a time, or if you want it a bit stiffer then add a heaped tablespoon of icing sugar at a time, until the right consistency has been reached.
- Remove the bundt cake fromt he tin and place on to a service plate. Drizzle or pipe the lemon icing over the bundt cake - this doesn't have to be perfect! Sprinkle with the remaining poppy seeds if desired.
- This bundt cake will stay fresh for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container in a cool place (not the fridge). You can freeze the cake before it has been drizzled and iced for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and then add the drizzle and icing as above.
- I used a 10 inch Nordicware Heritage bundt tin, but any 10 inch bundt tin will work just as well.
- If you don't have any poppy seeds to hand, then this cake will still be fabulous without them - there's no need to adjust any of the other ingredients.
