Meyer Lemon Cake
The other day I nearly screeched the tires on my grocery cart. In the produce section, I had crossed almost everything off my list when I spotted a display of Meyer lemons tucked in with the rest of the citrus. They are best described as a fragrant cross between a lemon and a mandarin with golden skin. In that moment I had no idea what I wanted to do with them, but by the time I got home I decided on a Meyer lemon cake.
It had been ages since I used my bundt pan, so I figured it would be perfect for this simple citrusy cake. The batter came together very quickly. The last step was to fold in lemon zest. After the cake was baked and cooled, I whisked together the frosting. Instead of drizzling it haphazardly on top, I poured following the lines of the bundt pattern. The final result was a striped sweet cake with a wonderfully lemony bite.
Meyer Lemon Cake
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Makes 1 cake
For cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature plus more for pan
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup whole milk
Zest of 2 Meyer lemons
For icing
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon whole milk
Juice of 2 Meyer lemons
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar and salt until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
Combine the flour and baking powder in a large bowl. On low speed add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with the milk. Fold in the lemon zest. Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan with butter. Spread the batter into the pan. Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Place a cooling rack on the top of the pan and carefully flip it over. The cake should drop out of the pan. If not, let it rest for an additional 5 minutes before lifting off the pan again and gently shaking, if necessary.
Let the cake cool completely before making the icing. Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, salt, milk and lemon juice. Once it is a smooth pourable consistency, drizzle over the cake.
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature.
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