Cook's Illustrated

Lemon Bundt Cake

Published January 1, 2006. 

Why this recipe works:

To develop a sturdy but tender Bundt cake recipe with potent lemon flavor, we increased the amount of butter and replaced milk with buttermilk. We found that creaming was necessary to achieve a light, even crumb. To maximize the lemon flavor in our lemon bundt cake recipe without compromising texture, we turned to three lemons’ worth of zest for a perfumed lemon flavor without excess liquid in the batter.

Serves 12 to 14

You will need between five and six tablespoons of lemon juice for this recipe. Because the amount of juice can vary from lemon to lemon, we suggest you first measure the juice from the three lemons you have zested, then juice a fourth lemon if necessary. Serve this cake as is or dress it up with lightly sweetened berries. The cake has a light, fluffy texture when eaten the day it is baked, but if well wrapped and held at room temperature overnight its texture becomes more dense—like that of pound cake—the following day.


Ingredients

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