Happy Birthday Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe for Bountiful Cookbook

Make Lemon Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Make cake release mixture: Whisk together the 1 Tablespoon of shortening, 1 Tablespoon of oil, and 1 Tablespoon of flour until well combined.
• Brush the cake release mixture into a 12-cup bundt pan or two 6-cup bundt pans, making sure all the crevices are coated.
• In a bowl, whisk or sift together the 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt until well combined. Set aside.
• In an another bowl, cream together the 1 cup (2 sticks) butter and 2 cups of sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes if by stand mixer.
• Beat in the 1/2 cup of oil, lemon zest, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract.
• On the lowest speed, gradually beat in the 4 eggs until just incorporated. Mix in the flour mixture, until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Firmly tap the pan against the countertop to knock out any bubbles.
• Bake on the middle oven rack at 350°F (175°C) for 50-70 minutes for a 12-cup bundt pan (45-65 minutes for two 6-cup bundt pans), or until a toothpick comes out clean near the center.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the cake by tapping it against the counter. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Make the Lemon Glaze:

• Stir together lemon glaze ingredients (1/3 cup lemon juice & 1/2 cup sugar - if needed, heat them briefly to help dissolve the sugar). Brush on the hot cake until all of the glaze is absorbed (you may not end up using all of the glaze). After it has cooled, if serving within a day or two continue to final step, or if serving later in the week, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve (keeps 4-5 days wrapped in the fridge).

Make Lemon Icing & Serve:

• On the day you are ready to serve (or the night before), take the bundt out of the fridge to come up to room temperature. In a microwaveable bowl (in case you need to warm it to help it pour better), whisk together the icing ingredients (1 cup powdered sugar & 1 Tablespoon lemon juice), adjusting the lemon juice amount to make the icing fairly thick but pourable, however not too runny. If the icing is close to the thickness you want, but still a touch too thick to pour, warm it slightly and it will become more fluid when it cools off (perfect for icing the bundt cake). Drizzle the icing over the top of the bundt cake and serve when the icing sets.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt for at least 20 seconds. Set aside.
• In a mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes (if the bowl does not feel cool while creaming, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes, then continue creaming).
• Beat in the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. On the lowest speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated. Mix in the flour mixture in three stages, until just combined. Whip the heavy cream just past the soft peak stage. Stir in about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the batter, and then fold in the remaining whipped cream until just combined.
• Coat a 12-cup bundt pan or two 6-cup bundt pans with cooking spray or with butter and flour (recipe will work in 24 fluted brioche tins for mini cakes too).
• Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan (or brioche tins). Drop the pan from about 4" above the counter to knock out any bubbles.
• Bake on the middle oven rack for 50-60 minutes (about 20 minutes for small tins), or until a toothpick comes out clean near the center. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the cake by knocking it against the counter. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.
• Stir together lemon glaze ingredients (if needed, heat them briefly to help dissolve the sugar). Brush on the hot cake until all of the glaze is absorbed. After it has cooled, if serving within a day or two continue to final step, or if serving later in the week, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve (keeps 4-5 days wrapped in the fridge).
• On the day you are ready to serve (or the night before), take the bundt out of the fridge to come up to room temperature. In a microwaveable bowl (in case you need to warm it to help it pour better), whisk together the icing ingredients (powdered sugar, vanilla extract & heavy cream), adjusting the heavy cream amount to make the icing fairly thick but pourable, however not too runny. If the icing is close to the thickness you want, but still a touch too thick to pour, warm it slightly and it will become more fluid when it cools off (perfect for icing the bundt cake). Drizzle the icing over the top of the bundt cake and serve when the icing sets.