Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt - I Like Big Bundts 2013 - Day 2

Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt

Day 2 of I Like Big Bundts 2013

We're on Day 2 of this year's (light edition) of I Like Big Bundts - 15 days of Bundts leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th! I hope you join me in celebrating the Bundt and bake something special for your family and friends on Nov 15th.

When offered a choice of desserts in a restaurant or bakery, many people go straight for the chocolate. Me? It's all about the lemon (next on the list are ginger, other fruits, mocha/coffee, and then chocolate).

Today, I'm showing the Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake from the classic book Luscious Lemon Desserts by former food editor for Gourmet, Lori Longbotham.

This is a nice big Bundt...just the way I know you like them ;) It's lovely with a cup of tea or coffee. You can also serve it with raspberries or other fruit.

Made with cake flour, this cake's texture is soft and refined. I think the cake is better the next day so the lemon flavors have time to develop (I kept a piece and had it the next day...research purposes, right?!)

It has lots of zest so be sure to have your microplane ready for action. If you aren't lucky enough to have a lemon tree in the backyard, then try to purchase organic lemons since you are using so much of the zest. There is zest in the cake as well as the glaze. In this close-up photo, you can see the pieces of zest clinging to the cake.

My parent's Meyer Lemon tree didn't have any lemons for me so I went to the Farmer's Market and purchased these Eureka Lemons.

Last night, I went to Target to buy a new shower curtain. I got that...and the new iPad Air (no, it wasn't an impulse purchase, I was going to the the iPad at the Apple Store but Target had it on sale for $20 off...and I was able to use my Target gift cards from last Christmas!) Anyway, if I'm not baking Bundts, I'll be playing with my new toy - it's way lighter than older iPads. And special thanks to my UCLA grad school friend Laura who sent me this fabulous mini Bundt from a doll house collection! So cute!

Ahhhhh lemon. You rock. 
Come back tomorrow for another Bundt!
I Like Big Bundts 2013 (so far)

Day 1: Orange Marmalade Jubilee Bundt

Recipe: Ultimate Lemon Pound Cake Bundt
Adapted from Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbotham, 2001 Chronicle Books

Bundt Cake:
3 1/2 cups (12 1/4 ounces) sifted cake flour (not self rising)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups (450 grams) sugar
6 large eggs, room temp
1 cup milk (I used 1% milk)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 300⁰F.  Butter and flour or spray with Pam with Flour a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together TWICE. I sift onto a piece of parchment paper so it is easy to pour into the bowl later.
3. Beat butter with an electric mixer and paddle attachment on medium until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar to the butter, and beat until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well (30-60 seconds) after each addition.
5. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the milk in batches, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Stir in zest, lemon extract and vanilla.
7. Pour into Bundt pan and smooth top. Bake for 60-90 minutes (depending on your oven) until skewer comes out clean. **Check early because mine was almost done at 70 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes and then turn out onto cooling rack and glaze the warm cake.

Glaze:
1. While the Bundt is resting on the wire rack, make the lemon glaze.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Let simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens a little and the sugar has dissolved.
3. Turn the cake onto the rack and brush hot syrup over the hot cake with a pastry brush. Let cake cool before cutting into pieces. Enjoy!

Find the book on Amazon, or find the book in your Library via WorldCat

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Lemon Curd Pound Cake Bundt - Day #22 of I Like Big Bundts

Lemon Curd Pound Cake Bundt

It's Day #22 of I Like Big Bundts! The Food Librarian's attempt to present 30 Bundts in 30 Days...all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th! Are you ready? Do you have your awesome Bundt pan ready? We are only a little more than a week away. Today, I used the Nordic Ware Mini Bundt pan.

I had some lemon curd left over from the wedding dessert bar I did yesterday so I make some pound cake and dolloped a bit inside the cake (before baking). You can't really see it, but it's there!

And the wedding? It was awesome! The ceremony was very touching, the bride and groom were so beautiful and happy, and the dinner was yummy. My dessert bar was devoured, and the whole day went by in a flash. I had 5 hours of sleep in two days so I'm in recovery mode today! I'm working on a post about the wedding and hope to get that up soon. Best wishes to my friends Jun and David! 

I sprinkled some powdered sugar on top. However, some whipped cream, berries or more lemon curd would be a nice addition as well.

See this cute button? It can be yours if you make a Bundt with me for National Bundt Day (November 15th). More details later, but you'll need to send me a link or photo (if you don't have a blog) and I'll do a round up post. It was so much fun last year to see all the Bundt love!

Check out JustJenn's other stationery and buttons. She is offering FREE Shipping this week only so you can get everyone on your sh*t list a holiday gift (see the awesome note pad).

 

See you tomorrow for another Bundt! I need to take a nap now. If I can pull it off, I think it'll be funny...(don't worry, it'll be sweet and not with the Tunnel of Egg!) - mary the exhausted food librarian

Recipe:
Martha Stewart's Classic Pound Cake
Martha Stewart's Lemon Curd (I use 3/4 cup lemon juice instead of 1/2 cup)

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National Library Week Day 1: Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake Bundt and Cookbook Giveaway

Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake Bundt with Marmalade Glaze

Bust out your library card and celebrate National Library Week with me! This is the 2nd annual celebration on the Food Librarian blog. Sometimes, I just gotta put the Librarian in the Food Librarian!

I know you are probably reading this on your own computer, but did you know that nearly 1/3 of the U.S. population over the age of 14 used the library's internet computers? As more companies only allow online applications (even if the job doesn't use computers), free internet access at the public library is one of our essential services.

I hope you take some time out this week to celebrate libraries and the library staff. Libraries are special places where you can find a book, DVD, music, story time, job announcements, research assistance, and free internet access. Stop by to enjoy a seminar, join a knitting group, or get help learning about your genealogy.

This is the Librarian Action Figure (modeled after real-life librarian and author Nancy Pearl).
Don't laugh. How many other occupations have their own action figure?!
Sadly though, the only action this librarian does is raise her arm to Shush. Sigh.

Of course I start the week with a Bundt. No. Big. Surprise. I now live close to a Bristol Farms (California grocery store that is really pretty and really expensive). Last winter I picked up their free magazine. And what caught my eye? Oh, yes, the Bundt on the Cover.

This bundt is easy to make and uses ricotta cheese. It is the first time I'm using ricotta in baking, and not a lasagna.

Glazed with orange marmalade and filled with orange zest, this bundt is a winner. The recipe is from Lauren Chattman's book: Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats... and you can win it!

I'm having 5 days of giveaways during National Library Week!

To celebrate Day 1 of National Library Week, I'm giving away the following to one lucky winner:
a. Lauren Chattman's book: Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats
b. Chef Set Page Tags

Get the book that has this yummy recipe. I just ordered it from Amazon and bought an extra copy for YOU!

Chef Set Page Tags (purchased from Girl of All Work) Aren't these the cutest flags ever? You can decorate your cookbook with these post-it notes.

To enter the Day 1 Giveaway, simply leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat (aka Random). Deadline: Monday, April 19, 2010 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email. Shipping to U.S. addresses only. Librarian action figure not included.

Good luck with the giveaway and come back tomorrow as we continue to celebrate National Library Week! - mary the food librarian

Recipe: Orange-Ricotta Pound Cake with Marmalade Glaze
Click here for printable recipe

Adapted from Lauren Chattman's book, Cake Keeper Cakes: 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-To-The-Last-Crumb Treats
Find out if your library has it here.

In the headnote, Laren Chattman says grapefruit zest and marmalade can be substituted
Cake:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
3 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (for me, that was one orange)
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 t orange zest (I used the zest of two oranges)

Glaze:
1/2 c orange marmalade (I bought mine at Trader Joe's)
2 t water

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep a 12-cup Bundt pan. (This is a big cake...Bristol Farm's magazine used the Bavaria Nordic Ware Bundt pan but that is a 10-cup pan. I didn't want to bake it in two pans so I used the original, classic 12-cup Bundt.)
2. Combine together: flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. With the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar at medium-high until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
4. Add ricotta cheese and beat until smooth.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Scrap down sides of batter after each egg.
6. Beat in orange juice, vanilla and orange zest.
7. With mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Scrap down the sides a few times. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed...but don't overmix.
8. Pour batter into greased and floured (I use Pam with Flour spray) Bundt pan. Bake on the middle rack until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. It took my cake 55 minutes at 325 degrees. The instructions say "about 1 hour and 10 minutes" so please check early.
9. Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes than depan onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before applying glaze.
10. For the glaze, heat the marmalade and water in a saucepan until everything is liquid. Brush it over the cake - I used a brush to coat the entire cake, but you can also just place on top and let it run down the sides. Let glaze cool before serving.
11. Like her book suggests, keep the cake in the Cake Keeper! Since I bring mine to work, it is gone by the afternoon.

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