Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Meyer Lemon Bundt - Day #12 - I Like Big Bundts


Oh, the Meyer lemon. A treat from the Citrus Gods. My parents have a tree but all the lemons are gone now. I found a bunch at my local Farmer's Market and scooped them up faster than a trick-or-treater meets full-size Snickers Bar!

The book, Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers is a great collection of birthday cakes from bakers such as Flo Braker, Julia Child, Alice Waters, and this Meyer Lemon Pound Cake from Stephanie Greenleigh.

I Like Big Bundts Logo by JustJenn Designs
Logo design: JustJenn of JustJennDesigns

It's Day 12 of my I'm-never-doing-this-again 30 Days of Bundts extravaganza! :) National Bundt Day is November 15th and I hope you make a Bundt!

Meyer Lemon Bundt - I Like Big Bundts Meyer Lemon Bundt - I Like Big Bundts
I used my Nordic Ware Chrysanthemum Bundt pan...it's really a pretty one! (Although I hold my breathe hoping it will come out of the pan!!) After baking, you poke holes in the cake to allow a Meyer Lemon Syrup to soak into the cake.

Meyer Lemon Bundt - I Like Big Bundts
Sorry for the quality of the photos. I was in such a hurry I took them in the library! This cake relies on the Lemon Syrup for the lemon flavor. The batter only has lemon zest. I think I might add some lemon juice to the batter next time.

Meyer Lemon Bundt - I Like Big Bundts
Here are some facts of life:
1. Meyer Lemons rock.
2. Bundts rock.
Enough said.

Meyer Lemon Bundt
Adapted from Stephanie Greenleigh's Meyer Lemon Pound Cake in Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers

2 c cake flour
1/2 t cream of tartar
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 t vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

Syrup:
1/2 c fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/2 c steeped herbal lemon tea (I didn't have this and added 1/4 c water instead)
1 c sugar

Stephanie Greenleigh suggests using a 6-cup Bundt (smaller Bundt). I used my Chrysanthemum Bundt pan.

Here is what I did:

1. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, soda, salt in a bowl and set aside.
2. Using a Dorie Greenspan technique, rub the lemon zest and sugar until slightly damn. Cream together butter and sugar with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
3. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. Don't overbeat.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 325 degrees, until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Syrup: Bring the syrup ingredients to boil and cook until the syrup thickens. Stephanie says 5 minutes or so, but mine went for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Meyer Lemon Bundt - I Like Big Bundts
After the cake is baked, let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Pierce the top of the cake to let the syrup get absorbed. Stephanie suggests pouring the syrup on the top and down the sides. I didn't trust that the cake would come out with "wet sides" (sometimes these intricate Bundts are difficult to get out of the pan), so I pour the syrup on the top of the Bundt pan (which will eventually be the bottom of the Bundt cake) and allowed the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. I unmold the cake onto a wire rack and use a brush to pour the syrup on sides of the warm cake. Let the cake cool completely.

You could use regular lemons as well...but Meyer lemons are so delicious try to use them!

This recipe is in Stephanie Greenleigh's book Baked from the Heart as well.

Come back tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Meyer Lemon Bundt - I Like Big Bundts

Original Recipe:
Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
from: Birthday Cakes: Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers by Kathryn Kleinman (2004, Chronicle Boooks)
Meyer Lemon Pound Cake, page 79

Find it in your library through WorldCat
Purchase here on Amazon

I Like Big Bundts recap:
The Food Librarian confesses: I Like Big Bundts
Day 1: Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Buttermilk Icing
Day 2: Chocolate-Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
Day 3: Pumpkin-Apple Spiced Bundt
Day 4: Cinnamon Ripple Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 5: Chocolate Zucchini Bundt
Day 6: Cardamom Vanilla Bundt
Day 7: Monkey Bread in a Bundt
Day 8: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day 9: Coconut Bundt
Day 10: Sweet Potato Bundt
Day 11: Mom's Apple Cake Bundt

29 comments:

  1. I've made an orange cake much like this and I'm definitely going to try this! It's so pretty too... I want that bundt pan!

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  2. che bella questa torta! bellissimo anche lo stampo..mi manca nella mia dispensa! mi prendo una fetta! gnam gnam!

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  3. Oooh, I love lemon bundt cakes! I'd like to try your Meyer lemon version, but haven't ever seen Meyer lemons at the store. I have that pan too, but I've never used it...too scared of sticking and the thought of greasing up all those petals is certainly daunting!

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  4. wow--such a pretty pan! that's a spectacular bundt! am jealous of your meyer lemons...have to look so hard to find them in stores here.

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  5. Another triumph for the Queen of Bundts! We're all with you, salivating in spirit.

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  6. I love lemon cake. This one is gorgeous!

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  7. What a pretty pan! And the cake sounds delicious. You have definitely inspired me!

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  8. Yum! and what a beautiful pan too!

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  9. I love that cake. I love that bundt pan. I want one. So very pretty. Lemon cake is one of my favorites. I'm going to have to give this one a try.

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  10. THANK GOD you ran out of lemons. Remember what you did to me in April??

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  11. wow this looks delicious! I love that pan! I think this big bundt thing is hilarious- what a great idea! so many recipes to choose from- but i'll definitely be making one for national bundt day

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  12. mmmm...meyer lemons.

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  13. Wow another bundt....I don't know how you are doing it! Who is eating all this cake? I have yet to try a Meyer lemons:( I really want too because I hear such good things about them.

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  14. excuse me..what do you mean "I'm never doing this again"...I am already looking forward to next year's installment....or perhaps you can do thirty days of muffins, or donuts, or cookies, or cupcakes, or chocolate pudding?! Hmm.....

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  15. Oh, how I love a lemon cake! Bravo.

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  16. Haha, so you're going to do this every year for the next ten years? You're right. Meyer lemons ROCK!

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  17. This post not only has a cool cake but a very interesting cookbook also! Love the looks of this lemon cake. I wonder if adding lemon extract to the batter would give you that dash of concentrated lemon flavor that you're looking for?

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  18. that is gorgeous!! the last time i used a bundt pan, i couldn't get all of it out cleanly.. probably didn't use enough grease?

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  19. Ooh, this is one of my favorites so far! Beautiful and love lemon!
    Are you going to make it? I got a nice little laugh about your "I'm never going to do this again" bundts. Are they just lovin' it at the library or starting to feel bundt-ed down?

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  20. You are still bunting away! This pan is a beautiful shape and the meyer lemon cake sounds fantastic. If I weren't going to be traveling on the 15th I would join in on celebrating Bundt day.

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  21. ooh this is a pretty one. I love meyer lemons and this looks like one great cake.

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  22. Lemony and gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.

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  23. Mary, you make me so jealous of your pans! I regret not buying more bundts the last time we shopped in the states. The crumb on your cake looks perfect.

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  24. OH, I love that chrysanthemum pan! And who is eating all these bundts?!

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  25. Holy cow, 30 bundts in 30 days is outrageous! I love this one a lot, for the lemons, but mostly for the pretty bundt pan! Fun design by Jenn too! =)

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  26. Just stumbled on your blog. I think your bundt theme is a hoot, the meyer lemon one being my favorite thus far. I am thoroughly impressed with your skills, and I adore the Nordic Ware Chrysanthemum Bundt pan in this post.

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  27. I love the shape of this bundt! And it looks delicious.

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  28. Tudo Bem? agradável este site parece muito organizado.........Boa pinta :/
    Muito Bonito faz mais posts assim !

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