This is the most lemony cake I could find to make and serve at a tennis match last night. Even so, I found myself regretting pouring off some of the drizzle – I should have left it for 5 minutes and come back to see whether it had already absorbed.
Using a Bundt (ring) tin takes most of the stress out of cake making. The middle can’t sink because it isn’t there. The sponge is already a bit more dense than usual so can soak up the lemon drizzled through. Modern spray oil means the cake will release easily from the tin.
And of course the pattern always looks impressive.
Without a bundt (and they are hideously expensive) use either two loaf tins or a normal ring tin.
Prep Time20 mins Cook Time45 mins
Ingredients
For the bundt cake:
- 225 g butter, softened
- 300 g caster sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 350 g self-raising flour
- 250 ml plain full-fat yogurt
- 3 lemons, zested
For the marinade:
- 2½ lemons, juiced
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar (45ml)
For the icing:
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 75 g icing sugar
Instructions
Preparation
- Put a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan/ gas mark 4/ 350°F
- Grease the Bundt tin with the spray. Spray evenly over all the surfaces, right into every nook and cranny.If you have the non-spray version or are using oil, use kitchen paper and/or a pastry brush to get into all those crevices
- Leave the tin upside down over the sink to stop the oil from accumulating in the bottom
For the bundt cake:
- Put all the cake ingredients into the processor, mixer bowl or large mixing bowl and blitz until mixed(Butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour, yogurt, lemon zest)
- Scrape down and mix again. Pour into your tin, using a spatula to get all the mixture into the tin and smooth the top
- Place the tin on the pre-heated baking sheet and cook for 45-50 minutes. Check if it’s done by pushing a skewer in. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is doneThe cake will be well-risen and golden
For the marinade:
- Mix the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar has dissolved
- Leave the cake to cool for 5 minutes, then push a thin skewer or cocktail stick into the cake all over and spoon half the lemon marinade over. Leave in the tin for about 25 more minutes
- Gently push the cake away from the edges of the tin. If the cake has a domed top, you may want to level it off with a sharp knife so that it sits flat
- Put a wire rack over the top of the cake and turn upside down. The cake should slide out of the tin
- Use the skewer/cocktail stick to make more holes and spoon the rest of the marinade over the cake. Leave to cool