Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
This is, by itself, one of the best lemon cakes I ever made. The added poppy seeds make it heavenly. Crunchy and moist, it's one of those recipes to keep close from now on. Worth making again and again.
Servings 10 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- For the syrup:
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup sugar
Powdered sugar glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice or limoncello, a lemon liquor
Instructions
Making the cake:
- Preheat oven to (350°F /180°C).
- Butter and flour 10-cup (26cm) bundt pan (see notes below) or spray with a baking spray containing flour. Refrigerate while preparing the batter.
- In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), cream the soft butter and gradually add sugar.
- Beat for 3 minutes until it is creamy and light.
- Add lemon zest, vanilla extract, and mix well.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add sifted flour with salt and baking powder in 3 parts, alternating with the milk in 2 parts. That means you begin and end with flour.
- Beat at low speed until it is well mixed but don’t overbeat.
- Add poppy seeds and mix with a spatula, making sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl and the batter is uniform.
- Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan (that is cold from the refrigerator) and even it out.
- Lift the pan and bang it lightly against the counter so that any air bubbles rise to the top and you can pop them. This will prevent (as much as you can) the batter from baking with holes inside.
- Bake for 1 hour or so, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It might take 5-10 more minutes or sometimes less, depending on the pan you use and the material it is made of.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.
- Prepare the syrup mixture. Brush the top with half of the syrup. Please read step 17, below.
- Let cool 15-20 minutes, making sure the syrup didn’t stick to the sides. Grab the pan with both hands (and a kitchen towel) and shake it a little, up and down and left to right. You will feel that it loosens. At some point, you will be certain that the whole cake is loose and you will re able to remove it whole.
- If some parts are sticking, carefully use a smooth-bladed knife to separate the cake from the sides and the center.
- IMPORTANT: if you prefer to wait 15-20 minutes while the cake cools on a wire rack after you remove it from the oven, do so. Remove it first and then add the syrup. The cake will still be hot enough to absorb it but not as much as if you do it while pipping hot. It will leave a thin layer of sugar. BUT, you will remove the cake more easily from the pan.
- Brush the rest of the syrup on the rest of the cake (the bottom that will become the top when you serve it) right after you remove it from the pan, before flipping it over. You will now have the whole cake brushed with syrup.
- Put the cake on a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- Place the cooled cake in the cooling rack over a large piece of parchment paper. Pour the glaze over and let it run down the sides.
- If it’s too thin add a second layer of glaze, scooping it from the paper or making a new batch.
Making the syrup:
- Mix the sugar with the room temperature juice right before you brush it. See Notes, below.
- The sugar will not dissolve completely and that is fine.
Making the glaze:
- Mix the powdered sugar with half the juice and mix.
- Add the rest by half teaspoons until you have a smooth mixture as thick or as thin as you like. You might not use the whole amount of liquid.
Notes
Preparing the bundt pan: these are my two methods.
Shortening and flour: use soft shortening to grease the pan, every angle, every nook and cranny until it's completely covered. Using your fingers is messy but effective. You can also use a brush. Sprinkle flour and rotate the pan to cover it completely. You'll have to do it to one side and then the other. Make sure you flour the center tube. Turn the pan upside down over the kitchen sink and smack lightly it against the edge. The excess flour will fall, leaving a thin layer behind. Your pan is ready to be filled.
Cake goop or cake pan-release paste: it's one of my favorites, together with the shortening method above, because it's very effective. Mix equal parts (volume: cups or tablespoons) of shortening, flour and vegetable oil (sunflower or canola) to make a paste. Use it to coat the pan with a brush. Store it in an airtight container (I use a jar) for a month at room temperature or up to 3 months in the refrigerator. Poppy seeds: don't overdo it with the amount of seeds. You can use less, of course (2 tablespoons), and have a cake that is more like this Vanilla Poppy Seed Bundt Cake. Syrup: make sure you add the cold simple syrup to the hot cake as it comes out of the oven. It adds great moisture and flavor. Pour it carefully to make sure you cover the whole cake. Storage: this cake keeps very well at room temperature for a few days, well wrapped, and freezes wonderfully for a month (I recommend doing it before the glaze). Once cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Defrost at room temperature before glazing. Topping: Pour the glaze while your cake is on a wire rack over parchment paper. This will catch all the drippings for easy cleanup and you won't have puddles on your cake plate. If you want a less sweet option, you can always dust the cake with confectioners' sugar instead. Do this on the cooled cake before serving so it doesn't melt in. Serving it: this is a delicious cake to eat plain, but you can serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries for a more dessert-like presentation for a gathering like a baby shower or Easter Sunday.
Shortening and flour: use soft shortening to grease the pan, every angle, every nook and cranny until it's completely covered. Using your fingers is messy but effective. You can also use a brush. Sprinkle flour and rotate the pan to cover it completely. You'll have to do it to one side and then the other. Make sure you flour the center tube. Turn the pan upside down over the kitchen sink and smack lightly it against the edge. The excess flour will fall, leaving a thin layer behind. Your pan is ready to be filled.
Cake goop or cake pan-release paste: it's one of my favorites, together with the shortening method above, because it's very effective. Mix equal parts (volume: cups or tablespoons) of shortening, flour and vegetable oil (sunflower or canola) to make a paste. Use it to coat the pan with a brush. Store it in an airtight container (I use a jar) for a month at room temperature or up to 3 months in the refrigerator. Poppy seeds: don't overdo it with the amount of seeds. You can use less, of course (2 tablespoons), and have a cake that is more like this Vanilla Poppy Seed Bundt Cake. Syrup: make sure you add the cold simple syrup to the hot cake as it comes out of the oven. It adds great moisture and flavor. Pour it carefully to make sure you cover the whole cake. Storage: this cake keeps very well at room temperature for a few days, well wrapped, and freezes wonderfully for a month (I recommend doing it before the glaze). Once cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Defrost at room temperature before glazing. Topping: Pour the glaze while your cake is on a wire rack over parchment paper. This will catch all the drippings for easy cleanup and you won't have puddles on your cake plate. If you want a less sweet option, you can always dust the cake with confectioners' sugar instead. Do this on the cooled cake before serving so it doesn't melt in. Serving it: this is a delicious cake to eat plain, but you can serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries for a more dessert-like presentation for a gathering like a baby shower or Easter Sunday.
