Oh warm spring weather is here and I am in the mood for everything that is light and sunny, and lemon is the perfect ingredient for that. There's something that is so bright and fresh about lemon, it's such a happy flavor that's just bursting with that perfect mix of tart and sweet.
I experimented a couple months ago with this recipe and it was a huge hit! With the combination of a sweet, moist, dense cake, and a creamy, tart, fresh lemon glaze, finally topped off with sugary, sweet candied lemons, it's a trifecta of yumminess!
My mom requested this for Mother's Day and I was happy to oblige ;) I'd do anything for my momma.
There are three parts to this recipe, the cake, the candied lemons, and the glaze, and they all work together perfectly. Here's everything you'll need...
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2/14 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 1 1/2 cups half & half
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 large lemons sliced thinly
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups water
- Ice water
For the Glaze:
- Juice of 2 large lemons
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Directions for Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a large Bundt cake pan well.
Add the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt, into a bowl and combine.
Beat the eggs with wire whisk attachment on high for 5 minutes until they are thickened and pale yellow. While the eggs are mixing, zest and juice your lemons.
Gradually add the sugar into the eggs, beating until it's light and fluffy.
Next add in the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla and beat together.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients, beat in low speed until combined.
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter, half & half together just until the butter is melted. Do not boil. Slowly mix the liquid into the batter on low speed until combined. Batter will be thin.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 45 minutes, or until cake bounces back and just starts to pull from the sides. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Directions for Candied Lemons:
While the cake is baking is when I make the candied lemons. Slice 2 large lemons thinly and remove the seeds.
Bring 2 cups water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add the lemons to the water and boil for 1 minute. Add ice water to large bowl. Remove the lemons from the boiling water and blanche in the ice water for about a minute. Discard boiled water.
Add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar to sauce pan, add the lemons back into the pan and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove lemons from syrup and lay out evenly on parchment paper, they will be hot! Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar on top, flip over and sprinkle the other 1/4 cup of sugar over the top. Leave out to air dry for a few hours, or until you are ready to decorate cake. They can be stored in an airtight container for a couple weeks, if you can keep from eating them all before hand ;)
Directions for Lemon Glaze:
Juice 2 large lemons and add the juice to a medium bowl. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved.
Drizzle about half the glaze all over the top of the cooled cake. The other half I serve over the cake when it's cut and on the plates.
Add the candied lemons to the top of the cake, and enjoy!
Directions:
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a large Bundt cake pan well.
- Add the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, salt, into a bowl, combine and set aside.
- Beat the eggs with wire whisk attachment on high for 5 minutes until they are thickened and pale yellow.
- Gradually add the sugar into the eggs, beating until it's light and fluffy.
- Next add in the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla and beat together.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients, beat in low speed until combined.
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter, half & half together just until the butter is melted. Do not boil.
- Slowly mix the liquid into the batter on low speed until combined. Batter will be thin.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 45 minutes, or until cake bounces back and just starts to pull from the sides.
- Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Candied Lemons:
- While the cake is baking is when I make the candied lemons. Slice 2 large lemons thinly and remove the seeds.
- Bring 2 cups water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add the lemons to the water and boil for 1 minute.
- Add ice water to large bowl. Remove the lemons from the boiling water and blanche in the ice water for about a minute. Discard boiled water.
- Add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar to sauce pan, add the lemons back into the pan and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove lemons from syrup and lay out evenly on parchment paper, they will be hot! Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar on top, flip over and sprinkle the other 1/4 cup of sugar over the top.
- Leave out to air dry for a few hours, or until you are ready to decorate cake. They can be stored in an airtight container for a couple weeks.
Lemon Glaze:
- Juice 2 large lemons and add the juice to a medium bowl.
- Add in the powdered sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved.
- Drizzle about half the glaze all over the top of the cooled cake. The other half I serve over the cake when it's cut and on the plates.
