Are Bundt cakes the cutest cakes? I think so, yes. And this one in particular is really, really cute (pink icing!). It’s the perfect reward for being brave—no matter how big or small the feat. It’s up for debate what flavor pink lemonade actually is—strawberry? raspberry? cherry? But for this recipe, I’ve decided the pink stands for raspberry. This is a tart and refreshing lemon cake with swirls of sweet raspberry jam throughout. Since it’s baked in a Bundt pan, it’s perfect for feeding a lot of people at once. It also keeps very well. In other words, it’s holiday ready (pretty much any holiday). I paired this recipe with “brave” because Bundt cakes can be intimidating. The key is to grease the pan extremely well—you can use your fingers, but a pastry brush works especially well. Every nook and cranny of the pan needs to be coated to make sure that your cake will slide right out, perfectly intact.
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pink lemonade Bundt cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (40g) loosely packed fresh lemon zest
1 cup (2 sticks, 227g) room temp unsalted butter
5 room temp large eggs
1/2 cup (150g) seedless raspberry preserves
FOR THE ICING
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
the how-to: cake
1 Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with softened butter—make sure to coat every single nook and cranny. Sprinkle flour evenly over the pan, then tap out the excess. 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 3 In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
4 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar using your fingertips (this will give us a lot more flavor!). Add the butter and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time (seriously—one at a time!), beating thoroughly, about 30 seconds, on medium speed between each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer running on low, add the flour and buttermilk mixture in three alternating batches, until just combined.
5 Add half of the batter to the Bundt pan. Add half of the raspberry preserves, dropping by the spoonful around the pan in a random (but roughly evenly spaced) pattern. Swirl the preserves into the batter with a butter knife. Add the second half of the batter, then repeat your raspberry swirls. Smooth the top and tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to remove air bubbles.
6 Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden and a tester inserted comes out with moist crumbs. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing. When you flip it over, leave the pan on top of the cake for 30 seconds before lifting it off—it should drop right out!
the how-to: icing
1 In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, raspberry preserves, and vanilla extract. Since we want those pretty drips that stop halfway down the cake, we’re looking for a thick icing here. Set a length of wax paper or parchment paper under your cooling rack to
catch any drips. Spoon the icing over the completely cooled cake evenly, letting it run down the sides. Store in an airtight container out on the counter for up to 5 days.
Notes
note: If you don’t have a Bundt pan, try making this recipe in two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans! The bake time might be 5 minutes longer—just keep checking for doneness.