Lemon Drizzle Cake
Lemon lovers, take note: This simple cake comes together quickly and bakes up light, fluffy and moist. Dress it up with a simple three-ingredient glaze that leaves jaunty white stripes down its sides.
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer Fitted with paddle attachment for creaming and mixing
- 1 Bundt Pan 10-cup nonstick
- 2 Mixing Bowls For dry ingredients and cream cheese glaze
- 1 Wire Rack For cooling the cake
- 1 Fine-mesh Sieve For sifting flour and confectioners' sugar
Ingredients
Main
- Nonstick cooking spray for the pan
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour see Cook's Note
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 sticks 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- Zest of 3 lemons
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-cup nonstick bundt pan generously with cooking spray.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and stir to combine.
- Cream the butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until lightened, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one a time, making sure each is fully combined before adding the next and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once. Turn the speed to low and add half of the flour mixture; mix until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and mix until combined, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined, then turn the speed up to medium and mix until the batter is smooth, a few seconds.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted in the center of a side comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold onto the rack and let cool completely.
- For the glaze: Combine the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and mix until smooth and pourable but not runny; add the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice if needed. Pour the glaze evenly over the cake and let drip down the sides.
Notes
Ensure all cold ingredients like butter, eggs, and cream cheese are at proper room temperature. This is crucial for a smooth, emulsified batter and a lump-free, pourable glaze. When adding eggs, incorporate one at a time, scraping down the bowl to ensure even mixing and prevent curdling. Do not overmix the cake batter once the flour is added; mix only until just combined to prevent gluten development and a tough cake. For an extra citrus punch, consider adding a few drops of pure lemon extract to the batter or a pinch of finely chopped candied lemon peel. Always test your cake for doneness with a wooden skewer or cake tester; it should come out clean.