Lemon Bundt Cake — The Last Thing I Baked in That Kitchen

Post-graduation week. The diploma is on the shelf. The apartment is being packed. The kitchen is being dismantled — pots wrapped in towels, spices sealed in bags, the cast iron pot cradled like a baby in the box that will carry it to wherever I go next. The kitchen has been mine for four years. I know every crack in the counter. I know which burner runs hot. I know the angle of light at 7 p.m. that makes the kitchen glow gold. I am leaving this kitchen the way MawMaw Shirley is leaving her kitchen: slowly, with dignity, knowing that the next one will be different and the recipes will be the same.

Before I taped the last box shut, I needed to use this kitchen one more time — really use it, the way it deserved. I chose the Lemon Bundt Cake because it felt right: bright and unhurried, something MawMaw Shirley would have approved of, the kind of thing you bring to a new place and it makes the new place feel like home. I wanted the last thing this oven ever baked for me to smell like citrus and warmth, and it did.

Lemon Bundt Cake

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream
• For the glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan thoroughly with butter or nonstick spray, then dust lightly with flour, tapping out any excess.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs and flavorings. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until combined.
5. Combine wet and dry. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream (beginning and ending with the flour mixture), mixing just until incorporated after each addition. Do not overmix.
6. Bake. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean and the top is golden.
7. Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto the rack and allow to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
8. Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and pourable. Add more lemon juice a teaspoon at a time to reach your desired consistency.
9. Glaze and serve. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Allow it to set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 60g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg