Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake

Many of you have heard the saying that "Lemon is my Chocolate".  I like chocolate, but lemon is what makes my taste buds very happy.  When I think of lemon, I think of a clean and refreshing taste.  Plus, I think lemon is one of those universal fruits that makes perks up the flavor in otherwise bland dishes, such as creamed soups and steamed vegetables.  My fondness for Greek food is because lemon is found in so many Greek recipes.  Our garden has both a Eureka and a Meyer lemon tree.  For those of you who aren't familiar with Meyer lemons, they are a hybrid that traces back to Mandarins.  The skins are much smoother than the more common Eureka lemon, and the flavor does have a sweet note of mandarin.

The first recipe I made with this year's harvest of these lemons was a Meyer Limoncello Sorbet. (My husband has been hinting for more of this refreshing treat.)  I decided to make one of my favorite lemon dessert recipes, from Ina Garten; it's a popular in blogosphere, as I've seen it on several blogs.  I found the recipe in  my Ina Garten cookbook library, "Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You'll Make Over and Over Again." The first time I posted this recipe, I named it "Guilt-Less Lemon Yogurt Cake".  This time, I used Meyer lemons, instead of Eureka lemons-- but either lemon works very well.  You can see step-by-step photos on how to make this right here.

This time, I used a bundt pan and I made two changes-- I added pure lemon extract into the batter, for more flavor. I also used low-fat vanilla yogurt since I didn't have Greek yogurt on hand.   The cake took about 45 minutes to be ready, but I always say it's safer to check your cakes before the suggested time (Ina says 50 minutes).

Thanks to Baker's Joy, I can easily spray my bundt pan and the cake slips right out! Allow the cake to cook for about 5 minutes, on a cooling rack.

While the cake is almost finished baking, I made a simple syrup of lemon juice and sugar. Pour it on the warm cake, and allow it to absorb.

Once the cake has cooled, I made a quick glaze of powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice.

... and I spooned the glaze over the top, and allowed it to pour down the sides. Nice!

To me, bundt cakes are so effortless to make.  There's no fussing with making icing (I never buy canned icing... bleccccccccccch!)  There's no need to slice the cake and frost them.

Once sliced, they also transport well in lunch boxes.  They also taste great with a fresh cup of coffee or tea.
My family loves this cake.  It's fool-proof and it disappears really fast.

You can view a printable recipe at the bottom of this page.  Make this cake, I tell you! It'll quickly become a keepsake, if you love lemon.

Baked with love,