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It's the first recipe I've made from the cookbook Cake Simple that is all bundt cake recipes. It has several steps once the cake is baked - a syrup that moistens the cake, a powdered sugar glaze, and then a crunchy sugar topping. The author, Christie Matheson, presents the various additional syrups, glazes and toppings as optional steps, but it seemed worth trying them all initially, and I'm glad I did.
There's no basil in the cake, so it is added in the layers of toppings. The syrup has some basil flavor, but it's very subtle and almost floral. I'm not sure I would have identified basil in the syrup. The glaze, however, has a distinct basil flavor, so I was disappointed when the glaze was so thin that it didn't really coat the cake well. If I were doing it again, I'd add more powdered sugar to create a thicker glaze. The sugar topping is really pretty, and the crunch it adds seems worth it. I ended up with both glaze and sugar left over - possibly enough for another cake.
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It was a very pretty cake, and at each step I couldn't help making a picture. I liked my new little Nordic Ware pan, and it created such a beautiful crust on the cake. I'm excited to try the sister recipe to this one - a Mojito cake with mint and lime!
Lemon Basil Bundt
Cake
Melted butter for greasing the
pan
1½ cups all- purpose flour, plus
more for dusting the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
Zest of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
Lemon-Basil Syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon
juice
3 one-inch strips lemon zest
3 sprigs basil
Lemon-Basil Glaze
¼ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Lemon-Basil Sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 basil leaves
1.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the inside of a 6-cup Bundt pan
thoroughly with the melted butter and dust it lightly with flour. (Use a pastry brush to help distribute the
flour and tap out any excess.)
2.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a
medium bowl until thoroughly combined.
3.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk
attachment, whisk the yogurt with the sugar on medium speed until thoroughly
combined. Add the eggs, lemons zest, lemon
juice, and vanilla and mix just until incorporated.
4.
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and
whisk until incorporated. Gently stir
the vegetable oil by hand.
5.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth
the top, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake is golden and a cake
tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, then
invert the cake onto the rack.
6.
For the syrup:
In a small non-reactive saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar
with the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and basil and bring to a gentle boil;
boil for 10 minutes. Strain the syrup
before brushing it over the warm cake.
7.
For the glaze: In a small nonreactive saucepan
over medium-low heat, combine the cream and basil and heat to scalding (when
small bubbles form around the edge of the cream but before it begins to
boil). Remove the cream from the heat
and let stand for about 5 minutes.
Strain the cream into a medium bowl, then add the confectioners’ sugar,
lemon juice, and salt and whisk until smooth.
8.
For the sugar: In a mini-food processor, combine
the sugar with the lemon zest and basil and pulse until thoroughly
combined. The sugar will keep in an
airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
9.
While the cake is still warm, brush the syrup
over it. Let the cake cool completely
and then drizzle it generously with the glaze.
Sprinkle it with the lemon-basil sugar and serve. The cake will keep in an airtight container
at room temperature for 3 days.
From Cake Simple: Recipes for
Bundt-Style Cakes by Christie Matheson
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