Thursday, March 26, 2009

Lemon-Glazed Lemon Mini Bundt Cakes


Lemon-Glazed Lemon Mini Bundt Cakes
by Rebecca Dru


Ingredients
Cake:
3/4 cup whole milk
1 Vanilla Bean or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1.5 cups sugar

1/3 cup grated lemon zest, packed (8-10 large lemons)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, cut into cubes

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 of the Lemon Syrup recipe (below)
1 TBSN Cognac

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 cups flour


Syrup: (1/2 half of the syrup goes to the cake mixture)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained

1 cup sugar


Glaze:
1 1/3 cups (or more) powdered sugar
4 TBSN strained fresh lemon juice

Preparation
For cake:
1.Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Heavily butter mini bundt pan (6 in 1) or 2 - 5” spring form pans.
2.Pour milk into small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat; cover and let steep 20 minutes....only if you’re using the vanilla bean...otherwise milk just needs to be room temp.
3.Blend 1.75 cups of sugar and lemon peel in food processor.

4.Create the Syrup (recipe below) and allow to cool.

5.Cream the butter and the sugar/lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs. When well incorporated, add the lemon syrup, cognac and then the milk.
6.Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and then add to mixmaster until just incorporated.
7.Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

For syrup:

Combine 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves and thickens slightly. When the cakes are done, immediately invert onto rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For glaze:
Sift 13/4 cups powdered sugar into small bowl. Add lemon juice and whisk to blend. Add more powdered sugar by Tablespoonfuls if glaze is too thin to adhere to bread. Drizzle glaze over cool bread and let stand until glaze sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap loosely in foil and store at room temperature.)


Prep Time: 30 min Cook Time:1 hr Level: Intermediate Serves:6 mini cakes
©2009 Rebecca Dru

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