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Lemon Bliss Mardi Gras Cake
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4.64 from 19 votes

Mardi Gras Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake

Brighten your Mardi Gras season with this rich and moist Lemon Bliss Bundt Cake. It feels like springtime, and tastes amazing under a layer of lemon glaze. Every piece is a surprise. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Southern
Servings: 12
Calories: 481kcal

Ingredients

Bundt Cake

  • 1 cup (8-ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups (14-ounces) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 cups (15-ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (8-ounces) whole milk (See Tip 1)
  • ¾ teaspoon lemon oil
  • Purple, green and yellow gel food coloring (See Tip 2)

Simple Lemon Syrup

  • ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar

Lemon Glaze

  • 1-½ cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (See Tip 3)
  • Purple green, and yellow sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Bundt Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, or spray with nonstick baking spray. (See Tip 4)
  • Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy and lightened in color.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once all the eggs have been added and beat briefly to re-combine any residue.
  • Add salt and baking powder; beat to combine.
  • Add the flour to the batter in three parts alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until everything is well combined. Stir in the lemon oil or lemon zest.
  • Divide the batter into thirds, roughly 16 ounces each. Color one purple, one green and one yellow with gel food coloring.
  • Spoon a layer of purple, green, yellow, purple, green, and yellow batter into bottom of Bundt pan. Carefully swirl with butter knife. Tap pan several times on counter to evenly distribute. (See Tip 5)
  • Repeat the first layer but beginning where the purple and green meet on the bottom layer. Swirl with a toothpick. Tap to evenly distribute. Repeat again for the third layer.
  • Bake at 350° F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Remove the cake from the oven, and carefully run a knife between cake and pan all around the edge. Place the pan upside down on a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. If the cake drops out of the pan onto the rack, remove the pan. If the cake doesn’t drop onto the rack, let it rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift the pan off the cake. If the cake still feels like it's sticking, give it another 5 minutes upside down, then very gently shake the pan back and forth to loosen and remove it.

Simple Lemon Syrup

  • While the cake is baking, make the simple lemon syrup by stirring together the lemon juice and sugar. Microwave for about a minute, or heat over a burner briefly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
  • Brush the lemon syrup all over the hot cake, both top and sides. Let it sink in, then brush on more syrup, continuing until all the lemon syrup is used up.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing and serving.

Lemon Glaze

  • Mix the confectioners' sugar and salt, then mix in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, adding just enough additional juice to create a thick glaze, one that's just barely pourable. Drizzle glaze artfully over the completely cooled cake. Sprinkle with purple, green, and yellow sprinkles.
  • Yield: One Bundt cake. (See Tip 6)

Notes

  1. May use lemon zest from 2 medium lemons in place of the lemon oil.
  2. I purchased the gel food coloring at Hobby Lobby. You could also use paste food coloring. I would avoid, however, using liquid food coloring. You just need to use too much to achieve the desired color.
  3. I used 2 Tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to achieve what for me was the perfect consistency of the glaze.
  4. I like to use a spray that contains both oil and flour like Bakers' Joy.
  5. I like to use ice cream scoops to add the different colors of the cake batter to the Bundt pan.
  6. Store the cake unglazed and well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage. Glaze the cake before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 159mg | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1.8mg