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Easter Surprise Lemon Bundt Cake
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4.79 from 19 votes

Easter Surprise Lemon Bundt Cake

Brighten your Easter season with this rich and moist Easter Surprise Lemon Bundt Cake. It feels like springtime and tastes amazing under a layer of lemon glaze. Every piece is a surprise. 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Cakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 481kcal

Ingredients

Bundt Cake

  • 1 cup (16 Tablespoons, 8 ounces, 227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups (14 ounces, 397 grams) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 cups (12.75 ounces, 361 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (8 ounces, 227 grams) whole milk
  • ¾ teaspoon lemon oil (See Tip 1)
  • Pink, lime green, and yellow gel food coloring.
  • Simple Lemon Syrup
  • cup (2 ⅝ ounces, 149 grams) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¾ cup (5 ¼ ounces, 74 grams) granulated sugar

Lemon Glaze

  • 1-½ cups (6 ounces, 170 grams) confectioners' sugar
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (See Tip 2)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • 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 pink, one green, and one yellow with gel food coloring.
  • Thoroughly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan or spray with nonstick baking spray. Spoon a layer of pink, green, yellow, pink, green, and yellow batter into the bottom of the bundt pan. Carefully swirl with a butter knife. Tap the pan several times on the counter to distribute it evenly.
  • Repeat the first layer, but beginning where the pink 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.
  • While the cake is baking, make the simple lemon syrup by stirring together the lemon juice and sugar. Microwave briefly for about a minute, or heat over a burner, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
  • 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.
  • Brush the lemon syrup all over the hot cake on both sides. Let it sink in, then brush on more syrup until all the lemon syrup is used up.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing and serving.
  • To glaze the cake: 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.
  • Yield: One bundt cake.

Notes

  1. May use lemon zest from 2 medium lemons instead of the lemon oil.
  2. I used 2 Tablespoon, plus ½ teaspoon of lemon juice
  3. Store the cake, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 159mg | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1.8mg