Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Strawberry Lemon Almond Bundt Cake



I normally bake cupcakes.  But last weekend, I baked this bundt cake.  Why?

1.  I went to Target and I fell in love with a cake pan. A gorgeous light teal bundt pan.

 
2. I pinterest.  And I ran across this a few weeks ago, and it was just begging to be baked. Begging!
3. I LOVE yogurt and strawberries.  I buy vanilla yogurt and slice up strawberries and shove them in the cup.  Nom. (Is it dollar strawberry season yet?)

 

And so it was pretty much decided for me when i rediscovered my pin last week that i had to go out and buy the pan.  Here is my version of the cake, with a few modifications added of course.  I upped the lemon and i added almonds.  Cuz we know how i feel about almonds...

Strawberry-Lemon Almond Bundt Cake
325*, 60 minutes for one 10 inch bundt pan

2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs room temp
2 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
10 oz vanilla greek yogurt
12 oz diced strawberries
1/4 cup flour (for tossing strawberries)
1 table spoon almond slivers 

Directions:
1. In one bowl, sift flour, baking soda and salt together.  Mix in lemon zest.
2. In a second bowl toss washed strawberries with remaining 1/4 cup flour and set aside.


3. In your mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add lemon juice. 
4. Alternate between adding flour mixture and yogurt to the butter mixture.  
5. Take your strawberries and gently fold them into the rest of the batter.  
6. Pour batter into greased and floured bundt pan and bake in oven at 325* for 60 minutes.  

The batter is delicious.  I know this because I sampled it.  It is really thick and is spotted with big chunks of strawberries and tiny lemon zest pieces.


And coming out of the oven?  Oh my god, so exciting to see.  You want to invite people over for dinner just so they can watch you take it out, I swear.  Gorgeous.



Let it sit for 20 minutes before taking out of the pan and placing on top of a wire cooling rack.  The rack should be inside a cookie sheet because the next step is messy.



Lemon Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk (optional)

Directions:  
1. Add lemon to powdered sugar, 1/2 a tablespoon at a time and whisk.
2. Once you get to your desired consistency, stop!  

Note: I added milk because it was still to stiff and I didn't want to over lemon the glaze but it's up to you how lemony you want it!  I also ended up only using of the glaze, so you can probably cut this recipe in half unless you want your cake doused in lemon.

3. Spoon a thin layer of glaze over the cake.
4. Add the almonds on top the of the cake, they should use the lemond glaze as a glue to adhere to.
5.  Add more glaze on top to trap the almonds in place.    


I  used the whisk to splash it on there.  Again, add as little or as much glaze as you want.  Let is sit for a few minutes, the glaze hardens up fast.  

At this point i was like wow, this didn't come out half bad!  



The strawberries look delicious, the cake is an even color... there are crunch almonds on top and lemon glaze drizzling off the sides...


I mean, in the close up you might not even be sure what it is but you want some right?

Yes friends. I was pleased.  And then.. then I cut a slice, and was greeted by wonderful strawberry chunks.


Chunks in ever single slice.  On the top, on the bottom.. everywhere.


It's probably one of the prettiest things that I have made to date!


You just cant stop looking at the strawberries, huh?  Neither could I.  Well no, that's a lie.  Sorry about that.  Sometimes i lie about how long it takes me to shove this stuff in my mouth.


Needless to say I was destroying a slice of this within minutes.

How was it you may ask?  Awesome.  Tangy but sweet.  Soft but crunchy...  Amazing!  I most definitely will add this to my arsenal.  (For the upcoming war of destroying all other girls and finding myself a hot boy with abs.)

 

xoxo,
Anna 

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