Lemon ‘Babka’ Bundt Cakes
TIER 1
Lemon ‘Babka’ Bundt Cakes
This recipe is my take on a non-yeasted Polish Babka Bundt. It’s a simple lemon cake recipe that’s super soft, covered in a lemon syrup and finished with a lemon sugar. I’ve gone for these beautiful miniature bundts, but if you don’t have a similar tin you can use a muffin tin!
6
INDIVIDUAL BUNDT CAKES
Ingredients
Makes 6 Individual Bundt Cakes
For the lemon sugar
Peel of 4 Large Lemons (60g)
200g Caster/Granulated Sugar
*This will make more than you need but it can be stored in an airtight container – this will ensure the lemon peel doesn’t go bad.
For the lemon cake
Zest 1 Lemon (2g)
125g Caster/Granulated Sugar
100g Plain/All-Purpose Flour
5g Baking Powder
2g Salt
100g Ground Almonds
200g Whole Eggs
50g Vegetable Oil
30g Lemon Juice
Soft Unsalted Butter + Flour To Coat
For the lemon syrup
100g Sugar
50g Lemon Juice
50g Water
Special equipment
Stand Mixer
Blender
4 Cup – 6 Cavity Mini Bundt Tin
Method
Lemon Sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F Non- Fan Assisted.
2. Peel the lemons using a vegetable peeler – you should get roughly 60g of lemon peel.
3. Place the lemon peels onto a baking tray lined with a silicon mat.
4. Place the lemon peel in the oven to dry them out, it will take 1-1.5 hours. They should look shrivelled once done.
5. Once completely dry to the touch, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 30 minutes.
6. Into a blender, add the sugar and dried lemon peels. Blend on high speed for 15-20 seconds, or until you have a fine, fragrant powder with no large lumps of lemon skin.
7. Add the mixture into an airtight container and set it to one side.
Lemon Cake
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F Non-Fan Assisted. Take soft butter (not melted), and use a pastry brush to brush the inside of the bundt tin cavities to ensure an even coating. Over the top of the tins, sieve over a few tablespoons of plain/all-purpose flour in each cavity, and shake it around the tin to coat. Tap out the excess and set the tin to one side.
2. In a medium bowl, add the sugar and the lemon zest. Massage the zest with your fingertips into the sugar to release the citrus oils.
3. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk it together to combine, then whisk in the ground almonds. Set this mixture aside.
4. In a large bowl, add the eggs and lemon sugar. Using an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer), whisk on a medium speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick, pale and fluffy.
5. Pour in the oil, along with the lemon juice and whisk by hand to incorporate it, ensuring to catch any ingredients that may be at the bottom of the bowl.
6. Tip in the sifted dry ingredients and use a hand whisk again to combine until there are no more dry bits.
7. Scoop the batter into the cavities of the bundt tin, filling them up about ⅘ (75g per cavity if you’re using the same sized Bundt tin as me).
8. Bake the cakes for 18-20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Whilst baking, make the Lemon Syrup.
9. In a medium saucepan over a medium heat, mix together the sugar, water and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, take off the heat and leave to cool whilst the cakes continue to bake.
10. Once the cakes have baked and a skewer comes out clean, let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then place a wire rack on top before carefully flipping them over to release the cakes. Pour over the lemon syrup.
11. The cakes can be eaten warm or allowed to cool. Before serving, take the lemon sugar you made earlier and place it into a fine mesh sieve, and gently dust it over the top of the cake. The extra sweetness elevates the flavour of the cake!
Shop the Equipment
