ChezCindy: Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

 

I made this delightful Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake as I had an abundance of zucchini, both standard green zucchini and also yellow zucchini.  The owner of the farm where I buy farm-grown produce recently raved about a lemon zucchini bread with a lemon glaze that she made using the yellow zucchini.  I normally use standard green zucchini when making zucchini bread, or these sweet zucchini cakes, or zucchini muffins, all of which are delicious.   Thus, I searched for a recipe using yellow zucchini with a lemon glaze.  I came upon a recipe for lemon zucchini Bundt cake on the New York Times Recipe site.  To no surprise, the recipe worked perfectly yielding a tender cake with a sweet-tart lemon glaze.  Perfect to share with family at my niece's birthday celebration.    

Lemon Zucchini Bundt Cake

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

2 lemons

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups grated zucchini, yellow or green

2 cups powdered sugar (for the glaze)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Butter a 10-cup Bundt pan to evenly coat, then lightly dust the pan with flour.  Set aside.

Zest the lemons directly into the bowl of a standard mixer.  Add the granulated sugar and mix for 1 minute.  Add the butter and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  

Add the eggs, one at a time mixing well before adding the next egg, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl each time.  

In a separate bowl, add the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, whisking to combine.  Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing on low to combine.  The batter will be thick.  Using a flexible spatula, add the grated zucchini to the batter, folding to combine.  Using a large spring-loaded scoop or a large spoon, transfer the batter to the Bundt pan, smoothing the top evenly.  Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and to help the batter settle in the pan.  

Bake the cake until puffed and golden, about 50-55 minutes.  A cake tester inserted into the cake should come out clean with a few moist crumbs.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool.  

Meanwhile make the glaze.  Juice the lemons, setting aside.  Add the powdered sugar to a medium bowl.  Add in about half of the lemon juice, stirring to combine.  Add the remaining lemon juice in small bits until the mixture is smooth and becomes a thin glaze.  

To the mostly cool cake, brush the cake with about half of the glaze.  Allow the glaze to set up on the cake, about 10-12 minutes.  Brush the remaining glaze on the cake as a second coating.  When the glaze has set, cut the cake and serve.