Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

O. M. G.

This CAKE is AMAZING. It is super moist with the most lovely lemon flavor! I was debating what kind of glaze I wanted to do: ricotta glaze, lemon glaze, basic vanilla glaze or a brown butter glaze. I went with brown butter… best decision I could have made for this amazing bundt cake.

Its finally getting warm in Cleveland and it has me craving so many fruity and pink desserts! I actually put a teeny bit of pink gel food coloring in this glaze to give it a soft pink look. If you decide to not use any food coloring, the glaze will still be a pretty tan color!

Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Servings: 8-10
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Medium
Print

Note: You’ll need a bundt pan.

Ingredients

For the cake:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

Juice of 2 lemons

Zest of 2 lemons

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup buttermilk

For the Icing:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 Tbsp milk (your preference)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds. Set aside.
Zest 2 lemons. Set aside in a small bowl.
Using the same lemons, cut in half and squeeze all the juice you can into a small bowl or measuring cup. Remove any seeds and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, about 45 seconds.
Add in the sugar and beat an additional 1-2 minutes.
Beat in each egg, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla, ricotta, lemon juice, and zest. Beat until combined, be sure not to over beat mixture.
Beat in 1/3 of dry mixture, then beat in 1/3 of the buttermilk. Repeat 3 times. Use a rubber spatula as needed to remove any flour from the sides of the bowl.
Spray a bundt pan with cooking oil (I use a canola spray) and sprinkle lightly with flour. Use a brush if your pan has some extra nooks and crannies. Using a rubber spatula pour mixture into bundt pan.
Bake for 50-55 minutes.
Remove from oven, let cool 10-15 minutes. Do not let it cool longer than this or your cake will start to stick to the pan.
Now, the hardest part, removing the cake from the pan! Some tips: Use a small rubber spatula or butter knife, to release any cake that may be stuck to the sides of the pan. Be very gentle!! Then, turn the bundt pan upside onto any tray or wire wrack you wish to glaze the cake on. Tap and shake the pan to loosen the cake. Slowly pull the bundt pan off the cake.
For the Glaze: In a small pot, melt and brown 1/2 cup of butter over medium heat. Once brown, lower heat, add in vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar. Whisk together till well combined. (Optional – This glaze will be a tan color. If desired, add in one small drop of food coloring. I used pink.) While the glaze is still hot, pour evenly over top of the bundt cake.
Enjoy!