Last updated on July 1st, 2016
Today, because it’s bitterly cold here, and also because my driveway has turned into a skating rink, I thought I should make something bright and sunny to eat. And what could be cheerier than a rose-scented lemon cake?
You can bake this cake in any Bundt pan. But if you’d like your dessert to have a nifty diamond design, then you must bake it in a “Jubilee” Bundt pan, just as I did.
You can find the Jubilee pan at better kitchen supply stores. Or, you can save a few bucks, and buy it online.
Here’s the recipe in photographic steps, followed by a printer-friendly, copy-and-paste version:
First, grab a pair of lemons, and zest them.
Next, place a wire-mesh strainer over a big blue bowl.
Pour 3 cups all-purpose flour into the strainer…
Add 2 teaspoons baking powder…
And sift the works by tapping the side of the strainer with your hand.
Now put 2 sticks of room-temperature, unsalted butter into the bowl of a standing mixer.
No standing mixer for you?
Use a large bowl and a hand-held electric mixer.
No hand-held electric mixer in your batterie de cuisine?
Use a large bowl and a stout spoon, just as all cake-bakers did in the 19th- and early-20th centuries. Those bakers had the highly-defined bodies of Greek gods! Picture six-pack abs. And bulging biceps.
Now would be a good time to take a cold shower.
To the butter, add 1 teaspoon salt…
And 2 cups sugar.
Mix the butter, salt, and sugar at low-speed until combined.
Then boost the speed to medium, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Crack 5 large eggs into one of the Royal Albert “Enchantment” bowls you purchased in England…
And add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Then beat in 1 cup of Greek yogurt, because this cake, as my taste-tester Brenda Johnson might say, “is a healthy cake.”
Also beat in 1 teaspoon culinary-grade rose water (or just leave it out, if you don’t care about a rose fragrance).
My favorite rose water comes from Nielson-Massey. It’s easy to find.
At low speed, gradually add the flour mixture…
Followed by the lemon zest.
Boost the speed to medium, and mix only until the flour disappears into the mix.
As anti-sticking insurance, spritz the cake pan with baking spray. Baking spray contains flour.
BUT KEVIN, BAKING SPRAY CONTAINS UNGODLY INGREDIENTS!!!
Calm down there, Gladys. Baking spray may not be the healthiest thing on earth. But it is far less harmful than the exhaust that I and others are forced to breath every time you twist the ignition in your car. If you’d prefer to coat your pan with butter and flour, by all means do so. But I can’t guarantee that your cake won’t stick.
Scrape the thick, luxurious batter into the pan, and smooth the top with a blue spatula.
Lick the blue spatula.
You might as well lick the beating attachment, too. I certainly did.
Bake at 350°F until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out mostly clean — about 1 hour. Let rest for 15 minutes, then unmold onto a plate or platter.
While the cake continues to cool, mix up the Lemon Glaze: Put 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar into a yellow bowl…
And add the juice of one of the lemons you previously zested. As you can see, I used a clever lemon-squeezing gadget for the job. These devices work really well, and they are not expensive.
Oh. You could also add a short splash of rose water to the glaze.
Beat with a wire whip until the glaze looks smooth, luscious, and pourable.
Drizzle the glaze over the cake…
And then stand back and admire your work.
But this work, no matter how handsome and sculptural it may be, is meant to be eaten!
So cut your self a sensibly-sized slice…
And bask in the moist, lemon-rich taste, and the intoxicating perfume of the Damask rose.
Folks, this isn’t just a lemon and rose cake.
It’s a mouth orgasm.
Don’t make me beg you to try it.
And here, as promised, is a copy-and-paste version of the above:
Kevin’s Lemon and Rose Cake
Kevin Lee Jacobs (www.kevinleejacobs.com)
Ingredients for about 12 servingsFor the cake:
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon culinary grade rose water (optional)
3 cups flour, sifted with 2 teaspoons baking powder
The grated zest of 2 lemonsFor the Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
The juice of 1 lemonAdjust oven rack to lower-middle position; preheat oven to 350°F
In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if you are using hand-held electric beaters), beat the butter, salt, and sugar at low speed until combined. The increase the speed to medium, and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the yogurt and the rose water. With machine running at low speed, gradully add the sifted flour and baking powder mixture, followed by the lemon zest. Increase the speed to medium, and beat only until the flour disappears into the mix.
Thoroughly spray a Bundt pan with baking spray (baking spray contains flour). Then scoop the batter into the pan, and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out mostly clean — about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold the cake onto a plate or platter.
As the cake continues to cool, make the glaze: Put the confectioners’ sugar into a medium bowl, add the juice of 1 lemon, and whisk until perfectly smooth. Drizzle this glaze all over the cake. The glaze will firm up as it cools.
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More fabulous eats from Kevin’s kitchen:
Rigatoni alla Salsiccia e Panna
Chicken and Lemon Polpettine
Filet Mignon Roast
Eliza J says
That cake is gorgeous! I have never heard of a lemon and rose cake before. The pan makes a beautiful cake (even with spray, mine would probably stick all over the place), and I love how the frosting drizzles and pools. I am imagining biting into this with the browned outside and delicious looking texture inside, along with lemon and “rose water” flavors. Thanks so much for the recipe, lesson, and information. I’ll have to get my hands on some rose water and give it a try…….take care.
Glenda Bermanl says
Kevin who eats all of the desserts that you make? I see that you are rather slim – do you invite people in off the street for tea!!
Kimmer says
looks wonderful!
Another Carolyn says
I was just thinking I was about ready to make a cake, and this will be it (possibly without the rosewater.) And now I know why they invented that particular cake pan. It’s not for the lovely architectural detail, it’s because those detail allow for POOLS OF ICING. Clever people…
Shirley B. says
This.looks.divine! Lemon is my favorite flavor and I love rose!
I must give this a try!
Kevin, you’re blog is like a lovely conversation with a friend. Hope you thaw out soon.
Brenda Johnson says
This cake is truly a treat- smells heavenly and tastes divine! LOVE the bright lemon- nice and tart (truly “sun” in a flavor!) and the delicate scent and taste of rose adds a special over the top quality to this. The pan creates such a lovely crisp exterior while the cake inside is so moist. The glaze is… well the icing on the cake!- That’s where the real lemon tartness shines…. perfect against the delicately sweet cake. Thanks Kevin!!! Delicious as always!!! (and nice to catch up with you!!!)
Kate says
I usually send bundt cakes when I contribute to bake sales–that pan would make any cake a surefire sale! I can’t wait to try your recipe, after I rush and buy that pan. Gorgeous!
gina says
What a fun little treat for after ice skating
Susan Turner Bankard says
Kevin, did you use plain Greek yogurt? That photo looks like there is fruit in your yogurt.
Kristin says
I am making this today for my class tomorrow night. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
A magnificent pan! Never saw one like that before… once again you are stretching our culinary horizons.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Susan Turner Bankard – I used plain Greek yogurt.
Sharon says
Gosh.
Must I be sensible with my portion?
anita says
Brenda Johnson is so lucky.
Anne in Vermont Zone 4/5 says
First I have to work off the lemon tart my guests did not eat the other night. (There were only four of us so we had half leftover for Paul and me. Yum.) Your tart was much admired by the way, as was the pastry.
Carol Durusau says
Hi Kevin,
I now must ask for a bundt cake pan for my birthday next month. But mostly I wrote to say that I have a yellow bowl just like yours. I did have 2 for almost 20 years but one got broken during Holiday cooking last month.
Donna says
I am making it with Orange Blossom Water. I can’t wait to taste it! Everything I make from your site is so delicious..
Brooklyn Bob says
Kevin, I bought the Jubilee pan yesterday, and made the cake this morning. It’s beautiful, and the addition of rose water gave it such a great scent. Sharing the cake with friends tonight — they’ll be impressed!
Catharine R. says
I just ordered my Bundt pan! Can’t wait to try this recipe!!!
James says
Your recipes are THE BEST! I made your cake in a regular (boring!) bundt pan, without the rose water, and it still turned out GREAT. Eating it now!
Karen Thomas says
I so enjoy reading your recipes, even if I never make a one. You make me smile and laugh! Thank you! I might just make this one, though. I’m thinking of using violet instead of rose since I absolutely adore violet flavor and scent.
Denise in Colorado says
WOW! Just a stunningly beautiful cake… I wouldn’t expect anything less from you! 🙂
Addie B in Florida says
I made this cake yesterday (in an ordinary bundt pan, so it wasn’t as pretty as yours) for some friends who’d invited us for dinner. It was a big hit, as I knew it would be, and I gave you full credit.
I also made a Pavlova, since that’s his fave dessert and it was their anniversary. I don’t like Pavlova, hence the addition of your cake to the menu. (As it turned out, this particular Pavlova recipe was so good even I liked it).
We have a restaurant supply store here in Ocala – I really love your bundt pan, and my lemon drizzle didn’t turn out anything like yours – not enough nooks and crannies! So I’ll look for the jubilee pan there – I don’t think anyplace else would have it in this mostly geriatric (although lovely) state.
Still wish I could figure out why my sugar, etc wouldn’t caramelize for your apple tart!
Thanks so much all you do to make us all smile, be better cooks, clean our windows, grow our herbs, ………………
John says
This cake was a REAL HIT. Fabulous, Kevin. Fabulous!
Puller says
Well, that will certainly chase away any Winter Blues!
Julia says
I went back and made this again yesterday. It’s a big hit around here! Love the bright lemon on a dreary day and the rose hints at summer to come. Thank you!