What a gem! It's not often I'm this wowed by a cake, this impressed with a recipe. Comparing it to some other 5-star cakes is almost unfair. As if the cake isn't good enough on its own, the rich, buttery, sweet lemon glaze (which I gradually brushed on with a pastry brush) soaks in and transforms this into something celestial. The kind of cake that when you taste that first bite you close your eyes and sigh, "Mmmmm." (I'm not kidding) This cake is so good, so delicious, so perfect, that it almost defies description and it will probably sound trite when I try. It is fluffy, moist, light, buttery, lemony and pretty as a picture. A simply lovely lemon cake. I can't imagine making this cake any differently than how the recipe directs. I can only imagine that any change would change its perfection. Leave OUT the glaze? No! Frost with butter cream? Please don't! Don't fill it, don't frost it, don't add, take out or change anything. This is one of the best cakes, if made as the submitter directs, you'll ever eat. (Oh... I forgot. I did leave out the raisins. That was a good thing.)
I have a very similar recipe for a lemon loaf (baked in the large loaf pan). We don't use the lemon extract or raisins and use more zest. Also, instead of the frosting, it's really good to combine about 3/4 cup each of fresh lemon juice and sugar to use as a glaze. When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes, then poke it all over with the slender skewer and pour the glaze over. It will soak it up and it adds amazing flavor. Highly recommended.
This cake is absolutely divine! Great texture and even my BF who hates lemon loves this cake. I've made it twice now but instead of raisins I use fresh blueberries- so yummy!
I have made this cake twice (without raisins) and each time it has come out delicious. First time I baked as directed in a square pan (did not make the glaze) and my family loved it. Second time I made cupcakes and reduced baking time to 15 minutes. When the cupcakes came out I spooned over a little glaze on each cupcake. I prefer this cake without the glaze which just adds a lot of calories and not much flavour. When I made the cupcakes I subsituted 1 cp lemon flavoured yogurt for buttermilk and added fresh lemon juice in place of lemon extract. I think these two subsitutions really enhanced the flavour of the cake. This is a really good and easy recipe. The lemon flavour is not overpowering and the cake is moist and yummy.
Very good cake very moist! I made into 2 squares and stacked the squares (instead of the bundt). Poked holes all in and used glaze that was suggested in recipe. I thought it was delicious but hubby asked where the buttercream frosting was LOL. Thanks for the post!
I did not add the lemon extract or the raisins and I glazed it with only lemon juice and sugar combined and heated. I garnished with fresh lemon zest and hubby asked where the icing was! Oh well. It seemed a bit dry though. He ate it but I would probably not make it again.
This came out a bit crusty and heavier than I would have liked. That said, it was very tasty and a big hit. People kept asking what the spicing they were tasting was. I'm guessing that was the buttermilk. (I used a whole-fat buttermilk) Also the glaze portions are really high. I used about 1/3 of the glaze, and I still almost bathed the cake!
I made this cake for my mother's birthday and it was wonderful. The golden raisins really go well with the lemon. Even though I didn't use all of the lemon topping on the cake (my mother is dieting) it was still good.
I wanted to like this cake. It's easy and pretty.. but not very lemony and not very sweet. I left out the raisins and added blueberries - the blueberries were fresh and ripe and very sweet, but still the cake needed more. The glaze is AWESOME. I glazed the cake whole and the parts that slurped up the glaze are yummy. I plan on making a 2nd batch of glaze and glazing each slice to make it better.
