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This Citrus Bundt Cake is full of bright, sunny flavors and vibrant energy. Bake this cake to brighten up any gathering and bring in those cleansing, happy vibes. It's like having a slice of sunshine for dessert.

One of the perfect synchronicities of the modern world is that citrus season falls in the middle of winter. Now I get that there are climate change implications to us having fresh citrus fruits in Scotland in January, but I'm setting that aside for a moment. The energy of citrus fruits is absolutely required at this time of year.

Once the holidays pass and the rest of winter stretches out before us week after week, we need something to remind us that the sun will return. One of my office mates eats oranges as a snack, and I always know it's happening before I even see it because the scent of orange oil fills the air as the fruit is peeled, and I'm filled with instant peaceful joy. A wave of content washes over me and brings a smile to my face no matter what I was doing a few seconds before. How could we survive winter without that magic?

What makes Citrus Bundt Cake so awesome?

This Citrus Bundt Cake is absolutely delicious year round, but I especially love it in January after the glut of heavy foods from the holidays. It's light and bright and moist and delicious. I love the contrast of the thick outer crust of a bundt cake with the soft, light center. It's not overly sweet, and it stays moist for days.

This cake also gets an orange and lemon glaze with the zest of the orange and the juice of both fruits. It's sweet and just tart enough to wake you up. You could be more strategic with your icing skills, but I like to just pour it over and see where gravity takes things. I wonder if there's a form of divination to be had here. Icingmancy? Did we just invent something?

Magical properties of citrus fruits

All citrus fruits are known for their cleansing properties, and in fact, you'll find citrus essential oils in many household cleaning products. Due to where they're grown, I always associate citrus fruits with the sun and warmth. And their bright colors always bring me a sense of joy.

You could also incorporate a little color magic when working with citrus fruits. Orange for creativity, yellow for confidence, green for abundance, etc. You can use the peel of citrus fruits in spell jars or charm bags or dry citrus slices to create a cleansing spell for your home. (Source: Davy and Tracy)

For information on specific citrus fruits, see my Kitchen Magick page.

Tips on making Citrus Bundt Cake

You're going to get the best results with this cake if all your ingredients are at room temperature. This will help to get all the ingredients properly incorporated. You might want to scrape down your mixing bowl a few times throughout the mixing process to avoid any chunks of butter which can cause holes in your cake.

You also want to liberally greast your bundt pan and remember to turn it out while the cake is still warm. Wait about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven as your cake will continue cooking. Then carefully and gently turn your cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding the icing.

When making the glaze, I tend to go by feel. I scoop out the powdered sugar into a bowl, add the orange zest, then just start squeezing in a bit of juice at a time while whisking it in. You want a thick but pourable consistency. This time around, I ended up using the juice of half an orange and half a lemon. Obviously those aren't exact measurements, so just keep stirring until you get the thickness you like.

All the details are in the recipe card below.

The sun is returning friends, but slowly. If you want to bring a bit more sun energy into your life, this Citrus Bundt Cake is the way to go.

Looking for more awesome citrus dessert ideas? Try this Satsuma & Dark Chocolate Brioche or a Lemon Loaf Cake.

Citrus Bundt Cake

Print Recipe

Author: Renee Rendall
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 10 servings 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon
1-¾ cups sugar
12 tablespoons (1-½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 drops lemon extract
1 cup buttermilk

For the glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
Zest of one orange
Juice of half an orange
Juice of half a lemon

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Instructions

For the cake

Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) and grease your bundt pan. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Zest your lemon into the dry mixture and whisk gently to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter together on medium high speed for about 3 minutes until it's pale and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each.
Mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
Turn the mixer down to low and add a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half the buttermilk, another third of the dry mixture, the rest of the buttermilk, and the last of the dry ingredients. Turn your mixer back up to medium and beat for another two minutes. You will have a very smooth, thick batter.
Carefully pour the cake batter into the waiting pan. Even out the top to make sure you don't have a lopsided cake, then bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about five minutes, then invert your cake and cool completely before adding glaze.

For the glaze

Sift your powdered sugar into a medium mixing bowl and zest the orange into the powdered sugar. Whisk in juice of half the orange and half a lemon. You can add a bit more juice a few drops at a time until your glaze is thick but pourable.
Pour your glaze over your cake.

Keywords: Cake, Citrus