Lemon Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze and Candied Lemon Wannabe

Found the recipe.  It's from foodnetwork, Giada De Laurentiis' recipe collections.
This cake recipe was found just in time to use all the wonderful fresh lemons my co-worker gave me.  And I find it interesting to add candied lemons.

 

My kitchen temperature is 61'F.  Butter is not getting creamed.

 

Depending on your kitchen's temperature, your butter mixture may have a difficulty creaming.  Tip:  Take a small amount of butter - 1/4 C mixture into a microwaveable bowl.  Microwave it just enough to soften, but not melted.  Add it back into the mixer bowl.  And continue beating.  The warmth from the softened butter mixture would help the grainy sugar blend in more with butter resulting in smooth creamy butter batter.

 

After adding the cake batter into Bundt cake mold, smooth out the top, and tap the cake mold on a cushion to help release some trapped air in the batter.

 

While the cake is baking, make the chocolate glaze.

 

This recipe was found in foodnetwork's cake recipe collection.  I made a couple of modifications to meet my kitchen requirements. 

 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-bundt-cake-with-chocolate-glaze-and-candied-lemon.html

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients :

Candied Lemon:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

Cake:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup Sourcream, room temperature    << Modified from yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 2 lemons
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Chocolate Glaze:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions

For the candied lemon: Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the chopped lemon and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to drain. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

For the cake

* Flour shifting modification from the original recipe:  Sift Flour 3 times and then measure our 3 cups of flour.  Add baking powder, baking soda and salt and shift again 3 times.  Set aside.   

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

However, if your kitchen is as cold as mine in the winter – about 61’F, the butter remains likely in solid state even after a good mixing.  

TIP:

Take a ¼ Cup of the butter and sugar mixture out and microwave it to “SOFTEN”.  DO NOT MELT.   Then, return it to the mixer to continue mixing.  A slight rise in the butter mixture would help in smoothing out the rest of the butter and change the texture into silky smoothness.

Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. On low speed, slowly add the Sourcream and the vanilla. Stop the mixer, add the lemon zest and juice, and mix to incorporate. The batter mixture might look curdling.  Keep mixing, it will become smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350’F..

(Original recipe direction in mixing in flour - With the mixer on low, add the flour, one cup at a time, until combined.  Finally, add the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Raise to medium speed and mix for 1 minute, until the batter is fluffy and smooth. )

<< 

Stop the mixer and Fold the Flour into the mixture to prevent gluten development.

Mix in the chopped candied lemons.

If you have an aluminum Bundt Cake pan prepare it as usual with oil/greasing and flouring.  If you have a Teflon coated 'dark' surface Bundt cake pan, I don't recommend greasing and or flouring it.

With a spatula or wooden spoon, transfer the batter to the prepared Bundt pan and smooth out the top.  Tap the cake mold to release trapped air in the batter.  Set the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden and a cake tester comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before turning it out onto a plate. 

If greased and or floured Teflon cake mold is used, be watchful for the browning before the baking time is up.

Slide sturdy plastic knife all around to loosen the cake.

For the glaze: Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once bubbles have formed around the edges of the cream, pour it over the chocolate. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth. (Optional:  Add a teaspoon of heavy corn syrup) Pour the glaze over the Bundt cake, using a spatula or spoon to push the glaze down the sides and center of the cake.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-bundt-cake-with-chocolate-glaze-and-candied-lemon.html?oc=linkback

 The candied lemon gives an interesting burst of tangy taste.