Sweet Things Remembered

This old-fashioned Bundt cake is flavored with fresh orange and lemon, then topped with a sweet citrus icing. It’s a simple, delicious cake that’s perfect for anytime you want a refreshing homemade dessert.

When it came to baking, my grandma had her go-to recipes, but she also loved to try new ones. She was always cutting out recipes from newspapers, magazines, and even product packaging, to save for later. I can picture her sitting in her spot at the kitchen table, passing me a magazine and saying, “Look at this recipe I found. Doesn’t that sound delightful?” I can also picture sitting with her, trying out something new she made, while she dissected what was good or could be improved in the recipe.

More than one of her cookbooks is filled with papers, many of those papers being these recipes that she would find and save. When flipping through the recipes, it can be tempting to just skip through the cut out ones because what I want to preserve are the recipes that are handwritten and the ones that we remember her making the most. It’s important to look at the clippings, though, because sometimes, after trying a recipe, she would make notes on them. That’s what led me to pull out this recipe she saved for a citrus golden ring cake. The recipe is cut out of a magazine, and her note says, “Cake is good. Icing is heavenly. 2nd day this cake is great.”

I have had this recipe set aside for some time, wanting to try it out. I don’t remember having the cake when my grandma made it, so this would be a new one for me. Just like my grandma, I love trying out new recipes. This one did not disappoint. The cake is dense, yet moist, and the flavor is bright and citrusy. It has tang from the lemon and sweetness from the orange. Grandma was right, too, the icing makes this cake, and it was even better the second day. If, like my grandma and me, you like trying recipes, this is a great one to make!

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• Butter, softened
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Buttermilk
• Orange Juice – this should be fresh from the orange, not orange juice like you would buy in a jug to have with breakfast
• Lemon Juice
• Orange Zest
• Lemon Zest

For the Icing:

• Butter, softened
• Powdered Sugar
• Orange Zest
• Lemon Zest
• Orange Juice – same as above
• Lemon Juice

Equipment

• Stand mixer
• 12-Cup Bundt Pan
• Zester
• Measuring Tools

How to Make Citrus Golden Ring Cake

Make the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 325° and grease a 12-cup bundt pan.
• Using a mixer, beat 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter until fluffy, scraping down the sides, if needed.
• Gradually add in 1¾ cups sugar, beating until well combined.
• Add in 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
• In a separate bowl, sift together 3 cups al-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt.
• In a liquid measuring cup, combine ¾ cup of buttermilk with ¼ cup fresh orange juice and 2 tbsp lemon juice.
• Turn the mixer to low and to the bowl add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Add 1 tbsp orange zest and 2 tbsp lemon zest.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Once the cake is done, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then flip it onto a serving plate.

Make the Icing:

• While the cake cools in the pan, make the icing by beating together ¼ cup softened butter and 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth.
• Then add 2 tsp orange zest, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp orange juice, and 3 tbsp lemon juice.
• Once the cake has cooled the 10 minutes in the pan, pour ⅓ of the icing over the cake while it is still warm.
• After the cake has cooled completely, add the remaining icing and enjoy!

Questions You May Have

Citrus Golden Ring Cake

Recipe by rebekahdearmondDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Baking time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ingredients

• For the Cake:

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1¾ granulated sugar

• 3 eggs

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cup buttermilk

• ¼ cup fresh orange juice

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 tbsp orange zest

• 2 tbsp lemon zest

• For the Icing:

• ¼ cup butter, softened

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 2 tsp orange zest

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• 1 tbsp orange juice

• 3 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

• Make the Cake:
• Preheat oven to 325° and grease a 12-cup bundt pan.
• Using a mixer, beat 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter until fluffy, scraping down the sides, if needed.
• Gradually add in 1¾ cups sugar, beating until well combined.
• Add in 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
• In a separate bowl, sift together 3 cups al-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt.
• In a liquid measuring cup, combine ¾ cup of buttermilk with ¼ cup fresh orange juice and 2 tbsp lemon juice.
• Turn the mixer to low and to the bowl add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Add 1 tbsp orange zest and 2 tbsp lemon zest.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Once the cake is done, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then flip it onto a serving plate.
• Make the Icing:
• While the cake cools in the pan, make the icing by beating together ¼ cup softened butter and 2 cups powdered sugar until smooth.
• Then add 2 tsp orange zest, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp orange juice, and 3 tbsp lemon juice.
• Once the cake has cooled the 10 minutes in the pan, pour ⅓ of the icing over the cake while it is still warm.
• After the cake has cooled completely, add the remaining icing and enjoy!