Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cake

earlier this week i was gifted some fresh rhubarb from my friends lovely garden.  the gift of fresh produce is thoughtful and always appreciated by me.  of course the proper thing to do is when you receive a gift like that is to bolt to the kitchen and make something beautiful, heavenly, and delicious.  #doneanddone

having already tackled rhubarb crumb bars, baked oatmeal, pie, cobblers, orange quickbread, and roasted rhubarb parfaits (did i mention i really like rhubarb?),  it was time to graduate to the next level,

a lemon buttermilk bundt cake, kind of level.  

if you've been a follower for any amount of time, you know that lemon is my go to.  i can't get enough of it.  my birthday cake every year, is actually lemon meringue pie.  ya, i'm that girl.  so when i stumbled upon the recipe for this cake from the cookbook Rustic Fruit Desserts, it had my name written all over it.  also, it's technically my birthday month, so really this, plus the gift of rhubarb, is pretty much the universe telling me that i should eat cake.  right?

let me say this, this is my new favourite cake.  i'm serious.  my new favourite.

the lemon flavour comes through beautifully in the cake, matched perfectly with the tartness from the rhubarb and then finished off with a sweet lemon glaze.  #heavenly

you should make it.like now.stop everything. 

cheers.xo

Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cake

courtesy Rustic Fruit Desserts

Ingredients:

Cake

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon oil or extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 pound rhubarb (3 cups), trimmed and very thinly sliced

Lemon Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar, more as needed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon nearly melted butter


Method:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 10-cup bundt pan.

To make the cake, sift the 2 1/2 cups flour, the baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then stir in the lemon oil. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. The batter will be very thick.

Toss the rhubarb with the 2 tablespoons of flour and fold half into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining rhubarb on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, then rotate the pan and cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched. Cool the cake in its pan on the wire rack for 30 minutes before inverting and removing the pan.

To make the lemon glaze, whisk the confectioners sugar, lemon juice and butter together. The mixture should be thick. If it’s not, whisk in another tablespoon or two of the sugar. Spread the glaze over the cake as soon as you remove it from the pan.