Granny Betty made wonderful cakes and this was my favorite of her Bundt cake recipes which she varied to change the flavor.
Sometimes she used sour cream in place of the buttermilk.
Sometimes, instead of lemon, she would use orange.
Sometimes she skipped fruit flavors completely and used baking cocoa mixed with oil and sugar to make a chocolate Bundt!
No matter which flavor she used they were all yummy!
Betty’s Bundt Cake
3-1/2 cups plus 5 Tbsp. cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup shortening, at room temperature
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk or sour cream, at room temperature
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon or orange juice
Additional butter and flour for pan
Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees.
Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan and dust with flour.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda two or three times.
With electric hand mixer, beat butter and shortening together on medium speed until well blended and smooth.
Cream in the sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in vanilla.
Add eggs one at a time beating until each is well mixed.
With spoon or spatula fold in flour a little at a time scraping sides and bottom of bowl until moist.
Stir in buttermilk.
Beat on low for a minute.
Stir in lemon or orange juice.
Beat on low for 2 to 3 minutes more scraping sides and bottom until batter is well mixed and smooth.
Pour/Scrape into prepared Bundt pan. Drop onto firm surface twice from a height of about four inches to settle the batter. If needed, smooth the top with the back of a spoon (or rubber spatula).
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick or knife comes out clean.
Cool for 30 to 40 minutes.
Turn out onto cake platter. If need be, run a thin knife carefully along the edges then bang the bottom of the pan on the counter top and shake pan side to side to loosen.
Allow to cool completely before glazing.
Betty’s Lemon Glaze
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
a pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. very finely grated lemon or orange zest
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon or orange juice
1 teaspoon melted butter
1 teaspoon Carnation evaporated milk
Mix sugar, salt, zest, juice, and butter together well. Then stir in evaporated milk.
If too thin add more powdered sugar. If too thick add more evaporated milk.
If too sweet add a smidgen more salt. If not lemony enough, add another tablespoon of zest.
Drizzle over cake and allow to sit for about a half hour uncovered until the glaze has fully set.
Once glaze has set, cover the cake with a cake lid to prevent it from drying out.
Chocolate Bundt:
Omit/skip adding lemon or orange juice to the cake batter. When it comes time to add the buttermilk or sour cream — wait — until you’ve done the following:
Heat 4 Tbsp oil in a pan, add 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, then when the sugar has melted take it off the heat. Stir in 3/4 cups baking cocoa, cool for a minute or two so it won’t be so hot that it curdles the milk or sour cream, and then mix it with the buttermilk or sour cream.
For the glaze, omit adding lemon or orange juice and also skip adding zest. Instead, add 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and if needed adjust for thickness.
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Or, if you are a serious chocoholic like me you could glaze it with my own favorite chocolate glaze.
Chocolate Powdered Sugar Glaze
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened to room temperature
3 – 4 tablespoons warm tap water
Stir together sifted powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder.
Whisk or beat in the softened margarine or butter.
Whisk or beat in 1 tablespoons warm water, then add 1 tablespoon at a time beating after each addition, until drizzling consistency.
For other non-cooked glazes, frostings, and even a sugar free substitute for powdered sugar see the following:
Non-Cooked Frostings and Glazes (Sugar Free Substitute Included)
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