My mother was an inspiration to me in the kitchen as a great home baker—and somewhat of a perfectionist with her baking. I think she would enjoy this recipe. It makes 6 mini Bundt cakes for individual serving. You can otherwise use a (9-inch) round cake pan and serve the cake sliced.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks separated
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 3 teaspoons finely grated Meyer lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- ½ cup (4 ounces) whole-milk Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons Aperol (orange aperitif liqueur; see note)
- 1 tablespoon bottled yuzu juice (or substitute 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice and 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (from jar or scraped from 1 split vanilla bean)
- Strawberry Compote* (optional)
- Crème fraîche (optional)
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 tablespoons local honey
- 1 small pinch salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 5-cup “Bundtlette” pan (6 individual mini Bundt cakes) with baking spray or butter evenly and dust with flour.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.
In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time. Add the Meyer lemon zest and juice and mix until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Fold in ½ the flour and ½ the Greek yogurt gently until combined, then repeat.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until combined. (It helps to add a few tablespoons first to lighten the batter before adding the remaining egg whites.)
Spoon the mixture into the greased Bundlette pan until each section is just half-full (to keep from overflowing). Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (Baking in a larger single baking pan will take longer, up to 35–40 minutes.)
While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze by adding ingredients to a small bowl and whisking until smooth.
When the cakes are done, remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. To serve, divide among 6 dessert plates, drizzle with Aperol Glaze, add a generous spoonful of strawberry compote and a dollop of crème fraîche. Makes 6 mini Bundt cakes.
To prepare the compote, add ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Reduce heat and cook until the fruit is softened, but still textured, and a syrup forms. Chill and serve with Meyer Lemon Yogurt Cake with Aperol Glaze.
