Cream Cheese Stuffed Brunch Lemon Bundt Cake | Innkeeper-Approved™
This is our New England Innkeeper Cream Cheese Stuffed Brunch Lemon Bundt Cake - a cast iron recipe. Let’s unpack that glorious mouthful, shall we? We’re talking a fluffy, citrus-splendorific cake (courtesy of some tangy Greek yogurt and lemon zest) that hides a delightful surprise in the center: a decadent cream cheese filling — all baked in cast iron.
Ingredients
Cake Topping (baked)
- 1/4 Cup Sugar (50 grams)
- 1.5 TSP Lemon Zest (3 grams)
- 1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds (56 grams)
Cake Topping (Lemon Glaze Drizzle)
- 1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar (60 grams)
- 1.5 TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice (22 grams)
Cake
- 2 1/4 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour (315 grams)
- 1 1/8 TSP Baking Powder (5.4 grams)
- 1 1/8 TSP Baking Soda (5.4 grams)
- 1 TSP Table Salt (6 grams)
- 10 TBSP Unsalted Butter (140 grams)
- 1 1/8 Cup Granulated Sugar (225 grams)
- 5 TBSP Sugar (additional) (62 grams)
- 1 TBSP Lemon Zest (6 grams)
- 4 TSP Lemon Juice (20 grams)
- 4 Large Eggs
- 4 TSP Vanilla Extract (20 grams)
- 1 TSP Vanilla Extract (additional) (5 grams)
- 1 1/4 Cups Greek Yogurt (284 grams)
- 8 OZ Cream Cheese (224 grams) At Room Temperature
Instructions
Preheat Oven
- Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the Cake Topping (baked)
- Combine sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until glistening and fragrant. Stir in sliced almonds and set aside.1/4 Cup Sugar, 1.5 TSP Lemon Zest, 1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
Prepare Cake Topping (Lemon Glaze Drizzle)
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Adjust consistency (with small amounts of either lemon juice or powdered sugar) until the glaze is smooth and pourable. Set aside.1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar, 1.5 TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice
Prepare the Cake
- Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.2 1/4 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 1 1/8 TSP Baking Powder, 1 1/8 TSP Baking Soda, 1 TSP Table Salt
- Cream Butter + Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, 1⅛ cups sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.10 TBSP Unsalted Butter, 1 1/8 Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 TBSP Lemon Zest
- Incorporate Eggs & Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract until combined.4 Large Eggs, 4 TSP Vanilla Extract
- Alternate Wet & Dry Ingredients: Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the reserved dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the Greek yogurt in 2 additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition to ensure even mixing. Give a final stir by hand to ensure no dry pockets remain.1 1/4 Cups Greek Yogurt
- Divide Batter: Set aside 1¼ cups of batter in a separate bowl.
- Prepare Bundt Pan: If using a cast iron bundt pan, warm the pan in the preheating oven until it is approximately 175-200°F. Remove from oven and spray pan with a flour-based baking spray. Brush the spray into the crevices with a pastry brush to ensure even coverage.
- Fill Bottom Layer: Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter from the mixing bowl evenly in your prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Make Cream Cheese Filling: Return the now-empty mixing bowl to your mixer. Beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice, remaining 5 tablespoons of sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract on medium speed for about 1 minute until smooth and slightly lighter in color. Add ¼ cup of the reserved batter to the cream cheese mixture and mix until incorporated.8 OZ Cream Cheese, 4 TSP Lemon Juice, 5 TBSP Sugar (additional), 1 TSP Vanilla Extract (additional)
- Assemble Layers: Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter in the pan, leaving about 1 inch of space from the edges. Gently smooth the top. Spread the remaining 1 cup of reserved batter over the cream cheese filling and smooth the top again. Sprinkle reserved Cake Topping (baked) over the top of the batter, pressing down lightly to ensure adhesion.
- Baking: Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cake is done when the top is golden brown and firm to the touch, but a skewer inserted into the batter (not the filling) comes out clean. A skewer inserted into the cream cheese filling will likely have some moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Initial Cooling: Once baked, remove the bundt pan from the oven to a trivet. The top of the cake may sink slightly, but that's normal. Let the cake cool in the pan on the trivet for 1 hour.
- Complete Cooling: After 1 hour, carefully remove the cake from the pan and place it back on a wire rack to cool completely. This will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Drizzle: Once cake is completely cooled and placed onto a presentation plate/platter, drizzle the reserved Cake Topping (Lemon Glaze Drizzle) over the top of the bundt cake (the opposite side of the cake from where you originally put the "Baked" topping, which should now be on the bottom of the cake). Optionally sprinkle some additional sliced almonds onto the drizzle.
- Plate and Serve: Serve cake in slices, plated with a sliced side against the plate, so both cake toppings are visible. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 427kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 9gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 429mgPotassium: 141mgFiber: 1gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 637IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 2mg
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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