Grandma’s Citrus Buttermilk Cake (Easy Lemon Glazed Recipe)
This traditional Grandma’s Citrus Buttermilk Cake is an absolute masterpiece. It features a wonderfully rich, velvet-like crumb thanks to the buttermilk, paired with a vibrant pop of fresh citrus flavor. In fact, you may find that Grandma’s Citrus Buttermilk Cake quickly becomes a family favorite.
When you bake this cake in a classic fluted tube pan, your kitchen fills with the most heavenly aroma of sweet sugar and bright lemon extract. Moreover, it is a stunning, elegant dessert that looks professional. Yet it is incredibly simple to whip up from scratch, and that’s the magic of Grandma’s Citrus Buttermilk Cake for all your gatherings.
Everyone completely raves over this lemony masterpiece. In addition, it is truly divine when served with fresh summer raspberries. Try it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side! No matter how you serve it, Grandma’s Citrus Buttermilk Cake always steals the show.
Why You’ll Love This Southern Buttermilk Cake
Incredibly Moist Crumb: The combination of shortening and rich buttermilk ensures a dense, tender texture. As a result, it stays incredibly moist for days.
Double Citrus Punch: This recipe features lemon extract in the batter. Furthermore, it is then soaked in a sweet, scratch-made orange and lemon juice glaze.
Perfect for Entertaining: It slices beautifully into 12 generous portions. Therefore, it is the ideal cake for potlucks, holiday parties, or family reunions. Without a doubt, Grandma’s Citrus Buttermilk Cake is sure to impress your guests.
Grandma’s Secrets for the Perfect Glazed Tube Cake
Baking a traditional tube cake is beautifully straightforward. However, treating the process with a little extra care will give you a flawless, bakery-quality result every single time:
- Incorporate the Eggs with Care: When adding your four large room-temperature eggs to the creamed shortening and sugar, make sure to add them one at a time. Beat the mixture well after each egg addition. This builds a stable structure in the batter. It helps the cake rise evenly into a fluffy, spectacular shape.
- Grandma’s Non-Stick Pan Secret: There is nothing more heartbreaking than a beautiful cake sticking to a fluted pan! To ensure it slides out perfectly, treat your pan with high care. Always grease the plain and fluted ridges thoroughly using solid shortening. Then give it a light dust of all-purpose flour before adding the batter.
- The Soak Method: Don’t wait for the cake to cool down before applying your glaze! While the cake is still warm in the pan, use a fork or a wooden skewer to poke small holes all across the top. Spoon your fresh orange and lemon zest glaze slowly over the warm cake. This allows the sweet, tart citrus juices to sink deep into the center. As a result, every single bite is infused with incredible flavor. Let it rest for 15 minutes to absorb before flipping it onto a wire rack.
Grandma’s Citrus Buttermilk Cake (Easy Lemon Glazed Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 10 inch fluted tube pan
- 2 large bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 toothpick
- 1 fork or wooden skewer
- 1 spoon
- 1 wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsps lemon extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
Glaze
- 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tbsp grated orange zest
- 5 Tbsp orange juice
- 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
- 5 Tbsps lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10 inch, fluted tube pan.
- In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each egg addition. Beat in the lemon extract.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then add the ingredients in this bowl to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating after each addition.
- Transfer to the prepared flute pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Now, poke holes in the warm cake using a fork or a wooden skewer. Mix the glaze ingredients, and spoon the glaze mixture over the top of the cake. Let this cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan t a wire rack. Then let it cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you love a strong lemon flavor, or do you prefer a mix of orange and lime in your citrus bakes? Let me know your favorite ways to enjoy a slice in the comments below! If your family goes wild for this glazed heirloom dessert, please take a quick second to leave a review and a star rating on the recipe card. Your support keeps our kitchen legacy alive!
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