Prep 20 minutes
Bake 45 mins to 1 hour

Total 1 hour 20 mins

Yield one Bundt cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, at least 65°F

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon table salt

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

• 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

• zest of 2 medium lemons

  Glaze

• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, the juice of about 2 medium size juicy lemons

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  Icing

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

• pinch of table salt

• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Beat together the butter, sugar, and salt, first until combined, then until fluffy and

   lightened in color.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom

   of the bowl once all the eggs have been added and beat briefly to re-combine any residue.

4. Measure the flour by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Whisk

   the baking powder into the flour. Add the flour mixture to the batter in three parts alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. The batter may look slightly curdled when you add the milk. That’s OK; it’ll smooth out as you add the flour. Mix until everything is well combined; the batter will look a bit rough but shouldn’t have any large lumps. Stir in the zest.

5. Thoroughly grease a 12-cup Bundt pan of your choice. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, leveling and smoothing the top with a spatula.

6. Bake the cake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. A pan with a dark interior will bake cake more quickly; start checking at 40 minutes.

7. While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the lemon juice and sugar. Microwave or heat over a burner briefly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. You don’t want to cook the lemon juice, so microwave just until very warm, but not uncomfortably hot — less than 1 minute should do it. Set the glaze aside.

8. Remove the cake from the oven and carefully run a knife between cake and pan all around the edge. Place the pan upside down on a cooling rack. If the cake drops out of the pan onto the rack, remove the pan. If the cake doesn’t drop onto the rack, let it rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift the pan off the cake. If the cake still feels like it’s sticking, give it another 5 minutes upside down, then very gently shake the pan back and forth to loosen and remove it.

9. Brush the glaze all over the hot cake, both top and sides. Let it sink in, then brush on more glaze, continuing until all the glaze is used up.

10. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.

11. To ice the cake, mix the sugar and salt, then mix in 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice,

    adding just enough additional juice to create a thick glaze, one that’s just barely pourable. Drizzle it artfully over the completely cool cake.

Submit on foil-covered cardboard measured no more than one inch from sides of the cake.

Judging Criteria

Overall appearance Following Directions Texture
Aroma

Flavor TOTAL

25 points 10 points 15 points 10 points 40 points 100 points

The following prizes and a rosette will be awarded at the annual state contest held in November 2026.

1st Place: $40.00 2nd Place: $35.00 3rd Place: $30.00 4th Place: $25.00

5th Place: $15.00 6th Place: $12.50 7th Place: $10.00 8th Place: $7.50

9th Place: $5.00 10th Place: $5.00

Honorable Mention Rosettes will also be awarded.