Celebrate Spring with "Peppermint Patty" and Lemon-Sugar Bundt Cake!

Mmmmm, I love peppermint and I love lemon too, so we're going to have a little of both today!  I thought it would be fun to show you my new crochet pattern and follow it up with a wonderful recipe I have for Lemon-Sugar Bundt Cake.

Are you as eclectic as I am?  I love to jump from one kind of project to another, so in between the patterns I've been creating for fall and the new summertime candle mat I'm working on, I couldn't see any reason not to get "Peppermint Patty" finished!

"Peppermint Patty" is a super-fun crochet hat pattern I created during a long road trip with my hubby.  It's available through my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/lollypoppers, and you can get it in full-color downloadable PDF format or by paper pattern through snail-mail. The pattern includes complete instructions and some extra tips that are good for any crochet project (a teaser page is shown below):

And how about that recipe for Lemon-Sugar Bundt Cake? This cake is incredibly delicious and just right for spring and summer entertaining. It's moist and sweet and tangy and supposedly keeps for several days, although it is always gone at my house before I can find out!

LEMON-SUGAR BUNDT CAKE

I originally found this delicious recipe at www.melangerbaking.com and it's become a favorite. If you want, you can double this recipe to suit the larger volume of a 10-inch bundt pan which you bake at 350F (180C) for 40-45 minutes.  The regular recipe shown below can be baked in an 8-inch round cake tin or a 4"x8" loaf pan for 25-30 minutes. This recipe is also delicious substituting orange or lime for the lemon.  Here we go!

Ingredients for Batter:
2 sticks (250g) butter, room temperature
4 tablespoons lemon zest (about four lemons)
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1-1/2 cups whole milk
3 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder


Ingredients for Syrup:
3/4 cup of lemon juice
3/4 cup of sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Beat the milk and eggs together in a small bowl. Set aside. Sift the flour and baking powder in a separate small bowl. Set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the butter and sugar on low heat until melted. Whisk in half of the milk/egg mixture until loosely blended. Whisk in half of the flour mixture. Repeat in the same order with the remaining mixtures, finishing with the flour. Gently stir in the lemon zest and then pour the batter into your prepared pan.  Bake as directed above or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire cooler.

Immediately begin preparing the syrup. Bring the lemon juice and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Using a toothpick, poke a few holes around the cake, and then drench the cake with the hot syrup.  Allow the cake to cool in the pan, and then gently remove it. If you keep the hubby away, this cake keeps well for 3-5 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

It's back to the worktable for me  With any luck, I'll have a new summer candle mat ready for you to enjoy in a few days. As always, have a great week and Happy Stitchin'!

xoxo--Melanie