Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Source: Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:
for the cake:
2 and 3/4 cups (343g) all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch (or you could use 3 cups cake flour, which is what I did)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (mine was salted, so I reduced the salt above by a tiny bit)
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of 4 large lemons (about 1/3 cup, packed) (I had ginormous lemons, so I went with the cup amounts shown in parentheses)
juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature (I used the 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + milk to a cup trick)

for the lemon simply soaking syrup:
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)

for the lemon glaze:
1 cup (120g) sifted confectioners sugar
juice of 1/2 large lemon (or 1 medium - 2 Tablespoons)

Directions:
Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray the inside of a 10 inch bundt pan with nonstick spray or grease thoroughly with butter (I did the butter, but a chunk of mine ended up sticking, so maybe I'll try flouring it, too, next time). Set aside.

Make the cake: Sift the flour and cornstarch together into a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick.

Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the bundt pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil if you begin to see the top browning quickly. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes inside the pan.

During this time, make the simple syrup. Combine the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.

Invert the slightly cooled bundt cake onto a wire rack set over a large plate or serving dish. Spoon the syrup on top of the cake. Allow cake to cool before glazing and serving.

Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Drizzle over cake. Slice and serve.

Make ahead tip: Prepare cake and syrup through step 6 (before glazing). Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. The flavor will be amazing after this time! Bring to room temperature and continue with step 7 (glazing step).

Notes:
Another birthday, another bundt cake.  This time it was for our ward's Relief Society Anniversary Party.  Luckily, a woman in our ward who has a house in Arizona brought three giant boxes of giant lemons to share with everyone.  I brought home a half-dozen of the beauties and knew immediately what I'd do with them.  I ended up using 3 1/2 worth of juice and zest for this recipe.  I loved how this cake wasn't too sweet, but it wasn't too tart either (as some lemony desserts can be).  (Although as the days went on, the glaze did seem to intensify.)  It was a hit at the party and luckily we had a little bit leftover to enjoy for dessert for a couple more days.  Lemons = spring, in my book.  And this cake just screams sunshiney springiness!