Pink Lemonade Pound Cake For a Citrus #SundaySupper

Happy Sunday everyone! It’s that time again to gather everyone up and have a meal around the family table. This week’s recipe theme is citrus, and boy do I have a doozy to share. I was one determined baker tracking down this recipe after I saw it on Pinterest. Behold the adorably delicious Pink Lemonade Pound Cake.

This recipe was not easy to find. I was playing on Pinterest late one night, and came across an amazing looking pink bundt cake. I clicked the link to get the recipe and it wasn’t there. Spam! Darn it! I held strong, determined to find this cake, and used the search box on Pinterest. To no avail, every link took me to the same spam link. Where was the original? I needed this cake! C’mon! Look at it! I am sure you are thinking the same thing!

Next up Google. Let me just tell you, there are a bunch of failed pink lemonade cakes out there. May people attempting to make one, and then complaining their recipe was no good. I finally found a good looking recipe here from flourpants.com, that was inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe. Hmmm…can’t go wrong there, right? I gathered all my ingredients and was good to go, until I realized I had NO food coloring in the house. How on earth could I make a pink cake with no food coloring?

Time to get a bit crafty. I have used some interesting substitutions in the past when baking, but baking is a really a science. With most of my swaps, I cross my fingers and hope for the best. I dug in my baking supply cabinet and found a new container of red sanding sugar. Red makes pink. I used the red sugar as part of the 2 cups of sugar in the recipe. I also didn’t have buttermilk (or I should say, I was too cheap to buy a quart of buttermilk to use 3/4 of a cup), so I made my own with lemon juice. Typing this, I just now realize I made a cup of buttermilk, and the recipe called for 3/4 cup. I used the whole cup. Hmmmmmm.

Let me tell you, the full cup of buttermilk did not hurt the flavor or texture of this cake at all! This cake is perfect. The fresh lemony tang fills your mouth with flavor, and works well with the cake’s dense texture. It’s so moist you can squish the crumbs with your fork and eat every last one. I love that quality in a cake.

Lately, I feel all my bundt cakes were looking the same. It’s not a bad thing, they are all pretty, but I was tired of my standard bundt glaze. For this cake I decided to add another pop of pink by using some Wilton candy melts and adding lemon extract. The consistency was a little off from what I wanted for drizzling, so I just spread it around. Then for a little extra fancy, I tossed on some pastel nonpareils.

This cake reminded me of a lemon meringue pie in flavor, but obviously will have texture of a cake. This is a pretty sweet cake too, so be ready. I am huge lemon fan, so that part of the flavor was right on point, but I would probably cut back the sugar a bit next time. I do guarantee it will be made again. With Spring getting a little bit of a late start this year, this cake will certainly add some delicious sunshine to the office. And speaking of delicious…check out this week’s contributions for out Citrus themed #SundaySupper. You will not be disappointed.

Better with Citrus Breakfasts:

Orange Ricotta Pancakes from Gotta Get Baked

Big On Citrus Breads & Condiments:

Honey Lime Dressing from Ruffles & Truffles
Lemon Poppyseed Sweet Bread from Food Lust People Love
Meyer Lemon Pistachio Loaf from The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Moroccan Preserved Lemons from MarocMama

Make You Pucker Salads, Sides, & Main Dishes:

Ceviche from Cookistry
Cilantro Lime Rice from Crazy Foodie Stunts
Citrus Ginger Chicken from Kudos Kitchen
Easy Indian Lemon Chicken from Soni’s Food
Grilled Orange & Lime Chicken Thighs from Big Bear’s Wife
Meyer Lemon-Garlic Shrimp & Asparagus with Brown Rice from Daily Dish Recipes
Orange Chicken from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Red Cabbage and Red Pepper Salad with Citrus Dressing from Family Foodie
Seared Cod with Grapefruit Fennel Slaw from Magnolia Days
Tangy Lemon Rice with Grated Mango & Roasted Cashew from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Sour Citrusy Sweets & Desserts:

Blood Orange Sorbet from My Cute Bride
Broiled Oranges with Toasted Coconut from Neighborfood
Clementine Curd from Small Wallet Big Appetite
Creamsicle Cupcakes from The Meltaways
Dairyfree Key Lime Meringue Bliss from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Fresh Lemon Mousse from Comfy Cuisine
Frozen Lemon Dessert from Gourmet Drizzles
Gluten Free Orange Pound Cake from Simply Gourmet
Honey and Lemon Cake from Happy Baking Days
Key Lime Biscotti from Juanita’s Cocina
Key Lime Cheesecake from Flour on My Face
Key Lime Cookie Bars from Supper for a Steal
Key Lime Truffles from What Smells So Good?
Lemon Blueberry Polenta Cake from Vintage Kitchen Notes
Lemon Coconut Cinnamon Rolls from Chocolate Moosey
Lemon Cookies from Basic N Delicious
Lemon Cream Pie Push Pops from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Lemon Layer Cake from Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
Lemon Ricotta Cake from The Urban Mrs.
Meyer Lemon Snack Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Mini Meyer Lemon Pies from Cravings of a Lunatic
Mini Orange Cream & Lemon Cream Scones from The Foodie Army Wife
No-Bake Lemon Cheese Cakes w/Blueberry-Lemon Sauce from Momma’s Meals
Olive Oil Cake with Orange Marmalade from Hip Foodie Mom
Omiyage California Citrus Cake from Ninja Baking
Orange Cake with Orange Syrup from The Lovely Pantry
Pink Grapefruit Pie from In the Kitchen With Audrey and Maurene
Pink Lemonade Pound Cake from In the Kitchen with KP
Sugar-Free Lemon Meringue Pie from Webicurean
Tarte au Citron from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Sour Sips & Drinks:

{DIY} Arancello and Limoncello from girlichef
Orange Creamsicle Smoothies from Mama.Mommy.Mom

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter on Sunday, March 31st to talk about all things citrus! Everyone is welcome!

We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET, and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos!

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake For a Citrus #SundaySupper

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Sweet and tangy lemon pound cake, perfect for picnics or parties, and it's pink!

Author: KP

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
Finely grated zest of two lemons
1 cup lemon juice
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¾ cups sugar
¼ cup red sanding sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
Glaze
½ cup Wilton candy melts pink/vanilla flavored
½ teaspoon lemon extract

Instructions

Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray 10 cup bundt pan with Pam for Baking and dust with plain breadcrumbs.
In large measuring cup, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and zest.
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Scrape down bowl as needed.
Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour. Add just a touch of food dye gel (a tiny bit goes a long way!) and beat until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 – 60 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Icing/Glaze
Microwave candy melts according to bag directions
Add lemon extract to melted candy and stir thoroughly.
Transfer cake to a plate/cake stand and ice cake.
Let set about 30 minutes until icing sets, serve.