Citrus Golden Ring Cake

Emma Whitley
Emma fearlessly explores bold flavors and perfects her baking craft, sharing her delicious experiments with joy.
Updated: 8/18/2020

This rich, lemony cake is dense and moist.

Like the circular wedding ring, a circle speaks of eternity, the circle of life and the notion that what goes around comes around.

1 hr 25 min Prep: 25 min Cook: 1 hr
Serves: 16 Save

Ingredients (21)

  • Cake:
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
  • 2 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
  • Buttery Citrus Icing:
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
  • 2 cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  • 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Orange zest (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F.
  2. Coat a 10-inch tube pan or 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon flour. Sprinkle over oiled pan, tapping out excess.
  3. Beat butter with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar. Continue beating until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  4. Sift 3 cups flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
  5. Combine buttermilk, orange juice and lemon juice. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat at low speed. Stir in the first amounts orange and lemon rinds. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  6. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, until top is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. To prepare icing, combine butter and powdered sugar using a mixer at medium speed. Add second amounts of orange and lemon rinds, and juices, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat well.
  8. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Turn onto a serving plate. Pour one-third of icing over cake while still warm. Cool completely and spread with remaining icing. Garnish with orange zest, if desired.