Directions

• Step 1 To Make The Cake
• Step 2 Strain the preserves. I used Bon Maman brand preserves. Spoon the preserves into a strainer and put strainer over a bowl to catch the liquids that strain from the preserves. Stir the preserves occasionally to help the preserves liquify and strain. In the end, you will need about 3/4 C. of thick preserves for your cake. Set aside.
• Step 3 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and put a rack in the lower-middle part of your oven. Prepare your bundt pan by greasing it THOROUGHLY. This is very important to ensure that your baked cake will release from the pan cleanly at the end of baking. I found that brushing melted butter onto my bundt pan works very well.
• Step 4 In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
• Step 5 Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar. Stir the butter and sugar mixture until the sugar begins to melt. You do not, however, want to allow the butter to bubble. Remove from heat. Set aside for a few minutes.
• Step 6 Whisk sour cream, eggs and vanilla together until combined. Ladle some of the warm butter into the sour cream mixture and whisk to combine. By adding the butter slowly and a small amount at a time, you are warming the egg mixture but not allowing the eggs to cook. Add the remaining butter mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.
• Step 7 Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and, using a spatula, fold the ingredients together until you have a thick batter. Be sure not to overmix at this step. It is OK to have tiny lumps in the batter.
• Step 8 Spoon 3/4 of the batter into your greased bundt cake pan. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the batter in the pan.
• Step 9 Use a moistened finger to trace a trough in the batter about half way between the outside of the pan and the center cone of the pan. The trough should be circular and extend all the way around the pan so that your cake will have a consistent tasty ribbon of prerserves in each slice. Spoon the strained preserves into the trough. Spoon the remainder of the batter into the pan to cover the preserves. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the batter on top of the preserves.
• Step 10 Bake the cake for about 50 minutes in the preheated 325 degree F. oven. Your cake will be done when it has risen, the top is a light golden brown, and the center springs back when pressed. You can also use a wooden skewer to test the cake for doneness. The skewer should come out clean.
• Step 11 Remove the baked cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before you invert it onto a rack. Let the cake cool for about an hour before pouring on the glaze.
• Step 12 To make the glaze
• Step 13 Whisk confectioners’ sugar and milk together until smooth. I found that my confectioners’ sugar was pretty lumpy and I had to be careful at this step to ensure a smooth glaze. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. You want your glaze to be pourable. If it is too thick, add a bit more milk. If it is runny, add more confectioners’ sugar.
• Step 14 Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or plastic wrap. Set a rack on top of the baking sheet. Pour the glaze over the cake. Allow the glaze to harden for about 10 minutes before serving.