Name: Lemon Bundt Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 375 Grams (3 Cups) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour; 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder; 1 Teaspoon Salt; 12oz (1 1/2 Cup) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature; 500 Grams (2 1/2 Cups) Granulated Sugar; 2 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Lemon Zest (This is the zester I use); 4 Large Eggs, at room temperature; 2oz (1/4 Cup) Fresh Lemon Juice; 4oz (1/2 Cup) Sour Cream, at room temperature; 4oz (1/2 Cup) Buttermilk, at room temperature; 50 Grams (1/4 Cup) Granulated Sugar; 2oz (4 Tablespoons) Lemon Juice; 188 Grams (1 1/2 Cups) Powdered/ Confectioner's Sugar, sifted; 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice; Splash of Cream or Milk

Get step-by-step instructions on how to make a lemon Bundt cake from scratch. Incredibly soft, moist, and full of zesty lemon flavor!

close up of lemon bundt cake sitting on a wire rack on top of a stripped linen on a light surface

Growing up my mom always made us a lemon cake, it was one of her staples, this easy lemon loaf cake is very similar to what she would make us. I wanted to take that recipe but alter it to be more like an incredibly soft, but dense cake. This lemon bundt cake recipe is just that. It packs a great lemon taste thanks to the lemon cake, lemon syrup soak, and lemon glaze. And the cake is not overly sweet, so it is the perfect afternoon treat.

The trick to making any bundt cake is making sure you heavily grease the bundt pan so the cake releases from the pan easily. I highly suggest using some non-stick cooking spray, I often use Baker's Joy or Pam Baking and find I get great results. Check out my marble swirl bundt cake next and see all of my favorite bundt cake recipes.

slice of lemon bundt cake on a white plate

Let's get to the recipe.

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Ingredients
Instructions
How to freeze
More lemon recipes
Recipe Card
Recipe Ratings & Comments

Ingredients

There are three components to make this cake the perfect punch of lemon; the lemon cake, the lemon soak, and the lemon drizzle.

All-Purpose/ Plain Flour. Make sure you measure your flour properly, I much prefer a scale for accuracy.
Baking Powder. This chemical leavening agent will help the cake rise while baking.
Salt. This star little ingredient helps all of the other ingredients flavor profiles shine through.
Unsalted Butter. You'll want your butter softened to room temperature so it can properly cream with the sugar.
Granulated Sugar. The sugar will cream with the butter to create lots of tiny air bubbles to help the cake bake beautifully. You'll also need some granulated sugar for the lemon soak.
Freshly Grated Lemon Zest. The zest of the lemon provides so much lemon flavor, you'll mix the zest with the sugar before you cream the butter and sugar so that ht lemon oils in the zest are rubbed into the sugar granules creating a really intense sugar flavor. This is the microplane zester I use and love.
Large Eggs. Your eggs need to be at room temperature so they evenly incorporate into the rest of the batter. You can do this quickly by placing the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before using them.
Fresh Lemon Juice. This fresh juice will add more lemon flavor to the cake. You'll use fresh squeeze lemon juice in the cake, lemon soak and lemon glaze.
Sour Cream. This fatty, moisture bomb will create a tender cake. This ingredient should also be at room temperature. I am sure you could substitute full fat Greek yogurt here.
Buttermilk. You may have guessed it the buttermilk should also be at room temperature.
Confectioners Sugar. Also known as powdered sugar this will be used for the lemon glaze.
Cream or Milk. You'll just need splash to cream up the glaze.

lemon bundt cake ingredients in small glass bowls on a light surface

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and heavily grease a bundt pan, I used this Nordicware Brilliance Pan that needs to be greased in all the nooks and crannies otherwise the cake will stick. I like to use Baker's Joy or Baking Spray.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

dry ingredients whisked together on a light surface with a stripped linen

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer combine the butter, sugar, and lemon zest for 4-5 minutes, so it's nice and fluffy.

creamed butter and sugar together in glass bowl on a light surface with a stripped linen

Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all is combined.

eggs added to creamed butter and sugar in a metal mixing bowl on a light surface with a stripped linen

In a small bowl mix sour cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice.

liquid ingredients added to cake batter then dry ingredients with a stripped linen

To the butter mixture add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined, then ½ of the wet ingredients, then repeat with the remaining ingredients ending with the flour mixture.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top into an even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Depending on the bundt cake pan you use the bake time will need to be adjusted, a wider bundt cake will cook quicker than a deeper bundt cake.

bundt cake pan greased heavily then lemon cake batter added on a light surface

Let the lemon cake cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes then gently place the wire rack. As soon as the cake is baked make the lemon soak.

In a small pot over low-medium heat combine lemon juice and granulated sugar for 5 minutes, constantly whisking. Pour over just baked cake, I use a pastry brush to get every nook and cranny of the cake. Let cool completely.

lemon zest and sugar mixed together in a metal bowl hands rubbing it together

While the cake is cooling prepare lemon glaze. In a bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and a splash of milk.

lemon icing mixed in a glass bowl with a silver spoon on a light colored surface

Drizzle on top of the cooled cake. Let glaze set for a few minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Another simple and delicious cake is my Kentucky Butter Cake. Or this scrumptious banana bundt cake.

lemon bundt cake glazed on a wire rack on top of a silpat lined baking sheet

How to freeze

cut open lemon bundt cake on a wire rack on top of a stripped linen on a light surface

More lemon recipes

This lemon olive oil cake is super easy to make and stays moist for days!

For an extra special treat try this lemon creme brulee recipe.

I love to bring a batch of these lemon crinkle cookies to a party.

slice of lemon bundt cake standing up on a white plate on a light surface

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Recipe Card

Lemon Bundt Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 8 reviews

Print Recipe

Get step-by-step instructions on how to make a lemon Bundt cake from scratch. Incredibly soft, moist, and full of zesty lemon flavor!

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 12-16 Slices 1x

Instructions

Lemon Cake

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and heavily grease a bundt pan, I used this Nordicware Brilliance Pan that needs to be greased in all the nooks and crannies otherwise the cake will stick. I like to use Baker's Joy or Baking Spray.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer combine the butter, sugar, and lemon zest for 4-5 minutes, so it's nice and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time.
In a small bowl mix sour cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice.
To the butter mixture add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined, then ½ of the wet ingredients, then repeat with the remaining ingredients ending with the dry ingredients.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top into an even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Depending on the bundt cake pan you use the bake time will need to be adjusted, a wider bundt cake will cook quicker than a deeper bundt cake. Let the lemon cake cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes then gently place the wire rack. As soon as the cake is baked make the lemon soak.

Lemon Soak

In a small pot over low-medium heat combine lemon juice and granulated sugar for 5 minutes, constantly whisking. Pour over just baked cake, I use a pastry brush to get every nook and cranny of the cake. Let cool completely.

Lemon Glaze

While the cake is cooling prepare lemon glaze. In a bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and a splash of milk. Drizzle on top of the cooled cake. Let glaze set for a few minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.