Lemon Bundt Cake

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

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.

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.

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, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all is combined.

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 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.

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. 

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.  Another simple and delicious cake is my Kentucky Butter Cake.

How to freeze

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.

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

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Recipe Card

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