This incredibly easy-to-make, moist and tender lemon Bundt cake recipe is bursting with lemon flavor. Soaked in lemon syrup and topped with sticky lemon glaze, it’s absolutely irresistible!
The best lemon Bundt cake recipe ever
Love doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about lemon cakes. I made this lemon cake a million times, but it’s the first time I’m making it in Bundt form. Because Bundt cakes tend to be dense, I brush the cake with a lemony syrup after baking, and the result is a delicious, tender, and moist cake. There’s so much lemon in this cake – in the cake batter, the syrup, and the glaze, so it’s super lemony. I’ve never had a cake that has more lemon flavor than this one!
How to make lemon Bundt cake
This cake has three components:
- The cake itself
- Lemon syrup
- Lemon glaze
Make the lemon Bundt cake
Tip: For easy pan removal, grease your Bundt pan very well and dust it with flour. Make sure to tap off any excess. This will help the cake slide out of the pan much more easily.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix together the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk or sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Set bowls aside.
- Cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest together. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Occasionally scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Beat in the eggs. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the dry and wet ingredients. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the lemon juice mixture in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Do not over mix.
- Bake. Scrape batter into a prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350°F/180°C or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool and remove from pan. Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan, carefully inverting it onto a plate. To loosen the cake from the pan, put a large serving plate upside-down on top of the pan. Hold the cake pan (if it’s hot, use a towel) and invert it quickly onto the plate, then lift off the pan. If it doesn’t loosen easily, tip the pan gently, or run a knife along the edges.
Baker’s tip: If the top of the cake is browning too fast, cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil. This will keep it from burning while allowing the cake to continue to bake.
Make the lemon syrup
While the cake is cooling in the pan, make the syrup.
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice.
- Heat on medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves and syrup forms.
- After inverting the cake onto a plate, brush the top and sides of the warm cake evenly with all of the syrup.
- Allow cake to cool to room temperature.
Make the lemon glaze
- Combine sugar, lemon juice, and milk and whisk until smooth. You may need add a bit more milk to get a thick yet pourable consistency.
- Pour over top of the cooled cake and let drizzle down the sides.
- Allow the glaze to set for 15-30 minutes.
Tips for making lemon Bundt cake
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing can make cakes dense and tough. To avoid this, simply mix mix the ingredients gently and just until they come together to form a batter.
- Elevate the cake with add-ins: Add 1 and ¼ cups blueberries or raspberries to the batter tossed with 1 tablespoon flour. Or, for a lemon poppy seed cake, add ¼ cup of poppy seeds.
- For easy pan removal: Dust your greased Bundt pan with flour, and be sure to tap off any excess.
More of my favorite lemon recipes
The Best Lemon Muffin Recipe Ever
Lemon Blueberry Cake
Lemon Cake
Lemon Bars
Lemon White Chocolate Cheesecake
Lemon Bundt Cake
This incredibly moist, delicious lemon Bundt cake is bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Soaked in lemon syrup and topped with sticky lemon glaze, this is the best lemon cake you'll ever have!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk or sour cream
- ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (2 sticks/225g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- zest of 4 lemons
- 4 large eggs
Syrup:
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Glaze (optional):
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk, or more as needed
Instructions
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Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt pan well and dust generously with flour. Tap off excess flour and set aside.
-
To make the cake:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk/sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Set bowls aside.
-
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Occasionally scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the lemon juice mixture in 2 additions, starting and ending with the flour. Do not over mix.
-
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the top is browning too fast while baking, cover pan loosely with aluminum foil. Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan, carefully inverting it onto a plate.
-
Meanwhile, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Cook on medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and syrup forms. After inverting the cake to a plate, brush top and sides of the cake evenly with syrup. Use all syrup. Allow cake to cool to room temperature.
-
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine sugar, lemon juice, and milk, and whisk until smooth. Add more milk as necessary until you get a thick yet pourable consistency. Pour over top of cake and let drizzle down the sides. Allow glaze to set, 15-30 minutes.
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The cake is best served at room temperature. Store cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
Add berries or poppy seeds to your cake: For a berry lemon cake, add 1 and ¼ cups blueberries or raspberries to the batter, tossed with 1 tablespoon flour. For a lemon poppy seed cake, add ¼ cup of poppy seeds.
