This Lemon Bundt Cake recipe is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers. Flavored with fresh lemon zest and lemon extract, it’s moist, tender, and utterly delicious.
With a delectably tart lemon glaze, this cake will leave you and your friends craving more. It’s perfect for a holiday dessert, birthday celebration (just add sprinkles), or fancy enough for a bridal shower.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bold Lemon Flavor: Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice in the cake and glaze.
- Simple and Beautiful: Easy batter, pretty pan-no decorating skills needed.
- Soft, Moist Crumb: Tender texture that stays fresh.
Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe
This moist cake was originally made with Meyer lemons—what a treat! But, since Meyer lemons aren’t always available year-round where I live, I decided to make a couple of changes, and adjust it to available lemons to give it just a little more lemon punch. If you can find Meyer Lemons at your supermarket, use those for sure.
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Key Ingredients For Lemon Bundt Cake
- Flour – all-purpose flour will work great.
- Baking Powder – this is what makes the cake rise in the oven.
- Salt – sea salt is our favorite.
- Sour Cream – any type of sour cream will work great. I like to use full fat sour cream for the most moist and tender cake. You can also substitute whole fat Greek yogurt, or even low-fat Greek yogurt if you are trying to cut calories.
- Sugar – you’ll need regular white granulated sugar.
- Eggs – any type of large eggs will work.
- Lemon Zest – use fresh lemon zest. Zest the lemons before your juice them to make the glaze.
- Vegetable Oil – you can also substitute avocado oil which is relatively flavor-free.
- Lemon Zest – we like the strong lemon flavor of lemon zest, you will need 2-3 large lemons.
How To Make Lemon Bundt Cake
- Mix the batter. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, sour cream, vegetable oil, lemon extract, lemon zest, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to the wet ingredients and mix together using a spatula.
- Bake. Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Invert. Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes, then put a plate or serving dish on the top of the bundt cake pan and flip the cake onto the serving plate.
- Serve. Drizzle with the glaze and enjoy!
Key Ingredients For Lemon Glaze
- Powdered Sugar – any type will work. We suggest sifting it first.
- Lemon Juice – use fresh lemon juice and be sure and save the zest for the cake.
- Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract tastes best.
- Lemon Extract – use your favorite brand.
How to Make Lemon Glaze
- in a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract to make the glaze, adding a bit more lemon juice or powdered sugar if necessary to reach your desired consistency.
- Once the cake is baked, remove from the oven and let the cake cool for about 5 minutes, then put a plate or serving dish on the top of the bundt cake pan and flip the cake onto the serving plate.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let it cool completely before slicing (at least 20 minutes). Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh blueberries. Enjoy!
If the glaze is too thick, add more lemon juice, a teaspoon at a time. If the glaze is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar, a Tablespoon at a time. If you add too much liquid, it will disappear into the cake as you drizzle it on. You almost want it to look un-purable or in other words, very thick. When you drizzle the glaze on, if there are lines in the glaze, gently tap the cake dish on the counter to smooth out the glaze
Serving Ideas
I was on a committee for food and was in charge of doing dessert for a big crowd (200 people). We ended up deciding to make bundt cake for dessert. It turned out amazing. Not only do they look incredible displayed on pedestal cake stands, but they’re beautiful served on little white plates in an array of different flavors. We all made a couple different kinds of bundt cakes and it turned out beautifully.
Each cake can feed 12-15 people. It’s easy to serve with a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream, some sprinkles, candied cranberries or your favorite macerated berries.
Topping Ideas
And if you’re wondering about some topping ideas outside of the lemon glaze included in this recipe, try these next time…
I’ve added recipe instructions for a small 9-10 cup (small) bundt cake pan and then did recipe calculations for a 12 cup (large) bundt cake pan too. This cake is so pretty so be sure you use the right recipe to fill whatever bundt cake pan you have.
A Bundt cake is a cake…with a hole! It’s baked in a fluted tube pan that is circular with a hole in the middle. It resembles a very large doughnut. Bundt cakes are deeper than most regular cakes. The Bundt cake needs to be more moist than a regular cake because the cake mold heats faster than a regular round or square cake pan.
The best tip is to prepare your pan before you add the cake batter. Aside from that, when you remove your cake from the oven, don’t flip it out of the pan right away! Instead, let the cake cool for ten minutes in the pan. Then, placing the wire rack or cake platter over the base of the cake, and invert the pan to easily remove the bundt cake.
Spray your clean bundt cake pan with a non-stick baking spray with flour in it before adding the cake batter. You can also coat the pan with shortening or soft butter and then coat the pan with flour (be sure to turn the pan upside down and tap on the side to remove any excess flour) before adding the cake batter.
Ingredients for a 12 Cup Bundt Cake Pan (large bundt cake pan)
- 2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 3 easpoons bakng powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
Tips for the Best
- Use the right Bundt Pan Size: You can use a 9 or 10 cup bundt pan for this recipe. Obviously, the 10 cup pan will yield a more shallow cake. Keep that in mind when you are selecting which pan to use. It’s also a great recipe for mini bundt pans. Adjust the bake time accordingly.
- Greek yogurt is a good substitute for the sour cream in this recipe. Low-fat Greek yogurt also works if you are cutting calories.
- If the glaze is too thick, add more lemon juice, a teaspoon at a time. If the glaze is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time.
- No need to manually loosen the cake from the pan! Instead, place ie on a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes. Then very carefully unmold the cake onto a another cooling rack or serving dish and set it aside to finish cooling.
- To get that thick drippy layer, I added my glaze to an icing bag and It’s much easier to get that thick glaze in symmetrical drips if you have the control of an icing bag.
- Be sure your cake is cool. If you let it cool on the counter and then put it in the fridge for a couple of hours, the cake cuts better and the icing will be lovely and thick.
- For some easy flavor variations, you can add a pound of fresh blueberries, raspberries or even a couple tablespoons of poppy seeds.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Room Temperature: wrap in aluminum foil or place in a cake carrier with an airtight lid and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: wrap your bundt cake with aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: wrap unglazed bundt cake with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and store frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature overnight before glazing.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, (from 2-3 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Generously grease a 9-10 cup bundt pan with butter, then dust it with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the lemon mixture and whisk until combined. Scrape the cake batter into the prepared bundt cake pan and use a rubber spatula, evenly smoothing the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan, set it on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the rack, or a pedestal cake stand or serving dish.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon extract, and vanilla extract until smooth and super thick. Add a little more lemon juice if necessary to reach your desired consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let it set up for at least 20 minutes before slicing to serve with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh raspberries. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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First of all HELLO & Welcome to Freaky Friday: This group is the brainchild of my friend, Michaela’s and it is SO MUCH FUN! For those of you who aren’t familiar with Freaky Friday, it is a group of food bloggers that get assigned a secret blog, and we get to choose any recipe we want to make from it for our own blogs. Then all of the recipes are revealed at the exact same time and we get to see who had our page and which recipe they selected! It has been a great way for me and my readers to find new blogs to follow, and I feel honored to be a part of it!
I participated in a blog swap and was given the recipe from my friend from Sugar Me Dish Heather Tullow is the mastermind behind this lovely dessert. She made an incredibly gorgeous Meyers Lemon Bundt Cake and I just knew I had to try it.
I’m such a sucker for all things lemon and I couldn’t pass on this one. It’s a fantastic recipe! Her site features loads of incredible desserts but has a lot of healthy and easy dinner ideas too. Be sure to check out her recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal and chicken lasagna too! So yummy!
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Lemon bundt cake is every lemon lover’s dream, a moist lemon bundt cake. It’s bursting with lemon flavor. It’s made with sour cream so it is incredibly tender and topped with a tart and smooth lemon glaze. It’s amazingly delicious!
Categories:
Cakes, Desserts, Easter, Holiday Favorites, Nut-Free, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Vegetarian,
I made this cake and delivered slices to my neighbors. It was absolutely the best cake I have ever made. Fantastic recipe. Do yourself a favor and make the cake!
John, I’m so glad you loved the cake! Thanks for your comment. You totally made my day!
This was really good. A simple cake to put together on a Sunday night for my work peeps tomorrow. I subbed half of the flour with almond meal and went with greek yogurt. I added some sliced almonds onto the icing and it is beautiful. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this for my family’s Sunday dinner and everyone raved! I wish I could attach a photo!
Looks like you left out the vanilla and lemon extracts from the batter recipe.
Just mentioned in directions but not listed in recipe.
I noticed the same thing. I did not include the vanilla or the lemon extract since it was not listed in the ingredients for the larger cake. Hope it turns out ok!
Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I added it to the ingredients for the larger cake recipe too.
Lemon is one of my favorite dessert flavors and this cake does not disappoint! Perfect balance of lemon. Oh it was good.
I’m slightly lemony dessert obsessed and this looks like the most amazing lemon bundt cake ever!
Perfection! Your cake is so pretty and just screams Spring time!
What is the measurements of the vanilla and lemon extract in both cake variations. I see it in the instructions but not in the ingredients for the batter. Only the frosting.
Lemon anything is my favorite! I love lemon cakes so much so I absolutely cannot wait to make this one!
I couldn’t wait to make this after I saw you post it. It was absolutely as moist and delicious and it looked like in your pictures! I’m hiding a piece for breakfast! (sshhhhh)
If you’re a lemon dessert fan, MAKE THIS IMMEDIATELY! I love a good bundt cake, and the batter paired with this icing is so good!
Since I’ve been pregnant, I love alll lemon treats and this Lemon Cake looks so delicious! I am going to make this over the weekend and I’m so excited! Love the simple ingredients used too! 🙂
I’m not much of a cake decorator, so when I come across bundt cakes I’m all in – the icing seals the deal for my weekend baking plans!
I love anything lemon, but this looks amazing, beyond amazing! Moist, lemony and am love in the frosting!
OOOOHHH that icing – it looks so pretty! Thanks for baking one of my favorite cake recipes! So glad you enjoyed it!
Perfection- I really love a dessert with some citrus! The flavor in the lemon bundt is so great!
Lemon is my favor flavor! What a beautiful cake! Great tip to use the piping bag!
I love the bright and tart flavors of lemon cake! And that drizzle!! This is the perfect cake for any occasion and especially in the spring!
Lemon desserts are THE best and there is no exception here! Yum!!
For goodness sakes.. Why didnt I ever think to use a piping bag for the icing… mine looked almost as good as yours! Brilliant tip! I have it ready for this afternoon for a sweet treat after the big game! I snuck one piece and its perfect! Thank you!
Lemon cake is the BEST! This one looks like perfection, so moist and yummy!
This is just stunning!! Lemon is my FAVORITE and this beautiful bundt cake just went to the tippy top of my must bake list!