If you're a lemon lover like me, you're going to fall in love with this classic lemon bundt cake recipe! Not only is it moist and tender, but there's lemon flavor packed into every bite. It's soaked with a lemon simple syrup and topped with an easy lemon glaze.
Perhaps I should've called this recipe a triple lemon cake because there's tons of lemons used in every level. It's based on a cake that I make for my mother that's in my Upcoming Cookbook where I really load the cake with tons of fresh, bright lemon flavors.
There's lemon sugar and lemon extract in the cake, then I made a homemade lemon simple syrup as a cake soak (don't worry, I walk you through each step and it's super simple, too), and then there's a simple lemon glaze that's drizzled on top.Â
It's giving big bundt energy.
I wanted this to be the best lemon bundt cake while still be easy and approachable. My mom isn't much of a baker so I made this recipe with her in mind. She's not much of a baker so I wanted to be sure to keep this recipe simple yet impressively delicious. And it's just that! Dare I say this cake is better than the bakery? I stand by that statement and once you try it, I think that you will too.
You're gonna love this Lemon Pound Cake!
Easy lemon bundt cake! I don't always have all day to spend in the kitchen, so this is a no-fuss recipe simple lemon cake that you can make without a bundt of heavy lifting. Also, if you don't have a stand mixer, you can simply use an electric mixer.
Super moist! This cake literally melts in your mouth.
Packed with lemon flavor! If you're looking for a lemon cake recipe that tastes JUST like lemon, this recipe is for you. The lemon flavor is bold yet not overpowering. Smooth and robust without being tart and bitter. It's such a delicious treat.
Simple ingredients! ​
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card)
Fresh Lemons - we're using fresh lemons for lemon zest and the fresh lemon juice.
​Cake Flour - you can use all purpose flour but I highly suggest getting cake flour! Cake flour has lower protein content, meaning that the cake will have a softer, more tender crumb. It's the key to making this delicious lemon bundt cake soft and velvety!
Sour Cream - this recipe is loosely based on my sour cream pound cake, but with the addition of lemon juice and zest etc. Sour cream gives this lemon pound cake it's moist texture and lifts the lemon flavor with some tang.
Lemon Extract and Almond Extract - lemon extract is a given but you may be wondering, almond extract? Is it a typo? Nope! Almond extract (just a little bit) enhances the flavor of the lemon. It's a must!
Vanilla Extract - to smooth everything out, vanilla extract is key to getting that smooth and creamy lemon flavor. If you wanna get fancy, vanilla bean paste is exceptional here too.
Salted Butter - this is key to the best lemon bundt cake you'll ever. That tiny bit of salt really brings all of the flavors together.
Powdered Sugar - aka confectioner's sugar. It's the base of the homemade lemon glaze, which also has a touch of heavy cream and lemon juice too. Soooo smooth and creamy and bright. Dont you just LOVE lemon?!
Lemon Cake Soak
If you've never used a cake soak, this is about to change your life! It's a super easy way to really up the flavor of any cake while making the cake SUPER moist and soft. For the cake soak, which is nothing more than a simple syrup, you'll need:
Sugar
Water
Lemon Extract
Lemon Juice
We're simply going to add the water and sugar to a pot, boil it for about 5 minutes, then add the lemon ingredients and let it cool. This gets brushed on top of the cake and it is just *chef's kiss*.Â
How to make a Lemon Bundt Cake
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. You can also use you a pastry brush and brush with cake release. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside. (Image 1)
Combine lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl and pinch the butter and the sugar together for about 3-5 minutes, until the sugar takes on a pale yellow color. (Image2)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together room temperature butter and oil for 2 minutes, until smooth and lightened in color.
Add the lemon sugar into the butter mixture and continue to mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin adding the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. After adding 2 eggs, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue adding the eggs. (Image 3)
Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add in the lemon extract, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until just combined, about 1 minute. (the batter may split, this is completely normal, it will come back together once all of the ingredients are added)
Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds. Then add the sour cream and mix until just combined, about another 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remainder of the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. (Image 4)
Pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out of the middle of the cake clean. (Image 5)
While the cake is baking, prepare the lemon simple syrup. Add water and sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the lemon juice and lemon extract. Set aside to cool. (Image 6)
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely. As soon as you turn the cake over onto the wire rack to cool, use a pastry brush to douse the cake in the lemon syrup and allow the cake to cool completely, about 1-2 hours.
Once the cake has cooled, prepare the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream until smooth. Pour on top of the cake and serve. (Image below)
Tips for Success
Use room temperature ingredients! Ensure that ingredients like butter and eggs are at room temperature. This helps in achieving a uniform texture in the cake batter.
Grate the lemons and before you juice them! This prevents the needs to use a bundt of lemons, simply grate the lemons prior to juicing them.
Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients, both dry and wet ingredients! The best way to measure your ingredients is to use a kitchen scale (in grams). It's far more accurate then using a measuring cup! Metric measurements are provided in the recipe card.
How to Store a Bundt Cake
Storing a Bundt cake properly is crucial to maintain its freshness and texture. Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. Ensure that the entire cake is covered.
After wrapping, place the Bundt cake in an airtight container or cake keeper to further protect it from air and moisture. Store the cake at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. If you need to store it for longer, you can refrigerate the wrapped Bundt cake for up to a week.
If freezing is necessary, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before placing it in a freezer-safe airtight container. Bundt cakes can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving, and bring it to room temperature before enjoying.
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I bake this in a loaf pan?
Divide the cake batter between two 8 ½ x 4 ½ loaf pans. Bake for about 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
What's the difference between cake and bundt?
The main difference between a cake and a Bundt cake is the type of pan that they're baked in. Cakes can vary in shape and size and are typically baked in round, square, or rectangular pans. Bundt cakes are baked in ring-shaped pans and are known for their moist and dense texture, thanks to the even distribution of heat during baking.
Why does lemon cake taste so good?
Because it's my recipe - c'mon now! But seriously, Lemon cake tastes so good because of its vibrant and refreshing flavor profile. The tartness of the lemon zest and juice adds a delightful contrast to the sweetness of the cake batter. Additionally, lemon contains natural oils that enhance the overall aroma and flavor, making it uber delish!
Why is pound cake different from regular cake?
Pound cake differs from regular cake mainly in its ingredients and proportions. Traditional pound cake recipes contain equal parts of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, giving it a dense and rich texture. In contrast, regular cake recipes typically use a lighter ratio of ingredients, resulting in a softer and more tender crumb.
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If you're a lemon lover like me, you're going to fall in love with this classic lemon bundt cake recipe! Not only is it moist and tender, but there's lemon flavor packed into every bite. It's soaked with a lemon simple syrup and topped with an easy lemon glaze.
Serving: 12
Prep Time: 25 minutesmins
Cook Time: 1 hourhr
Calories: 593kcal
Equipment
12 cup bundt pan
Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Lemon Bundt Cake
3cupsCake Flour
½tspBaking Soda
½tspKosher Salt
4tbspsLemon Zest
2 ½cupsSugar
1cupSalted Butter(room temperature)
4large Eggs(room temperature)
1tbspLemon Extract
1tspVanilla Extract
¼tspAlmond Extract
1cupSour Cream(room temperature)
Lemon Simple Syrup
½cupWater
½cupSugar
3tbspsLemon Juice
½tspLemon Extract
Lemon Glaze
2cupsPowdered Sugar
2tbspsLemon Juice
2tbspsHeavy Cream
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Combine lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl and pinch the butter and the sugar together for about 3-5 minutes, until the sugar takes on a pale yellow color.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together room temperature butter and oil for 2 minutes, until smooth and lightened in color.
Add the lemon sugar into the butter mixture and continue to mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and begin adding the eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. After adding 2 eggs, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue adding the eggs.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add in the lemon extract, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until just combined, about 1 minute. (the batter may split, this is completely normal, it will come back together once all of the ingredients are added)
Add in half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, about 20 seconds. Then add the sour cream and mix until just combined, about another 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remainder of the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds.
Pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, prepare the lemon simple syrup. Add water and sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the lemon juice and lemon extract. Set aside to cool.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack to cool completely. As soon as you turn the cake over onto the wire rack to cool, use a pastry brush to douse the cake in the lemon syrup and allow the cake to cool completely, about 1-2 hours.
Once the cake has cooled, prepare the glaze. Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream until smooth. Pour on top of the cake and serve.
I made this cake last night for a small dinner party and it came out absolutely fabulous. The saffron in the glaze was barely noticeable & complemented the lemon flavor of the cake beautifully. I increased the lemon zest to about 2 tablespooons because I like a little extra lemon flavor. Also, the recipe doesn’t mention which size bundt pan to use and the recommended Nordicware Heritage bundt pan comes in both 6- and 10-cup sizes. I used a 6-cup pan, which was exactly perfect for this recipe (I think this should be added in the recipe notes). Also I had a ton of glaze left over (but it would probably be the right amount of icing for a 10-cup recipe). Can’t wait to make this cake again!
Thank you so much for the raving review and for the recommendations! I have updated the post to reflect that a 10-cup bundt pan is used for this recipe, but I'm SO happy it worked on a 6 cup pan too. Thank you, again!
Hi Britney
Where is the Saffron Glaze that your comments are talking about.
I actually updated the recipe to remove the saffron glaze.
One of my favorite cakes. It's SO tender and the saffron glaze is so unique and unexpected.
Thank you!
I made this cake last night for a small dinner party and it came out absolutely fabulous. The saffron in the glaze was barely noticeable & complemented the lemon flavor of the cake beautifully. I increased the lemon zest to about 2 tablespooons because I like a little extra lemon flavor. Also, the recipe doesn’t mention which size bundt pan to use and the recommended Nordicware Heritage bundt pan comes in both 6- and 10-cup sizes. I used a 6-cup pan, which was exactly perfect for this recipe (I think this should be added in the recipe notes). Also I had a ton of glaze left over (but it would probably be the right amount of icing for a 10-cup recipe). Can’t wait to make this cake again!
Thank you so much for the raving review and for the recommendations! I have updated the post to reflect that a 10-cup bundt pan is used for this recipe, but I'm SO happy it worked on a 6 cup pan too. Thank you, again!