When life gives me lemons, I make a Lemon Bundt Cake, and everything seems better! This refreshing, moist, and tangy cake with its bright lemon flavor is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert and can be served at casual gatherings or an elegant dinner party.
My easy Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe is light, moist, and loaded with fresh lemon flavor that makes every lemony bite of this cake refreshingly delicious. And did I mention the sweet-tart lemon glaze? This is definitely one of my favorite bundt cakes.
If you love lemon, check out my lemon pound cake.
If you’re a lemon lover, you’re going to love my cake because fresh lemons give this cake the exceptional fresh lemon flavor that everyone loves. You can’t get that from bottled lemon juice. That’s why this is the Best Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe!
Ingredients to make Lemon Bundt Cake
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Lemon Bundt Cake. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Made with simple ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
- unsalted butter
- milk
- eggs
- fresh lemon juice (Meyer lemons can be used)
- lemon zest
- vanilla extract
- baking powder
- cornstarch
- table salt
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- powdered sugar
How to Make Lemon Bundt Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Grease the bundt pan by using a vegetable spray or by brushing melted shortening or butter into every nook and cranny of the pan. *Pan spray is actually a better choice for a bundt cake, as the milk solids in butter can cause the cake to stick to the pan.
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl using an electric hand mixer.
- Whip the butter until light and fluffy (2 minutes).
- Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to the whipped butter.
- Mix until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time.
- Beating well after each addition, remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
*Make sure the butter, milk, Greek yogurt, and eggs are at room temperature.
- Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and cornstarch to a medium bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together until well blended. Set aside until needed.
- Add the lemon juice, milk, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together until well blended.
- Start by adding half the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture, mixing on low speed.
- Mix it in just enough to combine.
- Add half the wet ingredients to the mixture.
- Mix just enough to combine, then repeat the process with the remaining dry and wet ingredients. Mix until the batter is just combined. Don’t overmix the batter, it will make the cake tough and dense. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when finished to make sure there are no clumps in the batter.
- Add the Greek yogurt to the batter.
- Mix by hand until just combined. Don’t mix any more than necessary.
How to bake and glaze a Lemon Bundt Cake
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and level with a rubber spatula until it’s even.
- Place the bundt pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time can vary depending on your oven.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the bundt pan and allow it to finish cooling on the wire rack.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a small bowl.
- Whisk until the icing is well combined.
- Drizzle the lemon icing over the top of the cake. Let the icing set for 5 minutes before slicing the cake.
How do I remove the cake from the pan?
After removing the lemon bundt cake from the oven, place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Letting the cake cool is a very important step as it allows the cake to become firm enough to remove from the pan without breaking apart.
After the cake cools carefully, slide a table knife down the sides of the pan to release any spots that might be sticking. Tap the bottom of the pan a few times and shake the pan gently to help loosen the cake. After the cake releases from the pan, let it continue to cool on the wire rack.
*Letting it cool too long in the pan will cause the cake to become damp and stick to the pan.
The first time I made this cake, I was impressed with the moist texture and tender crumb. It’s really easy to make and so much better than store-bought cake mixes.
Thankfully I had enough self-control not to eat the whole cake!
My Lemon Bundt cake is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves lemon desserts. It’s easy to make, but looks impressive and tastes amazing. Serve it with a cup of coffee, hot tea, or milk for a delightful afternoon treat, or add it to your dessert table at your next get-together.
This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
You can find the Bundt Pan I use on Amazon.
Recipe FAQ’s
First and most important is to make sure you have liberally greased (or used a good amount of pan spray) the inside of the bundt pan. If it still doesn’t come out, try flipping your bundt pan over onto a clean surface or a cake plate (the cake will be touching the counter.
Wet a dish towel with hot water (ring it out) and place the wet dish towel over the bundt pan and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Wipe any water that may have gotten on the counter or plate, then gently shake the bundt pan to release the cake.
Waiting too long to get the cake out of the pan will cause it to become damp and stick to the pan.
That’s a pretty simple answer, It’s not about the ingredients or baking method. It’s all about the pan. A bundt pan is what gives a bundt cake its unique shape.
What should I use to grease a bundt pan?
Grease the bundt pan by using a vegetable pan spray. Alternatively, you can brush melted shortening or butter into every nook and cranny of the pan.
Pan spray is actually a better choice for a bundt cake, as the milk solids in butter can cause the cake to stick to the pan.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Lemon Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Bundt Pan
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- ½ lb unsalted butter softened to room temperature (16 tablespoons)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp table salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh juice only
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt – full fat room temperature (sour cream may be substituted)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Lemon Icing
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice fresh juice only
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease the bundt pan by using a vegetable spray or by brushing melted shortening or butter into every nook and cranny of the pan. Pan spray is actually a better choice for a bundt cake, as the milk solids in butter can cause the cake to stick to the pan.
- Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip the butter until light and fluffy (2 minutes).
- Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to the whipped butter and mix until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and cornstarch to a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside until needed.
- Add the lemon juice, milk, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl and whisk together until well blended.
- Alternately, add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the creamed butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until the batter is just combined. Do not overmix.Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when finished to make sure there are no clumps of unmixed ingredients.
- Add the Greek yogurt to the batter, mixing by hand until combined. Don't mix any more than necessary.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the bundt pan.
- Place the bundt pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.*Baking times can vary depending on your oven.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the bundt pan and allow it to finish cooling on the wire rack.
Lemon Icing
- Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Drizzle the lemon icing over the bundt cake.
- Let the icing set for 5 minutes before slicing the cake.
- Serve with fresh fruit or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Be sure to use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor.
- Make sure the butter, milk, Greek yogurt, and eggs are at room temperature.
- Don’t overmix the batter or the cake may become dense.
- If the cake sticks to the pan, run a knife around the edges before inverting it onto the rack.
How to remove the cake from the pan.
After removing the lemon bundt cake from the oven, place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Letting the cake cool is a very important step as it allows the cake to become firm enough to remove from the pan without breaking apart. After the cake cools carefully, slide a table knife down the sides of the pan to release any spots that might be sticking. Tap the bottom of the pan a few times and shake the pan gently to help loosen the cake. After the cake releases from the pan, let it continue to cool on the wire rack. *Letting it cool too long in the pan will cause the cake to become damp and stick to the pan.
Mikayla
My kiddo and I made this to practice for a father’s day gift for my grandpa, he had so much fun and we LOVED everything about it!
Colleen
My family loved this lemony cake. It was perfect for mother’s day! Thanks for sharing this recipe!