Simply the BEST Lemon Bundt Cake recipe!
This Lemon Bundt Cake recipe is a dessert everyone will love… it’s perfectly rich and buttery, and yet has a fluffy texture that’s often hard to achieve in homemade cakes.
The sweet and tart lemon glaze is the perfect final addition to create a dessert that’s simple, yet perfectly elegant and utterly delicious!
This is one of those recipes I know I’ll make again and again!
It’s perfect to bring along to a pot-luck or summer BBQ, but pretty enough for a spring tea party.
This recipe was created in partnership with Challenge Dairy.
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There is just something so cute about bundt cakes!
And who can even look at a bundt cake without thinking of the bundt cake scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Not me!
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, your assignment this weekend is to watch that movie! =)
I love this Lemon Bundt Cake recipe because it’s made with ingredients I usually have on hand, it can be made a bit in advance and doesn’t need any last minute garnish.
As with most every recipe that comes out of my kitchen, this recipe starts with Challenge Butter.
I know when I use Challenge brand dairy products I can depend on consistent quality and fresh taste.
It just takes the guess work out of baking when you start with high quality ingredients.
If you’re not sure where to find Challenge Butter in your area, be sure to use this helpful map.
How to Make Lemon Bundt Cake
Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted Challenge butter 2 sticks, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 lemon
- 4 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk any but non-fat
- ½ cup sour cream full fat preferred
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
Glaze
- 2 tablespoon Challenge butter melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh
Instructions
Prepare the cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F .
- Grease and flour the bundt pan. This is an essential step for properly removing the baked cake, so be sure to do a thorough job.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the butter until fully smooth.
- Add sugar and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. The mixture should be light and fluffy and fully blended.
- Add lemon zest and blend. While still mixing, add the eggs, one at a time, with a few seconds of blending in between each egg.
- While slowly mixing, slowly add about half of the flour mixture, then pour in the vanilla and milk.
- Add the second half of the flour and then the sour cream and lemon juice.
- Blend just until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Pour/scoop batter into prepared pan, using a spatula to smooth the top, as needed.
- Bake 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter).
- Cool in the pan, sitting on a wire rack, until the pan is cool (or just barely warm) to the touch - about 1 hour. Gently use a small spatula to loosen the cake around the center and edges of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, give the pan a good firm tab on the bottom, and then lift up pan.
Prepare the glaze
- Melt the butter in a medium sized bowl, then add powdered sugar and use a small whisk to combine.
- Add the lemon juice and whisk. The glaze with thicken as it sits a room temperature, so you can play around with how thick you want it before pouring it over the cake.
Video
Nutrition
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Happy baking!
Disclosure – I created this recipe in partnership with Challenge Dairy. Partnering with brands I love allows me to provide you with high quality content at no cost to you. I only work with brands I use and love. All images, text and opinions are my own.
Hey so can i use sugar substitute… and if so is it the same amount?
Hi Natalie, I have not experimented with this recipes using any sugar substitutes. Feel free to experiment, but your results will likely vary from the results pictured here.
I just made this and in reading the comments looks like your cups are way smaller, I’m in Australia… maybe this is why the lady above said it overflowed because mine was really really full… fingers crossed because I’m adding extra liquid ingredients it will work out.
Hi Mary,
Although I was not aware of this until now (and a google search), you are right… American “cups” and Australian “cups” are a bit different. I’m sorry for any confusion. All measurements on my site are created using U.S. measurements. I imagine you could purchase a set of American measuring cups, or you’ll need to use google to convert the recipes, as needed. Happy baking!
Can I use this same recipe and make it in regular 8in pans for a lemon cake? Would you recommend any adjustments?
Hi Danielle,
Yes, and no… you totally could make this as a two layer cake, but this recipe is almost like a pound cake and not quite as fluffy as a traditional layer cake. It would likely work, and be delicious, but if it were me, I’d use this recipe –> https://www.glorioustreats.com/the-best-strawberry-shortcake-cake.html and add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest to the batter, and pair it with a lemon buttercream, or lemon cream cheese frosting –> https://www.glorioustreats.com/recipe-cream-cheese-frosting/ (add fresh lemon zest and a fresh lemon juice) Or, leave the vanilla cake as is (in the recipe I’ve linked to) and add a layer of lemon curd (along with whipped cream or buttercream) between the layers –> https://www.glorioustreats.com/2012/01/homemade-lemon-curd-recipe/
Sorry, I hope I didn’t give you too many options! Any of those combos would likely be delicious! Happy baking!
Made this over the weekend for my daughters birthday. Everyone loved it. I added extra lemon zest to the glaze. Delicious!!’
Can I replace the butter with vegetable oil instead? Would the oil replacement make a more moist and springy bundt cake?
I would not recommend replacing all of the butter with oil, or I think you’d actually end up with a very oily cake. Creaming the butter and sugar creates a chemical reaction of sorts that is important for the structure of the cake. If you’d like to try oil, I would do 1/2 cup of butter, and 1/2 oil at the most. And be extra sure to beat the eggs one at a time because you’ll need them to add air to the batter (and then structure to the finished cake).
I have 1% milk and buttermilk. Which should I use?
Hi Peggy, The 1% milk should be perfectly fine, as long as you’re using regular sour cream as well.
Happy baking!
Can I use self rising flour instead?
Hi Phyllis, Yes, I imagine you can. Just omit the baking powder, baking soda and salt that I’ve listed in the recipe.
Happy baking!
Just came out of the over. Forgot the salt, hope that’s ok
Hi Tiffany, I’m sure it will be fine. Please let me know if you enjoyed it!
So delicious!!!! My first Bundt cake and I am in love!
Mine overflowed my Bundt pan ( yes I used full size pan and I am experienced ) maybe over beat ? I’m not sure
Hi Lillian, Bundt pans can vary in capacity by quite a bit. My only suggestion would be to use a slightly larger pan, or if you’d like to use the same pan, just leave out a bit of the batter (could be baked in a small ramekin). When I filled my pan, there was still about an inch (or slighly more) of space from the batter to the top edge of the pan.
Happy baking!
What size pan do you use, Glory?