This Lemon Bundt Cake is like a bright burst of citrusy comfort. It's ultra-moist, boldly lemony (thanks to juice in the cake, syrup, AND glaze!), and simple enough for a weekday treat but fancy enough for holidays. If you're a lemon lover, this one's a must-bake.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox.
Some desserts just scream spring, and this Lemon Bundt Cake is one of them. It's bright, tangy, tender, and unapologetically lemony in the best way possible. I love making it for Easter or Mother's Day, but honestly, a sliver of this makes a killer mid-afternoon snack any time of year. And if you're into citrus, don't sleep on our Lemon Ricotta Cake. It's like a softer, fluffier cousin to this bold bundt.
Jump to:
Five Star Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Delicious. Moist and lemony. Will make this a staple in my bundt cakes."
- Dana
Why you'll love this recipe
- Packed with lemon flavor - We're talking lemon zest, fresh juice in the batter, a lemon syrup soak, AND a citrusy glaze. It's a lemon lover's dream.
- Incredibly moist - The lemon syrup brushed on while the cake's still warm locks in moisture for days.
- Tender crumb - Buttermilk works magic here, making the cake light, soft, and slightly tangy.
- Make-ahead magic - It actually gets better as it sits. Bake it the day before and you're golden.
Ingredient Notes & Swaps
- Fresh lemons: This is not the time for bottled juice. You'll need zest and juice, so grab a few plump lemons.
- Butter: Use good-quality unsalted butter. It's doing a lot of the flavor heavy lifting.
- Buttermilk: Essential for that soft texture. No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup milk and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Step by Step Instructions
Don't let the glaze and syrup fool you - this cake is totally doable, even if you're not a regular baker. Just follow these steps and you'll be pulling a gorgeous lemon bundt out of the oven in no time.
Step 1: Preheat the oven and THOROUGHLY grease a bundt pan. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in a small bowl. Set aside.
Prep the pan and oven
Preheat to 350°F. Grease a 10-12 cup bundt pan thoroughly with shortening and dust with sugar or almond flour. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest).
Mix the batter
Cream butter and sugar in another bowl for 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, add vanilla, then mix in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk and lemon juice. Batter will be thick.
Bake
Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake 40-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Soak
While the cake bakes, dissolve sugar and lemon juice for the syrup. Cool the baked cake for 10 minutes, then invert and brush with warm syrup. Let cool completely.
Glaze
Mix powdered sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, and salt. Thin if needed, then drizzle over cooled cake.
FAQs
Fresh lemon juice is best. Bottled juice can taste flat or bitter, and you'll miss out on the bright, fresh flavor that makes this cake shine.
A Microplane is your best friend here. It gives you super fine zest without the bitter white pith.
Sticking usually comes down to improper greasing or cooling too long in the pan. Use shortening (not butter - the milk solids in butter can cause sticking when baked) to grease thoroughly, and invert the cake after exactly 10 minutes of cooling.
Yes! Wrap it tightly (without glaze) and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temp and glaze just before serving.
Helpful Tips We Swear By
- Use a big enough pan. You need a 10-12 cup bundt pan to avoid having the batter spill over in the oven.
- Prep the pan. Grease every single nook and cranny of your pan. For extra help, you can dust the greased pan with a little granulated sugar or almond flour. This creates a light "crust" that helps the cake slide right out, which is a lifesaver for those pans with intricate designs.
- Room temp ingredients. Let cold ingredients come to room temp so your batter mixes evenly. You'll get a higher rise and lighter texture.
- Check it early. Oven temperatures can vary a lot. So, start checking your cake about 5 minutes before the recipe says it should be done. I even keep an inexpensive oven thermometer in my oven at all times just to make sure it's heating properly.
- Cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes. Leave it too long and it might stick.
- Don't skip the syrup. It's what makes this cake stay moist and lemony for days. Let it drip down the sides and absorb before brushing on more.
- Cool completely before frosting. Otherwise the warm cake will soak up the glaze.
- Store covered at room temp for up to four days.
- Leftover lemon juice? Don't toss it! Freeze it in an ice cube tray, and you'll have fresh lemon juice for any recipe or drink whenever you need it.
More of our most popular lemon recipes
Looking for something besides a citrus flavor? Check out all of our dessert recipes in our archives!
Made this? Loved it? Tell us everything!
Leave a quick star rating and comment below so we can trade tips and cheer each other on.
Who knows? Your twist might become someone else's new favorite!
Recipe
Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Zest of 3 large lemons
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Syrup:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons melted butter
- 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox.
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bundt pan thoroughly with shortening.
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, Zest of 3 large lemons
- Place butter and sugar in a large bowl. Cream until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Stir in vanilla.1 cup unsalted butter,, 2 cups granulated sugar, 4 eggs,, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add ½ of flour mixture to the batter. Beat until just combined. Pour in buttermilk and lemon juice. Beat to combine. Stir in remaining flour mixture until just combined, scraping sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is mixed together. Batter will be thick.¾ cup buttermilk, ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Pour into prepared pan and use back of spoon or offset spatula to level. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert into wire rack placed on sheet pan. Brush with lemon syrup (see instructions below).
To make lemon syrup:
- Combine sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until sugar is dissolved.½ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Brush warm cake with warm lemon sugar syrup, pausing to let syrup absorb as needed. Allow cake to cool completely.
To make glaze:
- Whisk together melted butter, powdered sugar, salt and 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice. Glaze will be thick. Add additional lemon juice by teaspoon if needed until it reaches the desired consistency. Pour glaze over cake and allow to set briefly before cutting.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons melted butter, 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, pinch of salt
Notes
- Be sure to thoroughly grease every nook and cranny of a 10-12 cup bundt pan to ensure the cake doesn't stick. I prefer using shortening because it doesn't pool in the bottom of the pan like a spray oil can. Refrain from using butter as the milk solids can cause stickiness when baked. You can also coat the greased pan with a light dusting of granulated sugar or almond flour as extra insurance against sticking.
- Room temperature ingredients will mix together more easily.
- Oven temperatures can vary so check your cake 5 minutes before the recommended baking time is complete. A toothpick inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean if the cake is done.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for only 10 minutes before inverting onto wire rack placed on sheet pan. It is more likely to stick if you let it cool completely in the pan.
- Take your time brushing the cake with the lemon syrup to allow it to completely absorb before adding more.
- Drizzle the powdered sugar glaze over the bundt once cake is completely cool otherwise it will be absorbed by the warm cake.
- Store leftover bundt cake covered on the counter for up to four days.
VIDEO
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Dana says
Delicious. Moist and lemony. Next time I'm gonna try adding the syrup to the cake prior to removing it. Has anybody tried that instead? Will make this a staple in my bundt cakes..
So glad you enjoyed it, Dana!