Lemon Bundt Cake

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A beautiful looking and spectacular tasting Lemon Bundt Cake that boasts bright, fresh and zesty lemon flavor with a tangy glaze.

Spring has sprung!! I mean, in Phoenix we kind of skip spring and launch directly into what other people think is blindingly hot, but we think is “warm”.  It’s the best part of the year in Arizona (that, and the delicious relief of Fall).  Sorry, I know that some of my friends are still in snow-mageddon, but here – it’s in the 70s and 80s.  

Anyhoo, my palate is well and truly ready for some freshness. Lemons are fabulous in baked goods – I know there are lemon-o-philes out there, who will absolutely agree with me. Anytime I can incorporate lemon flavors into food, I’m all about it!

This cake is so easy to make, especially if you have a stand mixer. Don’t skimp on the creaming step, you want that butter and sugar to be pale and fluffy!

Why this recipe for Buttermilk Bundt Cake Recipe works

• Buttermilk – makes for a tender crumb – I love using buttermilk in baked goods too. It lends such a delicious flavor to cake and bread – I just can’t get enough.
• Fresh lemon zest – you don’t want to try and substitute this. The oils in the zest give this lemon bundt cake its signature flavor.
• Butter – butter should be softened, but still firm enough that if you tried bending the stick, it would curve, but not disintegrate!
• Greasing the pan well – removal of bundt cakes isn’t always easy!! Make sure you use a good quality baking spray, and plenty of it. Ripped bundts = no good
• Creaming the butter and sugar – this makes the final produce lighter and fluffier (There’s science behind this – creaming causes the butter to dissolve the sugar, while air is trapped as tiny bubbles in the fat. We then add flour and bake then bake – the air expands, but is trapped by the protein in the flour. 
  • How to know when butter is creamed properly: when it has almost doubled in mass and it has lightened to a yellowish-white color. There should be no grittiness, and the sugar will have dissolved.

How to make Lemon Bundt Cake:

(full printable recipe below – just scroll down)

Tips for Lemon Bundt Cake

Successfully removing the Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake from the pan:

I breathe a sigh of relief every time I pull one of these out successfully! It’s super satisfying.

I can’t say enough about properly preparing your pan. You want your cake to slide out after a little cooling with no sticking, and no digging around with a knife or toothpick to dislodge it!

I use a baking spray made specifically for this purpose (it’s by Wilton). I like it mainly because it works, but also because it doesn’t leave any residue, or impart any icky flavor that I don’t want in my cake to the final product. See?

A word about frosting/glaze

Because the cake is sweet, I like to balance it out with a more acidic glaze. It pairs perfectly with the sweetness to balance things out. That being said – a little goes a long way!! Just drizzle it over the top and let it drip down the center and sides.

Variations on Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake

• Switch out the lemon for lime, and use lime juice and zest
• Use oranges and orange juice/zest
• Make a big fluffy frosting and dollop all over the top 

Want more bundt cake recipes?

• One-Bowl Buttermilk Chocolate Bundt Cake 
• Fresh Blackberry & Yogurt Bundt 
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Bundt Cake from Liv for Cake
   

WANT TO TRY THIS LEMON BUTTERMILK BUNDT CAKE?

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4.69 from 16 votes

Print

Lemon Bundt Cake

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

A beautiful looking and spectacular tasting Lemon Bundt Cake that boasts bright, fresh and zesty lemon flavor with a tangy glaze.

Course: brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12

Calories: 566 kcal

Author: Kylee

Ingredients

For the Bundt Cake

• 1 ½ cups butter softened
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 ½ cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 cup low fat buttermilk
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 Tbs lemon juice

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Thoroughly grease a bundt pan with baking spray. Don’t be shy with the spray – you want to do a very good job of coating the entire surface of the pan to prevent sticking as you remove from the pan.
2. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until pale, light and fluffy. You may need to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl down with a spatula to ensure everything is mixed in. It should not be gritty at all and should take about 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating into the batter fully before adding the next one.
4. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together in a small bowl.
5. With the mixer on, add the 1 cup of flour mixture to the batter and mix well.
6. Add ½ cup buttermilk, then add another cup of the flour mixture, and continue to mix.
7. Add the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk, then the remaining flour, mixing until fully blended.
8. Add the lemon juice and zest. And mix well.
9. After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325F and bake for 60 minutes.
10. Check doneness by sticking a skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean – it’s done! If not, bake for 5 more minutes until it does (up to about 75 minutes total time.
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before turning out to a wire rack to cool completely
12. Glaze (see below)
13. Devour.

Glaze

1. Mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest in a bowl.
2. Drizzle over cooled Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake.

Recipe Notes

Tips for Lemon Bundt Cake

Successfully removing the Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake from the pan:

I breathe a sigh of relief every time I pull one of these out successfully! It's super satisfying.

I can't say enough about properly preparing your pan. You want your cake to slide out after a little cooling with no sticking, and no digging around with a knife or toothpick to dislodge it!

I use a baking spray made specifically for this purpose (it's by Wilton). I like it mainly because it works, but also because it doesn't leave any residue, or impart any icky flavor that I don't want in my cake to the final product. See?

A word about frosting/glaze

Because the cake is sweet, I like to balance it out with a more acidic glaze. It pairs perfectly with the sweetness to balance things out. That being said - a little goes a long way!! Just drizzle it over the top and let it drip down the center and sides.

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Bundt Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 566 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 24g 37%

Saturated Fat 15g 75%

Cholesterol 116mg 39%

Sodium 395mg 16%

Potassium 96mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 80g 27%

Sugars 52g

Protein 6g 12%

Vitamin A 16%

Vitamin C 3.1%

Calcium 4.4%

Iron 10.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Update: This Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake was originally posted in April of 2018. I have updated the post to improve reader experience, the recipe remains the same