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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!
Love Lemon Bundt Cake? Tweet it!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)
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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.
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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.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating into the batter fully before adding the next one.
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Sift the flour, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl.
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With the mixer on, add the 1 cup of flour mixture to the batter and mix well.
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Add ½ cup buttermilk, then add another cup of the flour mixture, and continue to mix.
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Add the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk, then the remaining flour, mixing until fully blended.
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Add the lemon juice and zest. And mix well.
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After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325F and bake for 60 minutes.
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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.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before turning out to a wire rack to cool completely
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Glaze (see below)
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Devour.
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Mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest in a bowl.
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Drizzle over cooled Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake.
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
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Bundt Cake from Liv for Cake
WANT TO TRY THIS LEMON BUTTERMILK BUNDT CAKE?
PIN IT TO YOUR SPRING, CAKE, & LEMON BOARDS!!
FIND ME ON PINTEREST FOR MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES!
Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Bundt Cake
- 1 ½ cups butter softened
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 ½ cups all purpose 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating into the batter fully before adding the next one.
- Sift the flour, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl.
- With the mixer on, add the 1 cup of flour mixture to the batter and mix well.
- Add ½ cup buttermilk, then add another cup of the flour mixture, and continue to mix.
- Add the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk, then the remaining flour, mixing until fully blended.
- Add the lemon juice and zest. And mix well.
- After 5 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325F and bake for 60 minutes.
- 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.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before turning out to a wire rack to cool completely
- Glaze (see below)
- Devour.
Glaze
- Mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest in a bowl.
- Drizzle over cooled Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake.
Tips & 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
Nutritional Disclaimer
Recipes written and produced on Kylee Cooks are for informational purposes only. Kylee is not a certified nutritionist. Nutritional data provided on Kylee Cooks has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration.
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
Kate says
cake posts are so hard for me during Passover. Because this would look good any time of year, but during Passover? It looks like the best thing anyone could possibly eat.
Jaida ~ Sweet Beginnings Blog says
::raises hand:: I ABSOLUTELY agree! Gimme all the lemon!
Danielle says
You had me at buttermilk and lemon. two of my favorite things in baked goods. i’ll use lemons in anything i can get away with! i should be getting my batches of fresh lemons soon from by boyfriend’s parents. i can’t wait. this bundt cake sounds absolutely delicious!
Claudia Lamascolo says
just the texture alone in this photo looks fabulous. I just love a good moist cake like this and especially lemon thats a bonus as it is all of our favorite flavored cake here!
Veena Azmanov says
Wow, this Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake so cute! I would love to eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Thank you for sharing this great recipe! YUM!
Gloria says
I love making bundt cakes. No fancy decorating necessary. Perfect for brunch, dessert….and my afternoon latte. I LOVE lemon everything…and buttermilk makes everything to moist and delicious.
Tina says
I love lemons and bundt cakes so this recipe has me drooling! It looks like it came out absolutely perfect and I can’t wait to bake one myself! This will make a great dessert for Sunday dinner!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I just can’t get past beyond how beautiful the lemon buttermilk bundt cake looks. The texture looks just amazing and I wish I could have a slice right now!
Karyl Henry says
I’m just starting to use lemon more in my cooking, and I’m loving this recipe. What a great way to brighten up a simple cake. And that glaze…I would have to stop myself from eating!
Michelle Blackwood says
Absolutely gorgeous lemon cake, I have been drooling over this cake! I certainly can relate because the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here in Florida and we still have lemons on our trees.
swathi says
This is beautiful lemon bundt cake this is full lemon flavor both in cake and glaze. Perfect dessert for any get together. I am going to give it a try.
Anne Murphy says
The lemon flavor sounds so bright! And I love using buttermilk in baking.
Shannon|MSnubutterflies says
Sometimes I feel a little guilty for thinking it’s cold on the few days it actually gets cold in January. Beautiful cake!
Christine says
Love everything lemon and this bundt cake doesn’t disappoint! I made it yesterday and it’s already gone! We all loved it. The use of buttermilk is genius in this recipe. Will be making another one tomorrow – hopefully it will last a couple of days, although I doubt it.
Patricia Johnson says
This lemon cake is simply moist and scrumptious🤸🏽♂️I made it for Mother’s Day and it was a hit💥 I can’t stop munching🙈Breakfast, lunch and dinner💄 Nice height also🤸🏽♂️ It’s a keepsake🌻 Thank you dearheart❤for sharing💜