This recipe for a classic lemon bundt cake with cream cheese frosting is a simple yet elegant cake that’s full of sweet-tart lemon flavor – perfect for a birthday or any other special occasion!
When it’s time for a birthday celebration, it’s inevitable that someone in my family requests a lemon cake. This lemon bundt cake is intensely flavored and the frosting really takes it over the top! Serve as is, or with a spoonful of raspberry sauce.
You can never go wrong with a lemon dessert, it’s always a light and refreshing option to end a meal. This lemon bundt cake is packed with lemon flavor. It’s perfectly sweet and moist, and the cream cheese frosting really takes it over the top!
How do you make a lemon bundt cake?
This recipe starts with standard cake ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter and eggs. Buttermilk helps to give the cake a great texture, and plenty of lemon zest goes into the batter for a pronounced citrus flavor. After the cake comes out of the oven, it’s brushed with a lemon syrup for an extra flavor boost. The final step is to add a generous amount of cream cheese frosting. Slice up your cake, then enjoy!
Tips for lemon bundt cake
- Use a microplane to zest your lemons, it works so much better than a standard box grater!
- Be sure to both grease and flour your pan so that the cake will easily release. I use a vegetable oil cooking spray to heavily oil the pan, then add a little flour to the bottom of the pan and shake until everything is coated.
- If you prefer a more vibrant colored cake, feel free to add a few drops of yellow food coloring to the batter.
- You can use any style of bundt pan that you like, I used a classic pan but there are so many different bundt pans these days!
How long does it take for a bundt cake to cool?
You’ll want to let your cake cool for about 10 minutes before you remove it from the pan. It can take up to an hour for your cake to cool completely once it’s out of the pan. It’s important to wait until your cake is cooled before you add frosting, otherwise the frosting could melt.
How to frost a bundt cake
You can frost your cake by simply placing the frosting on top and spreading it around the cake with an offset spatula, or you can pipe the frosting onto the cake. To get the style shown in the photos, you’ll need a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Start at the bottom of the cake, and pipe lines up the cake into the hole in the center. Repeat the process all the way around the cake. You can then use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting that’s landed on the inside of the cake.
This is the best lemon cake I’ve ever tasted, it’s perfect for an every day dessert, birthday parties, wedding showers, you name it!
More delicious cake recipes
- Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
- Earthquake Cake
- Berry Chantilly Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
- Chocolate Coconut Cake
Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar divided
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup finely grated lemon zest
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice divided use
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- cooking spray
For the frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Optional garnishes: lemon zest and mint sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease then flour a bundt pan.
- Cream the butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar with an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then add the lemon zest.
- In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup lemon juice and place in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30-45 seconds, until mixture is very hot.
- Stir the hot mixture until the sugar dissolves.
- While the cake is still in the pan, drizzle half of the syrup over the top (which will be the bottom of the cake when you invert it). Tap the pan a few times on the counter to loosen the cake then invert onto a cooling rack.
- Drizzle the remaining syrup over what is now the top of the cake. Half of the syrup should be on the bottom and half on the top.
- Cool completely then transfer to a serving plate.
- For the frosting:
- Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until thoroughly combined, 1-3 minutes.
- Add the milk and beat to combine.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Start from the outside of the cake, and pipe stripes of frosting from the bottom of the cake to the inside of the cake.
- Use an offset spatula to smooth the frosting on the inside of the cake.
- Garnish with lemon zest and mint sprigs if desired, then slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on February 7, 2016 and was updated on September 4, 2019 with new content.
Made two, one for my mom and one for me and my significant other. Big hit for sure!!!! Thank you so much.
Question, 1/3 cup of lemon zest seems like an awful lot, is that correct?
It is correct!
My lemon tree is full so when I found this recipe I was very happy and more so when I tasted how yummy the cake came out! It’s a new favorite!
This was such an easy cake to bake and has become a new family favorite in our home! Perfectly delicious!
I LOVE bundt cake and add lemon flavor – even better! SO, so delicious!
I love this flavor so much! This is on my baking list for next week!
That frosting had me at hello!
Mmm this is utterly delicious! I love lemon so I just had to make this and was not disappointed
I’m obsessed with all things lemon! It’s like a ray of sunshine on my plate and into my belly! Yum!
Buttery, lemony, moist. Looks perfect for any occasion.
Such a beautiful cake and I love that you used so much lemon juice. This looks and sounds like a winning recipe!
I have a lemon tree so going to make this beautiful cake!
I love how much lemon is in this 😀 And you’re right – cream cheese frosting makes everything better! Lemons aren’t quite yet in season here in Arizona, but once our friends have grown enough to share, I know what I’ll be using them for 😀
What a fabulous cake! I’m sure your dad loved it! I have tons of lemons, too, right now (here in Phoenix) — which I absolutely love. I can put them to good use with this gorgeous recipe. Love the frosting!
I bet the cream cheese frosting goes great with the bright lemon flavor!
your bundt cake looks scrumptious …. maybe I can substitute lemon with orange?
Orange would definitely work!
This cake looks fantastic! It makes me think of summer…
We got 4 whole meyer lemons last year. I’ve got my fingers crossed for more this year. This cake looks too good not to make.
Any lemon cake is so good! Nice and bright to balance the crumb!
Every time I come to your blog I find myself drooling over every single thing you share! I’d love a slice of this cake right about now to go along with my coffee – I’m a sucker for lemon anything. Thanks for sharing 🙂