This moist Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze is soft and bursting with zesty lemon flavor in every bite. The pure magic lies in the silky, sweet lemon glaze that drips down the sides like sunshine; it's just heavenly.
I made this lemon glaze bundt cake on one of my cozy spring days, the kind when the kitchen smells like butter and citrus. Oh my! Oh My! Especially when I poured that glossy lemon glaze over the warm cake, it was a moment of joy.
If you're baking for a spring celebration, gathering, brunch, or just for a treat, this checks all the boxes: easy to make, crowd-pleasing, and irresistibly citrusy, like this orange cake, orange poppy seed, and moist lemon loaf cake. Something Caribbean? This rum cake is the one.
This cake is my go-to recipe, even in the fall or Easter, when I want to skip the pumpkin cakes or pumpkin donuts.
Why Choose This Recipe?
Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest infuses every bite with a natural flavor and taste.
The moist crumb makes this cake feel rich and bakery-style.
It's a no-fuss recipe that consistently delivers fantastic results.
Easy a to find pantry and fresh ingredients.
Recipe Ingredients
- Lemon Zest: When rubbed with sugar, it releases that fresh and fragrant lemon oil, which infuses the batter.
- Lemon juice: Gives tartness and activates the baking soda. It enhases the lemon profile.
- All-purpose flour provides structure to the cake.
- Half and Half cream: Adds richness and softness to the batter withour makind it too heavy.
- Baking powder and baking soda work in conjunction with the lemon juice to help the cake rise and remain fluffy.
- Sour cream: Adds tang and helps the cake stay moist for a long time
- Powdered Sugar: For a sweet ans smooth base for the glaze.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients, add moisture, and help the cake rise.
See the recipe card below for detailed ingredients and thier measurementts.
How to Make Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze.
Set your oven to 350ºF and let it preheat. Generously spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray, grease it with butter, and dust it with flour.
- Whisk the all purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate medium-sized bowl.
- Combine the zest and sugar in a mini food processor, set aside. Cream butter for 2 minutes.
- Add the lemon-sugar mixture and beat for an additional 2 minutes, or until the butter becomes fluffy and paler. Add eggs one at a time.
- Pour in the sour cream and lemon juice, then mix briefly on low speed to combine all the ingredients.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix. Add all the milk at once and stir in the remaining flour mixture, mixing on low until just combined.
- Pour the batter into your prepared bundt cake pan, spreading it evenly with a silicone or offset spatula. Bake at 350F for 45 to 65 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
- As the cake bakes, prepare the lemon syrup so it's ready as soon as the cake is removed from the oven. Combine the lemon juice, zest, and sugar in a small saucepan. Boil till sugar dissolves and strain.
- After baking let the cake sit for 5 minutes. Then, poke small holes over the top using a fork or wooden skewer. Remove three tablespoons of the lemon syrup and set it aside. Slowly pour the remaining lemon syrup over the warm cake, allowing it to absorb the liquid. Let the cake sit for an additional 30 minutes in the pan to absorb the syrup.
- To make the lemon glaze, whisk three tablespoons of the lemon syrup in a small bowl with the powdered sugar.
- Transfer to a wire rack. When the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top, reserving a small amount for serving, if desired. Cut and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh lemons. It's sometimes tempting to grap the bottled version. Avoid that!
- Bundt cake tends to stick a lot, so make sure to grease the pan and sprinkle some flour on it, ensuring it fills every groove.
- Don't overmix the cake batter. Just mix in the flour until well combined because overmixing can cause a dense cake.
- Room-temperature ingredients, such as butter, eggs, sour cream, and half-and-half, help everything blend in smoothly.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 15 minutes before glazing.
- Test doneness with a toothpick.
Top Tip
Zest first, then juice! Always zest your lemons before juicing them—once they’re squeezed, it’s nearly impossible to zest without a struggle (or squishing mess). The Best Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe Ever.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use full-fat plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for the sour cream for the lemon cake.
- For extra flavour, you can use extracts like vanilla extract or lemon extract.
- Use whole milk or heavy cream as a substitute for half-and-half. Note that the cake will be denser with heavy cream.
- You can use salted butter, reduce the added salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon.
- Instead of the lemon syrup for the glaze, you can use lemon juice.
- Swap the lemon zest and juice with orange or lime for a twist. A citrus blend wouldn't hurt.
- You can fold in a cup of fresh blueberries or raspberries into the batter. Toss them in flour first so it doesn't sink to the bottom of the cake.
- Stir in some shredded coconut ontop of the glaze for a tropical feel.
For additional notes, please refer to the end of the recipe card below.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Divide batter into mini bundt pans or cupcake tins and adjust baking time to about 18-30 minutes, 350F till a toothpick comes out clean,
Use whole fat ingredients. Full-fat sour cream, real butter, and half-and-half cream to make it rich and moist. Do not overbake too. It wall cause the to be dry.
Store the cake in the fridge for up to 3 days, in an airtight container. Let it sit out on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This lemon Bundt cake is best served at room temperature.
This recipe is very heavy in lemon flavor, but in a good way. You will need several lemons to get enough zest and juice for the recipe. Always remove the zest first and then use those lemons for juicing.
Cream the sugar and butter until they are pale and fluffy. Don't rush. Prep your pan like a pro. See notes.
Glaze your bundt cake when it’s warm—but not hot.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack. Wait another 10–15 minutes until it’s just warm to the touch.
More Dessert Recipes to Try
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Moist Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Lemon Bundt Cake
- 2¾ cups All-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 cups Granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons Lemon zest about 3 lemons
- 1 cup Butter if using unsalted butter, double the Kosher salt
- 4 Large eggs
- ½ cup Sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup Fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup Half & half
Lemon Syrup
- ½ cup Lemon juice
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Lemon zest
Lemon Glaze:
- 1 ½ cups Powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons Lemon syrup
Instructions
For the lemon bundt cake:
- Set your oven to 350ºF and let it preheat.
- Generously spray a 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray or grease with butter and dust with flour, ensuring all the crevices are well coated. (see recipe note)
- Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a separate medium-sized bowl. Give it a good whisk and set this dry mix aside.2¾ cups All-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- Grate the lemons to collect the zest, then combine the zest and sugar in a mini food processor. Pulse until the zest is pulverized into the sugar. You can also mix the zest and sugar in a small bowl and massage it with your fingers. This step helps release the oils from the zest, intensifying the flavor and aroma. Set this lemony sugar aside for now.2 cups Granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons Lemon zest
- Cream the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed with a paddle attachment in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer for about 2 minutes.1 cup Butter
- Add the lemon-sugar mixture and beat for another 2 minutes or until the butter becomes fluffy and paler.
- One at a time, add the eggs, mixing well after each addition to thoroughly blend them into the batter.4 Large eggs
- Pour in the sour cream and lemon juice, then mix briefly on low speed to bring everything together.½ cup Sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt, ¼ cup Fresh lemon juice
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.Mix on low just until the dry ingredients are mostly incorporated.½ cup Half & half
- Add all the milk at once and stir on low until just combined. Now add the remaining flour mixture and mix until there are no dry streaks.
- Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan, spreading it evenly with a silicone or offset spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 65 minutes, remembering that baking times may vary slightly depending on your oven.
- If the top starts to brown too quickly but the inside still needs time, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil to prevent burning. (see recipe note)
- The cake is ready when the center feels firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For the lemon simple syrup:
- As the cake bakes, prepare the syrup so it's ready as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.
- Combine the lemon juice, zest, and sugar in a small saucepan.½ cup Lemon juice, ½ cup Sugar, 2 tablespoons Lemon zest
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat once the sugar fully dissolves. Strain the lemon zest out using a sieve over a small bowl. Set the syrup aside for later.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, let it sit in the pan for about 5 minutes. Then, poke small holes over the top using a fork or wooden skewer.
- Remove three tablespoons of the lemon syrup and set it aside. Slowly pour the remaining lemon syrup over the warm cake, allowing it to soak in.
- Let the cake sit for an additional 30 minutes in the pan to absorb the syrup.
- Carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack and let it cool completely before glazing or slicing. (See recipe note)
For the lemon glaze:
- To make the lemon glaze, whisk 3 tablespoons of the lemon syrup in a small bowl with the powdered sugar. A whisk works best. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick, add a little milk, one tablespoon at a time.1 ½ cups Powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons Lemon syrup
- When the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top, reserving a little for serving if desired.
Notes
- If baking spray was used to coat the Bundt pan, flip it over onto paper towels to prevent the spray from pooling at the bottom.
- If the cake has a high domed center, use a serrated knife to cut off the top of the dome. This will allow the cake to sit level when flipped over.
- The butter, half-and-half, and the fresh eggs should be at room temperature for baking. Remove them from the refrigerator while you prep the other ingredients. The butter should be at room temperature so take it out at least an hour before using.
- Between the lemon zest and juice used in this recipe, you will need about 8-10 lemons. This does not include any lemons used as garnish.
- If you don’t have a Bundt pan, bake this cake in a 9x13 pan. Adjust baking time down.
- Save a little of the lemon glaze to pour on slices of cake when serving.
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Ricky Nelson says
Looks delicious
The pictures did some justice in showcasing the moist crumb of this cake. Save this, and you won't regret it. And hopefully, you'll enjoy it just as much as we did.
Granny T says
I can't wait to bake it!
please do. it is so moist
Tyanca says
Hi, I really like the way you add your ingredients throughout the recipe! I am always forgetting how much of something to use. Than you!
thanks so much. it makes it easy for everyone especially when they bake.