Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake

Simply the best ever lemon bundt cake recipe! This light and fluffy glazed lemon bundt cake is perfect for every occasion. Made in under an hour with simple ingredients, this citrus spiked bundt is a an easy and delicious dessert everyone will love!

As I thought about the recipe I wanted to share for Mother’s Day, my mind immediately went to cake. Growing up, my grandparents on my mom’s side lived just a mile away from us. A brilliant cook and baker, my grandmother was a cake-for-all-occasions kind of girl. She didn’t need a reason to bake a cake. Just because was reason enough to bake a special treat on an otherwise ordinary day. A philosophy I fully subscribe to, if you hadn’t already guessed.

My grandmother loved cake for dessert and she often made a simple lemon bundt cake that she would serve at Sunday supper or bring to family gatherings on Friday nights. She would tote them to our house for birthdays and anniversaries, graduations and bon-voyages. Or because “yay, you got your braces off” or “it’s Tuesday and there’s nothing special going on”. She had these little glass rosebud vases that fit perfectly in the center of the bundt and she would fill them with fresh cut flowers from her garden. I have the best memories of those pretty little cakes and the grandmother that poured all her love into each one of them over the years.

I never asked her for the recipe and while no version could ever hold a candle to hers, this lemon bundt cake with a sweet vanilla glaze comes pretty close.

Mother’s Day has always been synonymous with cake for me. If there ever was a day to shower the special mothers, grandmothers, aunts and second mammas in your life with cake, today is the day. This glazed lemon bundt cake will be a fast favorite that everyone will love. If you’re planning to treat mom to an outdoor brunch, breakfast in bed, or a cozy family dinner around the kitchen table, this easy, delicious bundt cake will make the day extra special. This simple lemon bundt is impressive enough for Mom’s special day but easy enough to make in less than an hour.

This is the kind of cake that becomes a tradition and I can’t wait to tell you how to make it.

Ingredients you need for lemon bundt cake

This sweet and simple glazed lemon bundt cake can be made in an hour with just a handful of basic ingredients. It’s the perfect way to use up all those fresh lemons and any leftover slices make for a scrumptious breakfast treat. Did you say cake for breakfast?? Yes, please! Here’s what you need for this easy glazed lemon bundt cake:

Flour. Nothing fancy needed here. Just regular all-purpose flour will do. Be sure to measure carefully as too much flour in the mix can make for a dry cake.

Butter. Be sure the butter is softened to room temperature. I like to leave the butter out overnight and then mix the batter in the morning. That way the cake is perfectly cool and ready to glaze just in time for dessert!

Sugar. We’ll use granulated sugar in the cake and syrup and confectioners sugar in the decorative glaze. This cake is not too sweet which lets the zesty lemon flavor really shine through.

Eggs. For best results, add the room temperature eggs one at time and mix thoroughly before adding the next. If you forget to take your eggs out ahead of time, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.

Buttermilk. I love the hint of tang and soft, fluffy texture that buttermilk lends to this cake. Don’t forget to give the buttermilk a quick stir just before pouring it in to the batter.

Sour cream. This cake stays moist for daaayyyys thanks to the combination of buttermilk and full fat sour cream. If you don’t have sour cream on hand, greek yogurt will work in a pinch.

Lemons. Pick up some lemons at the local farmer’s market or help yourself to a few off of your neighbor’s tree {wink wink}. I love using Meyer lemons for this bundt cake as they are slightly sweeter and more fragrant, but any variety of lemon will work. We’ll use both the zest and the juice of two large lemons.

Baking powder + baking soda. We’ll use both learners for an even rise and the perfect texture.

Vanilla. Skip the imitation vanilla and use a high quality vanilla extract for the very best flavor.

How to make the perfect lemon bundt cake

This lemon bundt cake is like a ray of sunshine on the cloudiest of days. It’s light and airy, super moist and it’s packed full of bright, refreshing lemon flavor. Don’t take my word for it. Break out your bundt pans bakers and keep reading because I’m spilling my top tips for how to make the best lemon bundt cake you’ll ever have!

Infuse the sugar with lemon zest. I learned this pro-tip awhile back when I was developing a recipe for lemon madeleines. To really infuse the lemon flavor into the cake, use your hands to rub the lemon zest together with the sugar. It causes the oils in the zest to release and it helps to enhance the bright, fresh, lemony flavor in the cake. Try this trick for all of your lemon desserts!

Use both buttermilk and sour cream. The combination of buttermilk and sour cream gives the cake a light, fluffy, super moist texture that will keep you coming back for one more slice. Bundt cakes are often dense but this cake bakes up perfectly soft and it won’t dry out which means your cake will taste just as delicious on day three as it did on the day you baked it.

Do not over bake. Keep an eye on your oven and remove the cake once the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs remaining. Even just an extra minute or two in the oven can dry out your bundt cake so don’t wander too far from the kitchen. If the cake is browning too quickly on the top, tent it loosely with a large piece of aluminum foil at the end of the baking cycle. And once you remove the bundt from the oven, set your timer for exactly 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the cake should release easily from the bundt pan when inverted onto a cooling rack or cake plate.

Don’t skimp on the glaze. This lemon bundt cake is so special it gets not one, but TWO, glazes. The first glaze is a simple sugar syrup that goes on just after the warm cake is released from the pan. The sugar and lemon juice mixture soaks into the cake as it cools and helps provide heaps of flavor and moisture. The second vanilla glaze is a thick, silky smooth mixture of confectioners sugar and milk which adds a sweet finish to the cake and makes for a pretty presentation. To get that picture perfect drizzle, pour this glaze on only after the cake is completely cool.

 

Tips for the prettiest bundt cake

I love a bundt cake not only because they are delicious to eat but because they are easy to make when you are short on time and they are even easier to decorate. Keep reading for my tried and true tips for the perfect bundt cake every time.

Use a quality bundt pan. The first step to making a show stopping bundt cake is to start with a quality, heavy metal pan. I love Nordic Ware bundt pans because they have reliable non-stick coatings that ensure a clean release. A good bundt pan will last a lifetime if properly cared for. Never run your pan through the dishwasher and clean it with a soft, non-scratch sponge with warm, soapy water.

Grease, don’t flour. There seem to be two camps when it comes to bundt pan prep. Those that grease and those that grease and flour. I’ve never had much luck with the flour method so I always stick with a generous coating of non-stick baking spray. If you are using a pan with a more intricate design, be sure to apply the baking spray to all the nooks and crannies so that your cake pops out easily once baked.

It’s all about the flip. This step makes every baker nervous – myself included. But getting the bundt from the pan to your serving plate is no big deal if you follow two simple steps. First, once you remove the cake from the oven allow it to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Not 8. Not 15. Exactly 10 minutes. Then place a wire cooling rack or cake plate on top of the bundt pan, grab the sides and flip it 180 degrees in one swift motion. If the pan was prepped properly and the cake itself has good structure, it should release easily. If your cake has a few missing crumbs or corners that stick to the bottom of the pan, not to worry….that’s what the frosting is for!

Don’t forget the drizzle!  Unlike bundt cakes’ more fussy, high maintenance cousin, the layer cake, a beautiful bundt is easy to decorate with a simple glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar. For an Instagram worthy cake, be sure to wait until the bundt is completely cool before glazing or it will all soak into the warm cake.

How to store bundt cake

I basically ate this lemon bundt cake for breakfast, dessert and everything in between until it was gone. There was zero chance any of it was bound for the freezer to save for a rainy day. If you’re like me and plan to devour the entire cake in a day or two, keep it tightly covered at room temperature. To freeze the cake, I recommend wrapping it whole {before glazing!} in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Defrost it at room temperature and then drizzle on the vanilla glaze just before serving. It’s that easy. This really is the perfect make-ahead cake for any occasion!

I hope you love this lemon bundt cake as much as I do. Bake your mamma some cake today friends – she deserves it!

Happy Mother’s Day and happy baking!

If you love this Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake, you’ll love these other lemony desserts:

Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts

Blood Orange Bundt Cake

A Better Baker: Bundt Cake Basics

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