This Lemon Bundt Cake started with a trip to Houston, Texas to celebrate my aunt's (my mother's sister) birthday. We arrived on Friday and my aunt made this cake for Sunday dinner. This cake made me fall in love with bundt cakes. Before tasting it, the only other bundt cake I liked was my mom's Kentucky Rum Butter Cake. Other than that all other bundt cakes were either too dry or just OK.
My aunt's lemon bundt cake is off the charts good. Moist, super lemony, and the icing was more tart than sweet. My sister and I raved about this cake. When we left about a week later auntie made us a cake to share to take back home. Sad to say only a small portion made it back to Portland. While sitting in the airport waiting for our flight to board, I decided to taste a just small piece of cake. Next thing I knew I had eaten over half of my cake.
The next trip I asked my aunt for the recipe, got the recipe, lost the recipe, got it again and finally typed it into my computer in order to keep track of it. My aunt gave me some directions, but I had to work out a few details, like how long to cream the sugar and butter. This cake is delicious and moist and lemony, but I will confess that my aunt's version is still the best.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON BUNDT CAKE
To ensure that I don't forget a step I have everything in place before I start mixing the ingredients, this step is called mise en place. It's a French term for "putting in place." The cake pan release speeds up the process of prepping the pan. This method ensures your pan and all the crevices are completely covered. Sift your flour and then whisk in the salt and the baking soda. Crack your eggs into a separate bowl and measure out your sour cream.
My aunt's instructions weren't very detailed so I've learned some things through experimenting. I put the sugar into the mixing bowl and then zest the lemon directly into the bowl on top of the sugar to capture the oils that are released. One medium lemon will usually produce the right amount of zest, but since you are zesting directly onto the sugar you'll need to eyeball the amount. You may need a second lemon. Creaming the butter and sugar for 8 minutes may seem like a long time, but it will ensure that enough air is incorporated into the batter and that you get a good rise. I think the first time I beat it for about 3-4 minutes and there is a difference in height.
The cake is good with or without the glaze, but I love the lemony tartness of the glaze. When I make the glaze for the cake, I sifted a little over 3 cups of powdered sugar, but I used 2-3/4 cups with the amount of lemon juice listed in the recipe. One thing I learned in making this recipe a few times is that no matter how carefully you try to put powdered sugar back in the container you still get some on the counter.
I share the story behind this cake with other people whenever I make. It is one of the best lemon bundt cakes I've ever had and I love the look on the face of friends and family when they try it. I think you'll enjoy this cake and it will become your new favorite too. Please drop a note or contact me if you have any questions.
Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake Pan Release
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Lemon Bundt Cake
- 3 cups (300 grams) cake flour, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2-3/4 cups (550 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest about 2 lemons
- 6 (300 grams) large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup (230 grams) sour cream
Lemon Glaze
- 2-3/4 cups (308 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2-3 tbsp fresh squeezes lemon juice
Instructions
For the Cake Pan Release
- In a small bowl stir the melted butter and the flour together until it forms a paste. With a pastry brush thoroughly coat the sides and bottoms of the bundt pan.
For the Lemon Bundt Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl. Put the sifted flour, baking soda and salt together in a another bowl and combine with a whisk.
- Place the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and zest the lemons on top of the sugar. Use your fingers to mix the lemon zest with the sugar. Juice the lemons until you have at least 1/4 cup of lemon juice.
- Add the butter to the bowl and beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest on medium-high speed until the butter and sugar are fluffy about 8 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl. Add eggs one at time on low speed and then increase to medium until each egg is well incorporated. Stop the mixer after adding the first 3 eggs and scrape the bowl from the bottom to ensure the ingredients are well mixed. Add the remaining 3 eggs and scrape the down the after adding the last egg.
- Add the lemon juice and mix on medium until well combined.
- Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well combined, but do not over mix. Add one-half of the sour cream and mix on medium speed until well combined. Add half of the remaining dry ingredients, then the rest of the sour cream. Add the remaining the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cake rack to cool. Cool the cake in the pan for 15-20 minutes and then invert it onto a cake rack. Allow it to cool completely before adding the lemon glaze.
For the Lemon Glaze
- Sift the powdered sugar to remove the lumps and measure out 2-3/4 cups and put it into another bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and stir until the glaze is smooth. At this point you can decide if you want a really thick glaze. If you want it a little thinner, add the remaining lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time until it is the desired consistency.
- Place the cake on a wire cake rack. Use a large spoon to slowly pour the glaze over the top of the cake. The glaze will run down the sides the cake. Put as a little or as much of the glaze as you like. Allow the glaze to set, about 10 minutes and then move the cake to a platter or cake holder.
Amanda Nguyen says
The crumb on this cake looks so perfect. You can just tell it’s packed with lemon, one of my favorite flavors.
Cheryl Norris says
Hey Amanda, thanks for the compliment. Who doesn't love lemon. I think one of the reasons I like this cake so much is that it comes from my aunt.
Sallie Doeg says
Sallie in Memphis posts: Love the lemons !!! I got really lucky with your recipe for the Meyer lemon cakes. I think I went to 3or 4? different market chains and got lucky. I bought two bags of lemons, paid for them and ran to the car! I made the lemon pound cakes and wrapped them up in foil, then put them in zip-lock bags and into the freezer they went. I just pulled the first one out to defrost and it is as good as the first one we ate back in mid January. Yes, I put a piece of paper tape in the foil with the date on them. My first introduction to Meyer Lemons ! Thank you, thank you, thank you. P.S. I add my lemon zest to the sugar after I measure it in the measuring spoon. Stay safe and be well.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sallie
Good to hear from you. Yes, Meyer lemons can be so hard to find depending on where you live. When I first learned of them they were only around for a couple of months, now I can get them for 4 or 5 months of the year.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the Meyer Lemon Poppy Seed cake and it's good to hear that it still tastes great after freezing. Thank you for that information. It's a great note that I can add to the recipe for people who like to plan ahead. These types of notes are great to get so thanks for taking the time to update me.
Maire Kushner says
Hi Cheryl!
I'm looking forward to making this Lemon Bundt on the weekend. Have you ever made it with the addition of blueberries?
Thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Marie
I have not made it with blueberries and that sounds like it would taste wonderful. If you add blueberries reserve about 3 tablespoons of the flour and toss it with the blueberries right before you add them to the batter.
Maire Kushner says
Thank you Cheryl! I made the cake without fruit last Sunday and it was glorious! Another stellar recipe!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Maire
Thank you so much for that compliment. I'm glad you all liked the cake. Your question has inspired me to make a lemon-blueberry version, so I'll be recipe testing and hopefully posting a new recipe soon.
Hilda Thrriot says
This recipe is almost identical to my almond pound
Cake.
Only difference us mine uses 3 sticks butter , all purpose flour and 2 2/3 cups of sugar. Also pure almond extract.
I am 80 yrs old and do not bake as much as I used to but your Lemon Pound Cake looks wonderful.
Am going to try making it for my daughter's birthday.
Does cake flour make a big difference?
You are so talented maybe you should open a bakery
and retire from engineering.
Looking forward to my baking newsletter.
Blessings for you and your family😇❤