This Lemon Bundt Cake is exceptionally moist, bursting with fresh lemon flavor, and topped with a creamy lemon glaze icing. It’s made completely homemade with oil and yogurt instead of butter for a perfectly tender, fluffy cake every time. Plus this cake is easy to make - no mixer required - and will be ready to bake in 20 minutes!
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This is the best Lemon Bundt Cake recipe inspired by our very favorite Lemon Loaf Cake and Orange Loaf Cake - some of the more popular of all our dessert recipes! It's simple to make, tastes delicious, and truly is a lemon lovers cake.
If you're looking for more lemon desserts, may I suggest this super easy Creamy Lemon Pie or this 2-Ingredient Frozen Lemonade.
🏅 Why this recipe is great
- It's super moist and fluffy. Not too dense, perfectly tender. This is thanks to the yogurt and oil, plus a lemon syrup that soaks in after baking.
- The lemon glaze is thick, creamy, and flavorful. It doesn't sink in or fall off!
- No stand mixer required! This is a simple cake recipe that's done before you know it.
- It's completely homemade with a bright, fresh flavor from real lemons. No box cake mixes, no lemon pudding, no lemon jello.
🥄 Tools for making this cake
This lemon cake recipe mostly requires basic baking tools. The only special tools you may need are a standard 10 inch (12 cup) bundt cake pan (affiliate), a microplane zester (affiliate), a cooling rack (affiliate), and baking spray that includes flour in the ingredients (affiliate).
🍋 Ingredients for lemon cake
- Flour: Just regular all-purpose flour (I don't use cake flour for this recipe). I don’t spoon and level my flour, but I do highly recommend fluffing the flour in the container and then measuring with a light hand, shaking off the excess until it’s level. You don’t want to pack the flour in.
- Baking powder: Make sure yours isn't expired.
- Whole-milk yogurt: The extra fat is a key ingredient for adding moisture to the cake. Don't use low-fat substitutes or sour cream.
- Sugar: Just regular granulated sugar.
- Eggs: Bring these to room temperature before using. If you’re in a hurry, place them in a shallow bowl with warm water to speed up the process.
- Vegetable oil: Some lemon loaf cakes are made with butter, but they tend to be more dense or dry. Use vegetable or canola oil to keep it moist. Do not substitute olive oil instead.
- Lemon zest and juice: Only use fresh lemons. Bottled juice is not the same as fresh lemon juice! For zesting, my favorite tool is this microplane (affiliate).
- Vanilla extract: That extra touch of flavor.
- Butter: A tiny bit of softened butter makes the glaze extra creamy and gives it enough body to prevent disappearing into the cake.
- Powdered sugar: For the lemon glaze.
- Cream: You can substitute half and half, but don't use milk. It doesn't have enough fat to cut through the sugar and keep it creamy.
🥣 How to make lemon bundt cake
How to prevent cake from sticking in a bundt pan
The first step is to prepare your bundt pan. Use baking spray (affiliate) to generously grease a 10 inch (12 cup) bundt pan (affiliate). Unlike regular cooking spray, baking spray has flour in it to help prevent sticking. Our favorite is Baker's Joy Original Spray or Pam Baking Spray.
How to make the cake batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients - yogurt, sugar, eggs, oil, lemon zest, and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, and salt.
Slowly and gently mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, being careful not to overmix.
Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Microwave the lemon juice and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is translucent. When finished baking, let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then use a fork or wooden skewer to poke holes in the cake about ¾ of the way down the cake. Leave the cake in the pan and slowly pour the syrup on the cake. Cool completely in the pan.
How to remove a cake from a bundt pan
Once the cake is cool, flip it onto a cooling rack (affiliate) in one quick motion. Gently lift the pan straight up off the cake. It may be a little sticky from the syrup.
How to make lemon glaze
Combine all the glaze ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy. You can add additional cream if needed. When you drizzle it onto itself, it should be thick enough to hold its shape for 2-3 seconds before dissolving into the bowl.
Once the cake is cooled and flipped onto a wire rack, place the rack over a sheet pan or piece of wax paper. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake slowly, allowing it to drip down the sides (the sheet pan will catch the drips). Pick up the cooling rack and tap it gently on the cookie sheet to help the glaze fall evenly.
👨👩👧👦 For a crowd
Of all desserts, bundt cakes are naturally great for serving crowds. I find that a whole cake typically serves 15-16 comfortably, especially when you add a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. If you are serving this at a party, you can also make it ahead and freeze it for less same-day cooking.
🍓 Variations
Although the lemon glaze is delicious on it's own, you can also add extra toppings to make this moist cake next level!
- Fresh berries: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries - you name it!
- Berry topping: Try a drizzle of this mixed berry sauce or a heaping of shortcake topping (chopped strawberries, sugar, and a squeeze of lemon juice).
- Whipped cream: Homemade is my favorite way to go.
- Lemon curd: This recipe already has tons of lemon flavor, but can you really have too much?
- Ice cream: A simple scoop of vanilla is great.
🙋 Questions and answers
Store the cake in a cake carrier (affiliate) or other airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for 2-3 days (I recommend the fridge to increase moistness).
Yes! Bake the cake, complete the syrup step, and cool the cake thoroughly without the glaze. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the fridge or for several hours on the countertop. Prepare and pour fresh glaze on top once the cake is fully thawed.
If you want to freeze a glazed cake, flash freeze it for 1-3 hours without any wrapping (this way you don’t destroy the glaze). Then wrap in plastic wrap and tinfoil, freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw. The glaze won’t look perfect but will still taste delicious.
If you don't have a bundt pan, I suggest making this Lemon Loaf Cake instead. It's the same recipe, just a smaller pan.
I do not recommend substituting the oil in this cake. It is the only ingredient that adds consistent moistness, good texture, and doesn't change the flavor.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & tricks
- Use fresh lemons for the best flavor.
- Zest the lemons before juicing.
- Use room temperature ingredients (specifically the eggs and yogurt). It helps them to fully incorporate into the batter and helps the cake rise evenly.
- Use whole-milk yogurt instead of fat-free or reduced. The extra fat makes the cake more moist.
- Pour the syrup over the cake very slowly to help it absorb more evenly.
- Check out our Foolproof Guide to Making Bundt Cakes for all kinds of other tips and tricks.
👋🏻 Connect with us!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!
📋 Recipe
Easy Lemon Bundt Cake with Glaze (from scratch!)
Equipment
- Bundt pan 12 cup capacity (10 inch)
- Microplane for zesting
- Non-stick baking spray with flour
Ingredients
Lemon Bundt Cake
- 1.5 cups plain whole-milk yogurt room temperature
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1.5 cups sugar
- ¾ cups vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Lemon Syrup
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
Lemon Icing
- 1 tablespoon butter very soft
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoon heavy cream or half and half
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12 cup bundt pan generously with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, oil, lemon zest, and vanilla.1.5 cups plain whole-milk yogurt, 5 large eggs, 1.5 cups sugar, ¾ cups vegetable oil, 3 teaspoon lemon zest, ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed, being careful not to overmix. The batter will be slightly lumpy.2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Lemon Syrup
- While the cake is baking, microwave the sugar and lemon juice in a microwave safe bowl for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. The syrup is finished when the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is translucent.⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup lemon juice
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Use a fork or wooden skewer to poke holes ¾ of the way down the cake. Leaving the cake in the pan, slowly pour on the lemon syrup and allow it to soak in. Cool completely in the pan.
Glaze
- While the cake is cooling, combine the glaze ingredients and mix until smooth. Once the cake is cooled completely, remove it from the pan and place on a cooling wrack over a sheet pan. Pour the glaze on top, allowing it to drip down the sides (the sheet pan will catch the drips).1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 3-4 tablespoon heavy cream, 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Notes
- Use fresh lemons for the best flavor.
- Zest the lemons before juicing.
- Use room temperature ingredients (specifically the eggs and yogurt). It helps them to fully incorporate into the batter and helps the cake rise evenly.
- Use whole-milk yogurt instead of fat-free or reduced. The extra fat makes the cake more moist.
- Pour the syrup over the cake very slowly to help it absorb more evenly.
- Check out our Foolproof Guide to Making Bundt Cakes for all kinds of other tips and tricks.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
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