When life gives you lemons, make a gorgeous lemon Bundt cake. We will show you how to make this citrusy cake which has a triple dose of lemon. Yum!
Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

There’s nothing easier and more elegant than a good Bundt cake. Whether you’re hosting brunch, book club or an elegant dinner party, a Bundt is always in style. The best part about these cakes is that they’re a cinch to put together. Just follow some basic Bundt cake tips for a gorgeous cake that everyone will ooh and ahh over.

But with so many great Bundt recipes out there, where do you start? Well, our Test Kitchen is partial to this ultra citrusy lemon Bundt cake. It’s tart, lush and suited to any occasion.

Bundt Cake vs. Pound Cake

Any cake baked in a Bundt pan is a Bundt cake, but a Bundt cake is not always a pound cake—which can get a little confusing!

Let’s break it down: A traditional pound cake has equal (or very close to it) ratios of fat, eggs, flour and sugar. This lemon Bundt cake recipe also happens to be pound cake because it has near-equal amounts of each.

You can make other kinds of cakes in a Bundt pan, like coffee cakes, or a regular (but still delicious) chocolate cake from scratch. In this instance, coffee cake and the chocolate cake would also happen to be Bundt cakes, simply because they’re baked in a Bundt pan.

Bundt pans work well for pound cakes and other cakes with heavy, dense batters. They’re not great for sponge cakes or boxed cake mixes because light batters tend to stick to the pan more often, which causes problems when trying to remove the cake from the Bundt after it’s baked.

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Lemon Bundt Cake Ingredients

Cake:

  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Lemon juice
  • Lemon zest
  • Lemon extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Sour cream

Icing:

  • Sour cream
  • Butter
  • Confectioners’ sugar
  • Lemon juice
  • Lemon zest

Directions

Step 1: Prep your Bundt pan

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For this recipe, you’ll need a 10-inch fluted tube pan. If you’re new to Bundt baking, try one without a ton of intricate designs and then work your way to something fancier in the future. Our Test Kitchen used the Nordic Ware original Bundt pan for this recipe.

Then it’s time to grease the Bundt pan. Grab some shortening and smear it around the entire inside of the pan. Dust the inside with flour and tap away the excess. If you see any spots that you missed, just go back in with an extra dab of shortening and a bit more flour.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t use butter to coat your Bundt pan! The milk solids can cause your cake batter to stick. If you’re out of shortening, you can always substitute a cooking spray formulated with flour like Pam Baking Spray or Baker’s Joy.

Step 2: Mix the batter

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Cream the softened butter and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer (a good hand mixer works, too). Beat this duo together until light and fluffy—about six minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well combined. Then stir in the lemon zest, juice and extract. The combination of all three really makes the flavor pop!

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Give it a quick whisk. Then add in this mixture alternatively with the sour cream. Beat until just combined. If you overbeat, you can make the cake tough.

Step 3: Bake the Bundt cake

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When you’re finished mixing the batter, pour it into your prepared fluted tube pan. Because Bundt cakes tend to bake up with a domed bottom (which is absolutely fine and normal), try to make a bit of a trough in the batter. To do this, simply ensure a bit more batter goes up around the sides and there’s a bit of a dip in the center. It’ll help even things out as it bakes.

Bake the cake at 350ºF for 55 to 60 minutes. At the 55-minute mark, insert a toothpick to check the cake doneness. If it comes out clean, the cake is finished. Don’t be alarmed if the cake takes the full hour or slightly longer. Bundt cakes are big and dense so they require some extra time.

Step 4: Cool and flip

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When the cake is done baking, let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before flipping. After that time, place a rack on the bottom of the cake and invert. If you greased the cake pan perfectly, it should pop out just fine.

If your Bundt cake is stuck, don’t fret yet! Try knocking the sides of the pan against the countertop (pad the counter with a towel first) to loosen the cake and flip again.

If you’re still not having luck, just leave the cake flipped over on the rack. Gravity will do its work and the cake will release. Check on the cake after about 10 minutes of it resting this way.

Let your cake cool completely before moving onto icing.

Step 5: Ice the cake

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When your cake is completely cool, whisk up a quick icing. Beat together the sour cream and softened butter until smooth, then gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar. Mix in the lemon juice and zest and drizzle over the top of the cake, letting the icing drip down the grooves. You can go the extra mile and top with a little extra lemon zest to give a preview of what’s in store.

Once the cake is iced, it’s ready to serve! Use a serrated knife to cut perfect slices.

Lemon Bundt Cake Variations

While this lemon Bundt cake recipe is delicious already, you can make a few tweaks to really make it your own:

  • If you want a little less lemon flavor, make a regular icing instead of the lemon-flavored icing that this recipe calls for. Further, replace the lemon zest with other citrus zests instead, like lime or orange, which add another flavor profile to the cake.
  • If you want even more lemon flavor, try making a sweetened lemon whipped cream to serve with each slice. Check out our guide on how to make whipped cream for some tips and tricks.
  • Feel free to sprinkle a few fresh raspberries on top of the Bundt cake for a little pucker and juicy sweetness that perfectly complements the lemon.

Lemon Bundt Cake Tips

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Can you make lemon Bundt cake ahead of time?

Yes! Since you want to let the Bundt cake cool completely before icing it anyway, working ahead means you won’t have to anxiously wait for your cake to cool to top it off with the glaze before guests arrive.

How do you store lemon Bundt cake?

If you don’t finish this cake in a sitting, you can store the leftovers at room temperature or in the fridge for three to four days. Just keep in mind, even if it’s in an airtight container, it will dry out a little bit each day, so enjoy it sooner than later.

How do you freeze lemon Bundt cake?

Bundt cakes also keep well in the freezer. If you’re looking to store this cake in the freezer for an extended period, skip the icing. Wrap in plastic or foil and make sure it’s sealed tightly. This should keep in the freezer for a few months.

When you’re ready to serve, just defrost and ice. It turns out beautifully!

Watch how to Make Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

The Best Lemon Bundt Cake

Everyone raves about this pretty lemon sour cream pound cake—and it sure doesn't last long with my family. It also freezes beautifully, so why not make two and pop one into the freezer for another day? —Annettia Mounger, Kansas City, Missouri
Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Total Time

Prep: 20 min. Bake: 55 min. + cooling

Makes

12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups sour cream
  • ICING:
  • 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • additional grated lemon zest, optional

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice, zest and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat just until combined.
  2. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
  3. For icing, in a small bowl, beat the sour cream and butter until smooth. Gradually add confectioners' sugar. Beat in lemon juice and zest. Drizzle over the cake. If desired, top with additional grated lemon zest. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 658 calories, 26g fat (15g saturated fat), 146mg cholesterol, 286mg sodium, 101g carbohydrate (76g sugars, 1g fiber), 8g protein.