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When life gives you lemons, make a gorgeous lemon Bundt cake. We'll show you how to make this citrusy cake which has a triple dose of lemon. Yum!
There’s nothing more easy and 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 are a cinch to put together. Just follow some basic Bundt cake tips and you’ll have 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. Serve it up at your next party and have a leftover slice for breakfast the next day.
How to Make a Lemon Bundt Cake
Taste of Home
This Lemon Lover’s Pound Cake is a favorite here at Taste of Home. It comes to us from contributor Annettia Mounger of Missouri. It’s so loved because this lemon pound cake packs a ton of lemon flavor thanks to lemon zest, lemon juice and a touch of lemon extract. When we say it’s a lemon lovers cake, we mean it! To make this cake, grab some lemons and these ingredients:
For the cake:
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
For the icing:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Step 1: Prep Your Bundt Pan
Taste of Home
For this recipe, you’ll need a 10-inch fluted tube pan. If you don’t have one yet, there are so many pretty Bundt pans to choose from. If you’re new to Bundt baking, try one without a ton of intricate design and then work your way to something fancier in the future. Our Test Kitchen used the Nordic Ware Original Bundt Pan($25) for this recipe.
Then it’s time to grease the Bundt pan. Grab some shortening and smear it around the entire inside of your pan. Then 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 are out of shortening, you can always substitute a cooking spray formulated with flour like Pam Baking Spray or Baker’s Joy.
Step 2: Stir Up the Pound Cake Batter
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Next, it’s time to create the batter. 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. Then 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 will really make 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 overmix, you can make the cake tough.
Step 3: Bake the Bundt Cake
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When you’re finished mixing up 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 a bit as it bakes.
Bake the cake at 350ºF for 55 to 60 minutes. At the 55-minute mark, insert a toothpick into the cake to check doneness. If it comes out clean, the cake is finished. Don’t be alarmed if the cake takes the full hour (or even slightly more). Bundt cakes are big and dense so they require some extra time.
Step 4: Cool and Flip
Taste of Home
When the cake is done baking, let it cool on a wire rack for ten minutes before flipping. After that time, place a rack on the bottom of the cake and invert. If you greased the 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 ten minutes of it resting this way.
Let your cake cool completely before moving onto the next step.
Step 5: Top with Icing
Taste of Home
When your cake is completely cool and you’re ready to serve, 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 here and top with a little extra lemon zest to give people a preview of what’s in store.
How to Serve and Store Bundt Cake
Taste of Home
Once the cake is iced, it’s ready to serve! Use a serrated knife to cut perfect slices. If you and your company don’t finish this cake in a sitting, you can store the leftovers in the fridge for several days.
Freezer Instructions
Pound 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!
Everyone raves about this pretty dessert—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
Cherries and chocolate are natural partners that make desserts such as this simply scrumptious! The marbled effect is easily achieved by layering the two contrasting batters. —Sandra Campbell, Chase Mills, New York
A good olive oil cake isn't overly sweet, so it can just as easily be a breakfast treat or an afternoon snack as a dessert. —Lisa Kaminski, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
This moist and delicious chocolate cake is usually the first dessert to go. People even eat the crumbs. It’s always my top choice for holiday dinners. —Ellen Riley, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
This Moscow mule cake is my favorite cake I've ever made from scratch. It's so moist and flavorful, and it reminds me of my favorite cocktail. —Becky Hardin, St. Peters, Missouri
This blueberry coffee cake is my go-to recipe for all of our holiday get-togethers because it's perfect for breakfast or dessert. It's easy to make, and it's the most delicious coffee cake I've ever had. —Susan Ober, Franconia, New Hampshire
This Key lime pound cake was inspired from a basic pound cake recipe that I like to play around with. It's now the only cake requested at every gathering. The unfrosted cake freezes well. —Pat Stewart, Canton, Georgia
This fabulous cake and caramel frosting are so tender, it melts in your mouth. It's been a family favorite since the '70s and it goes over really well at church potluck meals. —Anna Jean Allen, West Liberty, Kentucky
This margarita cake is perfect for a picnic on a warm day. You'll be surprised at how closely it tastes like the real thing. —Dawn Lowenstein, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Inspired by an abundance of zucchini, I found a new way to use it up in this spiced and lightly sweet cake. It even won a blue ribbon at our county fair! —Regina Stock, Topeka, Kansas
I belong to a Christmas village collectors' club and we all bring a potluck dish to our monthy meetings. The cake is always a hit. It's one of my family's favorite Thanksgiving desserts, too, and disappears before the pumpkin pie does. —Debby Powers, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Cake. Doughnuts. Now you don't have to choose between the two. Impress your family with this easy jelly-filled cake. Try your best to center the jelly in the middle of the half-filled Bundt pan so that it will not leak out the edges of the cake. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia
Orange and lemon beautifully complement the raspberry flavor in this dense cake. Add a dusting of confectioners’ sugar for a pretty finishing touch. —Pat Harlow, Cataldo, Idaho
I adapted a basic pound cake recipe from my great-aunt for this treat. It makes a moist cake that pops out of the pan perfectly. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey
Citrus trees grow abundantly in California, and I'm always looking for new recipes which use the fruit from the orange and lemon trees in my yard. This is one of my favorites! My mother passed this recipe down to me. —Richard Killeaney, Spring Valley, California
A moist cake and generous frosting are filled with the fabulous flavor of caramel. The candied pecans are almost a dessert by themselves!—Jennifer Rodriguez, Midland, Texas
Mint pairs with a silky, mild chocolate flavor for this colorful, beautiful cake that will be the talk of the holiday buffet. —Heidi Kelly, Norwood, Missouri
Holiday breakfasts would not be the same at our house without this delicious coffee cake. Whenever I take it anywhere, everyone raves about it and wants the recipe. —Susan Walschlager, Anderson, Indiana
When you want an extra-special dessert for the holidays, it’s hard to beat a seasonal homemade cake. I like to drizzle mine with a simple but elegant glaze flavored with amaretto. —Jackie Howell, Tucson, Arizona
This peanut butter bundt cake with frosting is heavenly to me. I use smooth peanut butter, but crunchy would work, too. —Karen Holt, Rock Hill, South Carolina
I experimented with aniseed this past holiday season and fell in love with the licorice flavor. It really enhances the gingerbread spices and fig sauce in this extraordinary cake. —Shelly Bevington-Fisher, Hermiston, Oregon
A cousin gave me this carrot cake recipe. It's a wonderful potluck pleaser with its "surprise" cream cheese center. My husband and our two young children love it, too! —Lisa Bowen, Little Britian, Ontario
This delicious red velvet pound cake is the perfect combination of flavors. Make sure the cake has cooled before icing it, and for extra crunch sprinkle some roasted pecans on top. —Robin Smith, Old Fort, North Carolina
“A big piece of this moist cake is a chocolate and coconut devotee's dream," notes Johnnie. "You should see my husband, children and grandkids smile when I serve it.”
Two of my biggest loves in life—chocolate and coffee—come together in this velvety pound cake. Grate some extra chocolate on top and thank me later. —Rachel Bernhard Seis, Taste of Home Senior Editor
The nutty aroma and delicate fruit flavor make this cake special enough to serve to company. Strawberry or raspberry preserves can be used as a tasty variation. —Sharon Mensing, Greenfield, Iowa
This tender pound cake is the first one I mastered. You'll want to eat the browned butter icing by the spoonful. It tastes like pralines. —Shawn Barto, Winter Garden, Florida
Whether garnished with fresh berries and sprigs of rosemary or just served plain, this rich cake is fabulous. It bakes to a beautiful golden brown and it's definitely a keeper! —Edgar Wright, Silver Spring, Maryland
This recipe was given to me many years ago by a friend. Teaming chocolate with butterscotch for a marble cake makes it more flavorful and colorful than the usual chocolate-vanilla combination. This rich family favorite is very moist and keeps well.
-Pam Giammattei, Valatie, New York
Next time you make cake from a mix, try my easy and delicious recipe. The pears and syrup add sweet flavor and prevent the cake from drying out. And since there's no oil added to the batter, this tender fall-perfect cake is surprisingly low in fat. —Veronica Ross, Columbia Heights, Minnesota
Inspired by an abundance of zucchini, I found a new way to use it up in this spiced and lightly sweet cake. It even won a blue ribbon at our county fair! —Regina Stock, Topeka, Kansas
You don't have to spend a lot of time to serve an elegant and delicious dessert. Just mix up the batter in one bowl, bake and get ready for people to love this chocolate bundt cake. —Christa Hageman, Telford, Pennsylvania
My husband, Ken, loves this tube cake with its bits of crystallized ginger. Feel free to drizzle it with a lemony glaze. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, NJ
We named this a “pina colada” cake because it has coconut, pineapple and rum. It’s a soothing finish at the end of a big spread. —Debra Keil, Owasso, Oklahoma
My Great-Aunt Lou made a luscious fresh apple cake recipe that became a family tradition. My mom makes it for our annual beach trip to the Outer Banks. —Cristy King, Scott Depot, West Virginia
Now that I've retired from teaching, I have more time to bake. This buttermilk pound cake is the one I make most often. It is a truly southern recipe, and one I think can't be topped—once people taste it, they won't go back to their other recipes with buttermilk. —Gracie Hanchey, De Ridder, Louisiana
Holiday breakfasts would not be the same at our house without this delicious coffee cake. Whenever I take it anywhere, everyone raves about it and wants the recipe. —Susan Walschlager, Anderson, Indiana
When our son and daughter were teenagers, our house was the hang-out for their whole group of friends. This rich chocolate almond cake was a regular on the menu. —Char Safley, Raleigh, North Carolina
Baked in a pretty tube pan and drizzled with icing, this breakfast cake will be a highlight of your holiday menu. I adapted the recipe from one of my grandmother's. —Shaunda Wenger, Nibley, Utah
Bake this up when you want to treat your family to something special and sweet. The raspberries and mint add a springtime freshness, too. —Carly Curtin, Ellicott City, Maryland
Mixes make this light cake easy, and a fluted tube pan gets it holiday party-ready. Go for the pistachios on top—the extra crunch is worth it. —Dina Crowell, Fredericksburg, Virginia
I was determined to make a healthier version of this pumpkin- and spice-laden cake. Judging by the compliments, it worked. Even a picky 4-year-old eater asked for more.—Krista Frank, Rhododendron, Oregon
I made this for a holiday dinner with my family. Everyone loved the cran-orange flavor and the sweet glaze drizzled on top. For a fun variation, add 2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut when including the orange juice to the batter, and sprinkle the finished cake with toasted coconut. —Patricia Harmon, Baden, Pennsylvania
This citrusy, golden-brown cake looks especially beautiful baked in a fancy fluted pan. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh fruit. —Donna Pochoday, Morristown, New Jersey
This pound cake is the best! Oven temps will vary, so if the cake is not done after 1 hour and 20 minutes, continue baking in 5-minute intervals. Use fresh, not bottled, lime juice for the glaze. —Jo McFarland, Sterling, Virginia
Lisa is an associate editor at Taste of Home where she gets to embrace her passion for baking. She pours this love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts.