My easy lemon bundt cake recipe is soft and airy, with just the right balance of sweet and tart. Using buttermilk makes it extra tender and moist, while a drizzle of white chocolate lemon glaze takes this bundt over the top!
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“This was sooooo good I’m making it again for our block party” – David
Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Lemon Glaze
Over the years, I’ve found that bundt cakes are some of the easiest to make. With the distinctive ring shape, they’re almost guaranteed to bake up evenly, with a moist and tender texture. A foolproof cake with no fancy technique? Sign me up!
My homemade lemon bundt cake recipe only requires a few baking staples. My “secret ingredient” for this citrus-y bundt is buttermilk, which tenderizes the crumb and adds just enough tang to balance the sweetness. A little lemon extract pumps up the volume, making this cake perfectly sweet and tart. I top it simply with a white chocolate glaze that adds a rich finish to eat bite!
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Prevent the Glaze from Seizing!
One thing I’ve learned from baking countless bundt cakes is that glaze can make or break the final result. White chocolate, in particular, has a reputation for seizing or turning grainy.
My trick? Melt only half of the chocolate chips with the sweetened condensed milk, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining chips. The residual heat gently melts them, giving you a perfectly smooth white chocolate lemon glaze every time with no clumps and no wasted chocolate. It’s a small step, but it makes this lemon bundt shine.
Easy Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 10-Cup Bundt Cake Pan
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature*
For the Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-cup bundt cake pan with a nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, to the mixture and beat well between each addition.1 cup unsalted butter, 1½ cups granulated sugar, 3 large eggs
- Beat in the lemon juice and lemon extract.2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Pour in half of the flour mixture and alternation with the buttermilk; mixing well between each addition and just until combined.1 cup buttermilk
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- In a small saucepan, combine the white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Set the pot over medium heat and continuously stir until the chips are melted.1 cup white chocolate chips, 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest.1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Spoon the glaze over the cake. For a little extra decoration and lemon pop, zest a lemon over the cake after being glazed.
Notes
- Be sure to grease the bundt pan very well, greasing all of the nooks and crannies so that the cake is easy to remove once it is baked.
- Make sure that your oven is fully preheated before pouring in the batter.
- For easy cleanup, place the cake on top of a cooling rack that is sitting on a cookie sheet when you glaze it.
- Once your cake is baked, let it cool for about 10-20 minutes or until you can comfortably place your hand on the side of the pan. The pan should still feel very warm. Flip onto a plate or cake stand and tap around the pan until you feel the cake come out.
- The most common reason why bundt cakes fall is because the oven temperature was either too low, the oven door was opened during baking, or the baking soda or powder was expired. Make sure to use fresh leaveners, and invest in an oven thermometer!
- Fold 1 cup of blueberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries into the batter.
- Fold in 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds.
- Swap the regular lemons for Meyer lemons!
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover lemon bundt cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
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