Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake with Vanilla Bean Icing
This Lemon Bundt Cake recipe is made from scratch (no cake mix or pudding mix). Instead, the bright citrus flavor comes from the juice and zest of fresh lemons.
The Best Lemon Bundt Cake with Glaze
If you have a bundt pan laying around, it’s time to dust it off. Let’s shake off the winter blahs with a bright lemon bundt cake.
I’ll walk you through every step of bundt bake baking, including greasing the pan and (the most important part!), getting it to come OUT of the pan.
Your home kitchen is going to feel like a fancy bakery by the time you’ve baked the cake, doused it in sweet syrupy glaze, and elegantly drizzled it with icing. Prepare to be wowwed at your own skills!
Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake Ingredients
- flour – the main structure of the cake.
- granulated sugar – sweetens the cake and the glaze
- butter – makes the cake rich and delicious!
- sea salt – enhances the overall flavor of the cake by balancing the sweetness.
- eggs – helps the cake rise and contributes richness.
- baking powder – provides more leavening, so the cake is light and fluffy.
- vanilla extract and/or vanilla bean paste – brings big flavor to the cake and icing.
- milk and heavy cream – adds moisture the cake and used for the icing as well.
- lemon juice and zest – infuses the cake with bright, citrusy flavor and aroma.
- powdered sugar – the main structure of the icing.
How to make Lemon Bundt Cake
- BEAT. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the sugar, butter and salt until fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the baking powder and vanilla and beat to combine.
- ADD. Gradually add the milk and cream, alternating with the flour. Then, stir in the lemon juice and zest.
- SPRAY. Throughly spray a bundt pan with baking spray. Like, really spray it a lot.
- BAKE. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- GLAZE. Make the glaze by stirring together lemon juice and sugar.
- BRUSH. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for just 5 minutes. Then, turn the cake onto the rack, poke it all over with a toothpick, and brush the glaze all over it while it’s still warm.
- ICING. Once the cake is completely cool, whisk the icing ingredients together and pour the icing over the cake.
How to grease a bundt pan
Greasing the bundt pan is possibly the most crucial part of the entire recipe.
My preference is to use a baking-specific nonstick spray that contains flour, like Pam Baking Spray or Baker’s Joy Spray.
Be generous with your application to make sure you reach every crevice of the pan.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we'll send it to your inbox.
Always grease your pan JUST before pouring the batter to avoid the grease sliding down the sides of the pan while you prepare your batter.
How to get cake out of a bundt cake
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes after coming out of the oven. This helps it set and reduces the risk of the cake breaking.
Gently tap the bottom and sides of the pan on a soft surface. Rotate the pan as you do this to ensure the cake is loosened from all angles.
Place a cooling rack on top of the pan, then invert the cake carefully but confidently onto the rack. Give the pan a gentle shake if needed. The cake should release right out onto the rack.
If your cake is stubborn, leave the pan inverted over the rack for a few minutes and see if gravity does the job for you.
How to decorate a Lemon Bundt Cake
The beauty of a bundt cake (especially if you have a special, intricate pan) is that you need very little decoration to make it beautiful.
Simple pipe or spoon the icing around the crown of the cake and allow it to drip down into the creases and crevices.
Storing Frosted Bundt Cake
Store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigeration can extend the freshness by another day or two, if needed.
Moist Lemon Bundt Cake FAQs
The distinctiveness of a Bundt cake is that it is baked in a ring-shaped pan, which makes it visually striking. The pan’s design also promotes even baking, for a beautifully browned exterior and moist interior.
Boost the lemony goodness by using both the zest and juice of very fresh lemons. If Meyer lemons are in season, you can use them in place of regular lemons in this cake, for a sweet, slightly floral aromatic flavor.
For the moistest bundt cake, use a combination of fats like milk, cream and butter. Also, avoid overbaking, as it will lead to a dry cake.
More Foxes Love Lemons Favorites
Frosted Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Grated zest of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Nonstick baking spray
For the Glaze:
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream plus additional if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In bowl of standing mixer, beat sugar, butter and salt until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add baking powder and vanilla; beat to combine.
- In liquid measuring cup, stir together milk and cream. Gradually add flour, and milk mixture, alternately, to mixer, starting and ending with flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in lemon zest and juice.
- Spray 10-cup bundt pan throughly with baking spray. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with spatula. Transfer to oven and bake 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Make Glaze:
- Stir together lemon juice and sugar.
- Remove cake from oven; transfer pan to wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack. Poke hot cake all over with toothpick. Immediately brush Glaze over cake; let cake cool completely.
- Just before serving, make Icing: In small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. If icing is too thick to pour, whisk in additional cream 1 tablespoon at a time until pourable, but not too thin. Pour over cake and serve.
Notes
- Store your cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigeration can extend the freshness by another day or two, if needed.
Made the cake Saturday – quite tasty. Didn’t release well from the pan, but hey, thems the breaks.
Wanted to comment that the ads popping up on my phone in iOS made the recipe almost unworkable. Maybe just me, but you might want to look into whomever you’ve got serving ads.
Thanks for letting me know, Zach. Sorry to hear your cake didn’t release from the pan. I spray the you-know-what out of my bundt pans 😉
The cake didnt break from being too warm after only 5 minutes of cooling?
Hi Rebecca! No, this particular cake came out great after 5 minutes cooling. However, I’ve had other bundt cakes be a total disaster when not cooled long enough. But I know it’s also bad to cool *too* long. Like I said, this one slid right out after 5 minutes, but if that doesn’t happen for you, I wouldn’t force it. Just give it a few more minutes and be patient.
Thank you for your quick response. Where you using a silicone Bundt or traditional metal pan?
Hi Rebecca – It’s this pan right here. Cast aluminum with a nonstick coating. Which maybe explains why it came out so easily?
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/swirl-bundt-pan?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=Shopping&utm_keyword=Swirl+Bundt+Pan&gclid=CjwKEAjwucmoBRDmysGsgbDr5j0SJAAxL9abDJcsypd2P_Zj3sNc6fGIQgjJ1dZOubabclWMj-NeChoCmCfw_wcB
This looks so delicious
Aww, thanks Alanna! I love action shots, when they turn out well 🙂
I’m kind of obsessed with that opening photo! What a gorgeous cake.
Hey – you can never have too many lemons 🙂 Pinning to my lemon board!
Thanks so much, Deb!
Let’s hope for NO MORE SNOW, just more melting!
I can’t help but think of Mary of The Food Librarian when I see bundt pans! This looks so good and screams SPRING now that the snow is melting!
Thanks Alice! I *think* it’s the only bundt I’ll ever need, but who knows? I might get hooked.
Bundt-a-month got me totally hooked and I won’t say how many bundt pans I own now. . but the mini bundt pan is my fave. 🙂
I think the only thing holding me back from getting more is storage. I mean, these things are a pain in the butt to store. They don’t stack…or nest. haha.
Hehe, what’s funny is that Jeff bought me a camera remote for Christmas (probably in hopes that he wouldn’t have to be a hand model anymore). But sometimes, it’s still just easier with two people, especially if he’s sitting in the next room watching something stupid on TV while I’m doing my photos.
excellent bundt pan for your first purchase! it’s gorgeous!!
Ahhhhh, nothing like shopping, baking and eating to cheer one’s spirit! I love the swirl pan you bought and this cake looks gorgeous. Tell the hubs he did a great job with the pouring of the icing. Like Susan, I want to watch the movie now too!
Looks delicious Lori. I’m pinning this for later.
Thanks so much, Nicky!
I am dying to try this – but I’ve never heard of a meyer lemon and we don’t have them here. Can’t I use just a garden variety lemon instead? It looks great for Easter.
Oh yes, regular lemons would work just fine. But, since Meyer lemons are so much smaller than regular, I would use the zest of just 2 regular lemons vs. 3 Meyer lemons in the cake.
I love these photos Lori! So gorgeous. I’ve been seriously slacking on the lemon baking too. I find when I buy lemons they usually get used up in other dishes just while I’m cooking. I really need to buy them just to make something lovely like this cake!
Thanks, Courtney! I know the feeling (shocking). I have to buy MEGA EXTRA lemons (in addition to the bowl-ful I pick up at the store each week) if I’ll be doing any baking.
“You don’t eat meat? Okay I’ll make lamb!” I love that movie and now I want to watch it. Mostly because you can associate it with any ethnic family. So yeah for meyer lemons and woohoo for your first bundt!
Haha yes! I totally say that whenever I serve lamb. That movie is endlessly quotable.
My other favorite part? “Hey Ian! WE’RE GONNA KILL YA! OPA!”
Oh, Joey Fatone.