I’ve made this lemon bundt cake recipe for my family many times over the years. The original recipe is from Ina Garten but I’ve made a few of my own tweaks along the way. It’s always a guaranteed crowd pleaser and anyone who loves lemony desserts will thank you for making this. Even the non-lemon lovers in your life will like this one. It’s tart and tangy without being overwhelming and balanced out with some sweetness.

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Every element, from the cake to the lemon syrup to the cream cheese glaze, has just the right amount of fresh, tart lemon incorporated. The different textures are one of my favorite parts about the cake and altogether they create the most perfect bite. Tender, moist cake on the inside, a slight sugary crunch on the outside, and topped with a smooth, creamy glaze. All infused with the freshest lemon flavor.

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‍Ingredients for Lemon Bundt Cakes

Fresh lemons are the key to this recipe! They are the star of the show. You’ll use both the zest and the juice which are what brings all the flavor to give it the freshness and zing. If you don’t have fresh lemons, I recommended waiting to make this until you can get some. Any substitute for fresh lemon juice and zest will alter the taste of the recipe. Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make sure you have on hand for this recipe:

• Butter
• Sugar
• Lemons
• Eggs
• Flour
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda
• Salt
• Buttermilk
• Vanilla Extract
• Cream Cheese
• Powdered Sugar

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Components to Make the Perfect Lemon Bundt Cakes

Cake: The lemon cake batter starts by mixing sugar with lemon zest. I like to rub the mixture between my fingertips to help release the oils from the lemon zest in order to get every bit of flavor. You’ll cream this well with the butter then add the eggs, followed by the wet and dry ingredients. You’ll want to mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together and alternate between adding it with the lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla mixed together. Start and end with the flour so you’ll have 3 additions of the dry ingredients and 2 additions of the wet ingredients. This will ensure that you don’t incorporate too much liquid at once and curdle or break the batter.

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Syrup: The lemon syrup is a sticky, sweet, mixture of sugar and lemon juice, which is essentially a lemon simple syrup. You’ll soak the cakes with this before turning them out of the pans and then brush more on, once they’re flipped out of the pans. It adds extra moistness and soaks into each crevasse of the bundt forming a subtle crust on the outer layer, which complements the tender cake nicely.

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Glaze: The lemon cream cheese glaze starts out as an icing consistency then gets warmed up to create a smooth glaze to pour over the cakes. The key to getting the mixture smooth is to beat the cream cheese and butter together until no lumps remain, before adding the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and juice. I heat the icing up in the microwave for about 20 seconds at a time, stirring in between each increment. I like to use a wire rack set over parchment paper to set the cakes on for glazing. This will catch any icing drips and makes for easier cleanup. Then drizzle away, as much or as little as you’d like.

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Tips for the perfect Lemon Bundt Cakes

Bundt pans can definitely be tricky and even a little nerve-wracking when trying to get them out of the pans with every crumb intact. I’ve had more than my fair share ruined. All of that time and effort, just to end up with half the cake stuck in the pan. Follow these tips to help avoid this:

• Butter and flour the pans really well. It’s worth spending the time on this step. Room temperature butter works best and you’ll want to brush on a generous, even layer. Make sure you get every crevasse and indentation in the pan covered. Then immediately follow it up with flour. Rotate the pan on its side while tapping the pan so the flour covers every spot of butter.
• Pour the hot syrup over the hot cake. I’ve found that having the cake and the syrup both hot when pouring it on gets the best results. It’s also crucial to only let the cake cool for about 10 minutes after pouring on the syrup, before flipping the cake out of the pans. You may need to tap the bundt pan a few times on your counter but it should pop out easily at this point.
• Use a bundt pan made of silicone or a good-quality nonstick metal pan for best results. I’ve had the most trouble with well-aged bundt pans that were nonstick at one point but had worn off or been chipped away. Investing in a new, high-quality pan is definitely worth it!

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But if the worst case happens and the cake sticks to your pan and it does not look like it could pass off as a bundt cake, don’t panic! You can still turn it into a delicious and beautiful trifle. Simply layer broken-up pieces of the cake with the lemon cream cheese glaze and finish with fresh lemon slices. It will still taste so good and no one will even know what it should have been.

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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. Let me know what you think!