This Lemon Bundt Cake is packed with vibrant lemon flavor, boasting a crisp sugary crust and a delightfully moist crumb. Inspired by French lemon cakes, it’s glazed with a zesty lemon syrup for added moisture and decorated with candied lemon slices. Made from scratch with just 7 ingredients, it’s perfect for tea, snacks, or breakfast.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy – Bundt cakes are so simple to make! Just prepare the batter, bake to golden perfection, and drizzle the syrup. It’s a no-fuss, no-frills recipe that anyone can master for a deliciously simple treat! Looking for more sweet and simple dessert ideas? You’ll definitely want to check out my Chocolate Pound Cake With Chocolate Almond Glaze and French Apple Cake!
- It requires just 7 ingredients, all of which are basic household staples—no buttermilk or sour cream needed.
- This zingy bundt cake is bursting with bright lemon flavor, has a buttery, super soft texture, and is made extra moist with a lemon soaking syrup—the secret to the moistest cakes, just like in my Pistachio Raspberry Cake.
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The 7 ingredients you’ll need
For the lemon bundt cake
- Lemons – Go for organic lemons since you’ll be using both the zest and the juice
- Granulated sugar – this recipe calls for granulated sugar, but you can use cane sugar if you like. It’ll add a nice, subtle caramel flavor to the cake.
- Unsalted butter – opt for cultured butter for a deeper, richer flavor.
For the lemon soaking syrup
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the end of the post.)
Having leftover lemons?🍋 Check out my Lemon Pasta (Pasta Al Limone) or Lemon Blueberry Pancakes!
How to make Lemon Bundt Cake With Lemon Syrup Glaze?
(Note: please see the recipe card below for the complete written instructions and measurements.)
Step 1. Start the soaking syrup. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened (Images 1 & 2). Set aside and let it cool to room temperature.
Step 2. Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C). Generously coat the bundt pan (Image 3) with room-temperature butter, making sure to cover every nook and cranny thoroughly (Image 4). This ensures that the bundt cake will come out easily and won’t stick to the pan.
Step 3. Infuse sugar with lemon. In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar and lemon zest (Image 5). Rub them together with your fingertips until they’re well mixed (Image 6) —it’s a great way to bring out the lemon flavor!
Step 4. Melt the butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once it’s fully melted, promptly remove from heat—no browning needed (Images 7 & 8).
Note: The key to a well-risen cake with a light texture is to avoid overworking the batter. From this point on, gently fold the ingredients together with a whisk.
Step 5. As the butter melts, whisk the eggs gently into the lemon zest and sugar mixture (Images 9 & 10).
Step 6. Add the melted butter and whisk until the mixture is evenly combined (Image 11 & 12).
Step 7. Mix the dry ingredients and sift them over the batter (Images 13 & 14). Gently fold until combined, then transfer to the bundt pan, scraping out all the batter with a rubber spatula (Images 15 & 16).
Step 8. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until risen, golden, and cooked through (Images 17 & 18). Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center—if it comes out with a few moist crumbs, it’s done. Cool in the bundt pan for 10 minutes before removing.
Step 9. Meanwhile, mix lemon juice into the syrup and stir until well combined (Images 19 & 20).
Step 10. Gently remove the bundt cake from the pan and place it on a cooling rack over a baking sheet (Image 21). Immediately drizzle the soaking syrup evenly over the cake (Image 22), letting it soak in. Pour any extra syrup from the baking sheet back into the container (Image 23) and repeat until the syrup is mostly absorbed (Image 24). Let the cake cool completely before serving.
How to make candied lemon slices to decorate the lemon bundt cake (optional)
Bundt cakes are so pretty they hardly need any pampering, but if you’re looking to impress your guests with a bit of extra flair, here’s a step-by-step guide on making candied lemon slices.
Step 1. Wash and dry a lemon, then slice it into three ⅓-inch (1 cm) rounds (Image 1). In a saucepan, mix ⅔ cup (150 ml) of water with ⅔ cup (150 g) of sugar and bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon slices and let them simmer for 10 minutes (Image 2).
Step 2. Let the mixture cool for 20 minutes (Image 3), then simmer for 10 more minutes and cool completely. Decorate the cake with the candied lemon slices (Image 4), and drizzle the syrup on top as a glossy nappage. The candied lemon rind should be slightly crunchy, with a bold lemon flavor and no bitterness.
Note: Be sure to follow the cooling phases—they’re essential for letting the lemon soak up the syrup fully!
Nim Keys – Useful Lemon Bundt Cake Tips
To make the bundt cake:
- Using room-temperature eggs helps the ingredients bind together and allows the batter to develop better during baking. For the best results, remove the eggs from the fridge at least one hour before you start baking.
- Sifting the dry ingredients will create an extra light and airy texture in the bundt cake, so be sure not to skip this step.
- Not overworking the batter. Just gently fold the ingredients together until they’re combined—no heavy whisking!
Allowing the bundt cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it helps prevent it from breaking and crumbling.
To soak the cake:
- Adding the lemon juice to the soaking syrup after it has cooled helps maintain its acidity and preserves the full depth of the lemon flavor.
Pouring the soaking syrup over the cake while it is still warm allows the syrup to be absorbed more effectively, resulting in a moister cake.
Recipe FAQs
Cover the Bundt cake with cling film and store it on the counter for up to 3 days.
Use a 10-inch (25 cm) loaf pan for this recipe! For an easy release, follow the parchment overhang technique from my Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake. You’ll end up with a delightful lemon loaf cake in the classic French style—and it’ll be just as delicious!
Other Delicious Cake Recipes
If you tried this Lemon Bundt Cake With Lemon Syrup Glaze or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ✨ star rating and let me know how it went in the ✍️comments below! Merci!
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Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Syrup Glaze
PRINT SAVEINGREDIENTS
For the Lemon Bundt Cake
- the zest of four lemons about 4 tablespoons of zest
- 1 scant cup (180 g) granulated sugar (scant meaning just a little less than a whole cup)
- 4 free-range eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 g) unsalted butter plus more at room temperature to grease the bundt pan
- 1 ¼ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the lemon soaking syrup
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start the soaking syrup. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Set aside and let it cool to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C). Generously coat the bundt pan with room-temperature butter, making sure to cover every nook and cranny thoroughly.
- Infuse sugar with lemon. In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub them together with your fingertips until they’re well mixed.
- Melt the butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once it’s fully melted, promptly remove from heat—no browning needed.
- As the butter melts, whisk the eggs gently into the lemon zest and sugar mixture.
- Add the melted butter and whisk until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Mix the dry ingredients and sift them over the batter. Gently fold until combined, then transfer to the bundt pan.
- Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until risen, golden, and cooked through. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center—if it comes out with a few moist crumbs, it’s done. Cool in the bundt pan for 10 minutes before removing.
- Meanwhile, mix lemon juice into the syrup and stir until well combined.
- Gently remove the bundt cake from the pan and place it on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Immediately drizzle the soaking syrup evenly over the cake, letting it soak in. Pour any extra syrup from the baking sheet back into the container and repeat until the syrup is mostly absorbed. Let the cake cool completely before serving and decorate with optional homemade candied lemon slices (see how-to in this post).
NOTES
- Using room-temperature eggs helps the ingredients bind together and allows the batter to develop better during baking. For the best results, remove the eggs from the fridge at least one hour before you start baking.
- Sifting the dry ingredients will create an extra light and airy texture in the bundt cake, so be sure not to skip this step.
- Not overworking the batter. Just gently fold the ingredients together until they’re combined—no heavy whisking!
- Allowing the bundt cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it helps prevent it from breaking and crumbling.
- Adding the lemon juice to the soaking syrup after it has cooled helps maintain its acidity and preserves the full depth of the lemon flavor.
- Pouring the soaking syrup over the cake while it is still warm allows the syrup to be absorbed more effectively, resulting in a moister cake.
Je l’ai fait pour des invités; il a fait fureur. Un vrai délice.
Recette absolument délicieuse ! Je recommande a 100%
Merci beaucoup, Océane!
Tellement bon et bien citronné ! facile à réaliser en suivant bien toutes les étapes. J’ai acheté le moule recommandé, visuel parfait !
Merci Joe!
OMG! This is such a good cake. Moist. Lemony easy to make with info already have. This will be my go to.
Thank you so much Wanda, your comment made my day 😊 I am so happy you enjoyed it!
Hi! I believe there’s a step missing putting the cake batter ingredients together between steps 5 & 6. The step adding the dry ingredients to the wet/sugar lemon ingredients. I’d love to make this cake & at 59 yrs old am a long time bundt cake baker. 😊 Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi Kimberley! Thank you so much for your comment and attention to details! I want to make sure this is clear for everyone and will review it to make the necessary adjustments if needed 😊 I hope you’ll enjoy the recipe! Have a lovely day!
Très bonne recette que je viens de tester
Nous nous sommes régalés
Merci beaucoup
Merci Véronique! Très heureuse que la recette t’ait plu!