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This Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake is bursting with lemon and has a crackly sugary crust as well as the softest texture. I got inspired by traditional French lemon loaf cakes that are commonly soaked with flavored syrup. This Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake is therefore glazed with a luscious lemon soaking syrup that brings out zingy lemony flavors and creates the moistest crust. Made with only 7 ingredients, it is perfect for your next afternoon tea or to grab as a quick snack or breakfast on the go.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This bundt cake is zingy, bursting with bright lemon flavor, buttery, and with a super soft texture.
- It only requires 7 ingredients, non of them being fancy ingredients – only household essentials.
- Bundt cakes are easy to make! Simply scrape the cake batter into the pan, bake the cake, and pour the soaking syrup overtop. No need to spend hours in the kitchen using elaborate piping techniques and crazy baking skills. Only simple steps!
- This is the perfect cake to celebrate the beginning of spring but also… to make for any occasion really. And it is easy to grab a slice on the go!
The 7 ingredients you’ll need
- Lemons – preferably organic as both the zest and juice are used.
- Granulated sugar – golden sugar works too but will bring a subtle caramel flavor.
- Free-range eggs – at room temperature, it makes a huge difference!
- Unsalted butter, preferably cultured butter – for a delightful lemon/butter combo.
- All-purpose flour – is the best type of flour to ensure the texture of the cake is super tender.
- Baking powder – is the best leavening agent to create a well-risen and fluffy cake.
- Salt – to help bring out the flavor of the bundt cake.
How to make Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake and Lemon Syrup Glaze?
Start by zesting and juicing the lemons:
- With a zester, zest the four lemons.
- Juice two of the lemons. Set aside to add to the soaking syrup later.
Make the soaking syrup:
- Add water and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking over a gentle boil for 5 minutes while stirring from time to time, until slightly thickened and sticky.
- Set aside to cool down. Do not add the lemon juice at this stage, as the hot syrup will kill most of the lemon juice’s aroma.
Make the lemon bundt cake batter:
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) and generously grease the bundt pan with room temperature butter.
- Be sure to grease every nook and cranny (we don’t want the bundt cake to be stuck to the pan when trying to remove it, not fun at all)!
- In a mixing bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest.
- Using your fingertips, mix the sugar and lemon zest until well combined. A great way to enhance lemon flavor.
The secret of a well-risen cake with a light texture is to not overwork the batter. From this point onward, gently and roughly combine the ingredients with a whisk.
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- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. As soon as the butter is melted, remove from the heat. We do not want brown butter here, just regular melted butter.
- Meanwhile, add the eggs to the lemon zest-sugar mixture and whisk gently).
- Add the melted butter and whisk until roughly combined.
- Sift the flour, add the salt and baking powder, and whisk very gently until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the bundt pan (a rubber spatula is a handy tool to scrape all of the batter from the mixing bowl).
Bake the bundt cake:
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until risen, golden, and cooked through. To check if the bundt cake is cooked, insert a toothpick into the cake. If it comes out with moist crumbs, it is ready to be taken out of the oven!
- Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes in the bundt pan.
- Meanwhile, add lemon juice to the syrup and stir to combine.
- Gently remove the bundt cake from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.
Pour the soaking syrup onto the bundt cake:
For maximum absorption of the syrup, the cake should still be warm.
- Using the same saucepan you made the syrup in or a beaker, evenly pour the soaking syrup on the cake.
- Don’t hesitate to take your time and try to maintain a regular stream of soaking syrup.
- Let the cake cool down completely before serving!
Decorate the bundt cake (optional):
Bundt cakes are so pretty they don’t really need any pampering. But if you wish to add a bit of flair to impress your guest, feel free to grate some extra lemon zest or striped lemon peel on top!
Nim Keys – Useful Tips for this Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake
- Using ingredients at room temperature helps the ingredients coagulate and the batter to develop nicely when baking. For the best results, try to take the ingredients out of the fridge for at least one hour before baking.
- Sifting the flour will make the bundt cake’s texture extra light.
- Adding the lemon juice once the soaking syrup has cooled down preserves all the acidity and complexity of the lemon juice.
- Making sure the bundt cake has cooled down for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan ensures it won’t break and crumble.
- Pouring the soaking syrup when the cake is still warm allows for better absorption of the syrup, therefore making the cake moister!
FAQ
Cover the bundt cake with cling film and keep it for up to 3 days on the counter.
You can use a 10-inch (25 cm) coated iron loaf pan. It will be a lemon loaf cake (the classic French way) but equally delicious!
Other Delicious Dessert Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you make this recipe!
Recipe
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Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Syrup Glaze
This Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake is bursting with lemon and has a crackly sugary crust as well as the softest texture. I got inspired by traditional French lemon loaf cakes that are commonly soaked with flavored syrup. This Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake is therefore glazed with a luscious lemon soaking syrup that brings out zingy lemony flavors and creates the moistest crust. Made with only 7 ingredients, it is perfect for your next afternoon tea or to grab as a quick snack or breakfast on the go.
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Ingredients
For the lemon bundt cake:
the zest of the four lemons (about 4 tablespoons of zest)
1 scant cup (180 g) of granulated sugar (scant meaning just a little less than a whole cup)
4 free-range eggs
¾ cup (180 g) of unsalted butter, melted, plus more at room temperature to grease the bundt pan
1 and ¼ cups (200 g) of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 g or one packet) of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of salt
For the soaking syrup:
½ cup (120 ml) of water
¼ cup (50 g) of granulated sugar
the juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of lemon juice)
Instructions
Start by making the soaking syrup:
- Add water and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking over a gentle boil for 5 minutes while stirring from time to time, until slightly thickened and sticky.
- Set aside to cool down. Do not add the lemon juice at this stage, as the hot syrup will kill most of the lemon juice’s aroma.
Make the lemon bundt cake batter:
The secret to a well-risen cake with a light texture is to not overwork the batter. From this point onward, gently combine the ingredients without over-whisking.
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) and generously grease the bundt pan with room temperature butter (be sure to go in every nook and cranny!)
- In a mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingertips, mix the sugar and lemon zest until well combined.
- Meanwhile, add the eggs to the lemon zest-sugar mixture and whisk roughly.
- Add the melted butter and whisk roughly until combined.
- Sift the flour, add the salt and baking powder, and whisk very gently until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the bundt pan.
Bake the lemon bundt cake:
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until risen golden, and cooked through.
- Let the cake cool down for 10 minutes in the bundt pan.
Soak the lemon bundt cake:
- Meanwhile, add lemon juice to the syrup and stir to combine.
- After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Using the syrup saucepan or a beaker, evenly pour the soaking syrup onto the cake.
- Let the cake cool down completely before serving.
To decorate the bundt cake (optional), grate some extra lemon zest or striped lemon peel on top.
NIM KEYS
- Using ingredients at room temperature helps the ingredients coagulate and the batter to develop nicely when baking. For the best results, try to take the ingredients out of the fridge for at least one hour before baking.
- Sifting the flour will make the bundt cake’s texture extra light.
- Adding the lemon juice once the soaking syrup has cooled down preserves all the acidity and complexity of the lemon juice.
- Making sure the bundt cake has cooled down for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan ensures it won’t break and crumble.
- Pouring the soaking syrup when the cake is still warm allows for better absorption of the syrup, therefore making the cake moister!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: lemon bundt cake, bundt cake, lemon, soaking syrup, buttery cake, lemon dessert