This scrumptious lemon bundt cake, topped with delicious lemon cream cheese frosting, is a perfect way to brighten up a winter day!
If you love the combo of sweet, with just the right amount of tangy, then this easy lemon pudding cake is perfect for you! This cake delivers big when it comes to flavor, and it’s super quick and easy to make.
We’ve had a serious of gray days here in Phoenix. So I’ve needed a sweet way to brighten up dessert, and this easy lemon bundt cake recipe does just that. It’s like enjoying a slice of sunshine on a plate!
I know, that’s almost laughable to think of gray days in Phoenix, and will likely pass in 12 hours and then be 70 degrees. If nothing else the weather has made me crave lemon. So a lemon bundt cake to the rescue!
Lemon Pudding Cake
Thanks to some help from a lemon cake mix, this delicious bundt cake is quick and simple to make. While I love making cakes from scratch, the flavor and texture of this lemon cake mix recipe are really extraordinary. This recipe is similar to the Duncan Hines Lemon Pound Cake recipe, but it’s a bit more decadent.
Doctored bundt cakes are probably my favorite thing to make with cake mixes. While they are simple to make, they always get such rave reviews from my friends, family and readers.
If you are looking for an easy lemon cake recipe, but you really want something a bit more impressive than just a regular box cake made as directed on the box, go for a doctored bundt cake.
How To Make A Lemon Bundt Cake
Now let’s make some cake!
The ingredients for this cake are simple and straight forward. You’ll need:
- A lemon cake mix
- A lemon pudding mix (the dry box mix)
- Eggs
- Oil
- Sour Cream
- Water
- Lemons
I also add some pure lemon extract to really kick up the lemon flavor. You can skip this, but I recommend it. I find that lemon can really mellow in baking, so I always like to kick the flavor up as much as possible.
The ingredients in this recipe are all added together, and mixed. It’s really as easy as just making a regular cake mix recipe, but with a few different ingredients. The end result speaks for itself.
Fresh lemon zest really helps give this cake a great tangy and bright flavor.
Lemon Glaze For Pound Cake
The lemon frosting that tops this cake is good enough to eat with a spoon! Trust me, I’ve tested that theory.
Lemon cream cheese frosting has to be one of my all time favorite frostings. It’s like the perfect blend of sweet and slightly tart. It’s made of cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon extract, vanilla extract, milk and an optional pinch of salt.
The ingredients are combined in your mixer, then spread over your cake.
Grab a fork and dive in!
How To Store A Bundt Cake
Due to the cream cheese frosting, I suggest storing this lemon bundt cake in the refrigerator. That said, this cake doesn’t last long around my friends and family, so sometimes there isn’t even anything left to store!
This lemon cake really is total piece of cake. Sorry, I can’t resist a pun. Or a punny fork.
Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe
Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 standard size package lemon cake mix
- 1 cup sour cream regular/full fat works best
- 1 3.4 oz size package instant lemon pudding mix just the dry mix!
- 1 cup oil
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tsp pure lemon extract
Frosting
- 8 ounces package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened, 1/2 stick
- 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
- 3 1/2 - 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1-3 tbsp milk
- 1-3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
Cake
- 1. HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 12-cup bundt pan or 10-inch fluted tube pan with no-stick cooking spray. Dust with flour.
- 2. BEAT cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, water, lemon zest and lemon extract in large bowl with electric mixer on low until well combined. Spoon into prepared bundt pan.
- 3. BAKE 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
FROSTING
- 1. Beat cream cheese, softened butter and lemon extract in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix until well combined. Add in your confectioners sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- 2. Add in 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and mix until very well combined. If you desire a thinner frosting, add 1-2 additional tablespoons of lemon juice, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once desired consistency is reached, fold in the zest of one lemon.
- 3. Once cake has cooled completely, apply frosting to cake. As this is a bundt cake, it does not have to be perfectly frosted. Garnish with remaining lemon zest.
- Store in refrigerator.
Video
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
More Lemon with Recipes
Want MORE lemon? Yeah, I hear you, I have a major love of lemon desserts myself. And I’ve got you covered when it comes to lemon desserts and lemon bread recipes.
If you love Girl Scout Lemon Cookies, make sure to try my version of their new Lemon Ups.
Starbucks Lemon Loaf Copycat Recipe
Jack F says
Worked per instructions. Way under cooked. Needed to be cooked 1hr to 1hr 5 mins 🙁
Christi says
Jack, do you have an oven thermometer that you can check the temp of your oven with? I ask because this Lemon Bundt Cake recipe tends to get rave reviews, which would make me think something was off for you if the baking time didn’t work out. What size bundt pan did you use, that too can be a factor.
Shaina says
Will this still be good if I make it today for Easter tomorrow?
Christi says
Hi Shaina, it should be fine. I do recommend it be stored in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese in the frosting. 🙂
Judy h says
Where did youfind that zester? I never seen one likethat before. It sure makes collecting zest easier.
Christi says
Hi Judy, I found it on Amazon. I LOVE it. It is SO much easier to use and collect with. I’ve had it for probably five years, and I still love it every time I use it. Here’s a link to it.
Annette says
Can you send me the link to this zester…there is no link here.
Tootsie Wakely says
My bundt cake fell it’s was supposed to be done I checked it with a toothpick now I just flipped it on to the plate and you can see that it collapse on itself in the middle part of the cake looks done but the part on the bottom a good inch is is not fluffy I baked it at 3:25 because I had a dark dark tall bundt pan maybe you have to cook it in the fluted type Bundt can please get back to me because I would love to make this and get it right
Christi says
Hi Tootsie, I’m guessing the difference in temperature an pan size might have been the culprits. If the bundt pan you used is taller, the cook time will likely take longer as it would be thicker, thus the lower temp and need for a longer bake time together could give you an under-baked cake which will fall. If you can get a fluted bundt pan, the one I use is found at Target, Walmart, even some grocery stores. It’s a great standard size which most bloggers like myself use for our bundt recipes. Otherwise I would try leaving the temperature at 350 as indicated, and watching it closely as it nears the end of the bake time. You definitely want to check it for a toothpick to come out clean and the cake to spring back when touched prior to removing it from the oven. I hope that helps!
Jamie Hyde says
I bought lemon jello & no pudding. For Lemon Bundt CakeSuggestions
Christi says
Hi Jamie, I’m not sure I completely understand your statement or question. For this recipe you need lemon pudding, not lemon jello. I do have a lemon poke-cake style recipe that does use lemon jello though. Find it here –> Lemon Poke Cake.
Alice says
I’ve been making lemon cake for years and years and always follow my own recipe, but thought I’d give yours a try. Just took it out of oven and it smells delicious. Made the frosting and will pipe it on. Was looking for a recipe close to the “Nothing Bundt Cakes” in Tuscon because I absolutely love theirs. Thank you for the recipe!
LaDonna says
Oh my! This cake is absolutely delectable!!
I will make this cake for a long time!
*pairs perfectly with fresh strawberries* #yummy
Christi says
I’m so glad you liked it, LaDonna. It sounds wonderful with strawberries!
Teeyian says
This lemon cake was a hit! Super moist and very easy to make! I will be using this from now on!
Erica says
Omg the best lemon cake ever! Super moist! I made this for my family they loved it!
Susan says
I am not understanding the directions for the frosting. How much cram cheese do you call for? Is it 1 pacqkage that equals 8 ounces?
Christi says
Hi Susan, yes it’s 1 8oz package. There was an update to the program we use for our recipe card and it appears to have messed with some of the formatting on the notes included on recipes.
Kathy says
I made this cake for after our Thanksgiving dinner. It was a great hit. So light and airy, perfect after a nig meal. Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.