This is probably our family’s favorite cake. My mom said the blueberry version is her very favorite. We use the Meyer lemons from our tree, but you can use whatever lemons you choose. I’ve never tried substituting other citrus flavors but it would probably work just fine.
Lemon Bundt Cake
Servings: 24
Equipment
- 12 cup Bundt pan, or you can make in 2-9" cake pans if you'd rather make a layer cake
- Stand mixer with paddle beater
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 lemons zested and juiced (6 tbs total juice)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon oil optional (boosts lemon flavor)
- ¾ cup buttermilk preferably low fat, room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 18 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
Lemon Blueberry Option
- 2 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries optional
- 2 tsp flour optional – use only if using blueberries
Glaze
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° and move rack to lower middle position. Butter and flour bundt pan, or use a baking spray containing flour. If using layer cake pans butter pans, line bottom with parchment paper, butter and flour paper and pan.
- Combine lemon zest with 3 tbsp of the lemon juice. Set remaining juice aside for glaze. Set zest and juice mixture aside for 10-15 minutes for zest to soften.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk lemon zest/juice mixture, buttermilk, lemon oil (if using) and vanilla in a measuring cup. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk eggs and yolk to break up and combine them well. Set aside.
- In the stand mixer with the paddle beater, cream butter and sugar at medium high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl and beater; mix again on medium speed to ensure all the butter is mixed thoroughly.
- On medium speed, add half of eggs, mixing until well combined; repeat with remaining eggs and scrape down bowl and beater.
- Reduce to low speed and add about ⅓ flour mixture, followed by ½ the buttermilk mixture, mixing each until just combined. Add half of remaining flour mixture, followed by remaining buttermilk mixture, beating until just combined. Scrape down bowl and beater; add remaining flour and mix on low until just combined.
- Take bowl off mixer; scrape down bowl and beater and fold batter gently to finish mixing.
Blueberry option
- Toss blueberries with flour, coating them well. Fold gently into batter.
Continue here
- Transfer batter into prepared bundt or layer cake pans, level batter and bake approximately 40-50 minutes for bundt, approximately 30 minutes for layers until a cake tester comes out clean.
Glaze
- While cake is baking, prepare glaze. Combine lemon juice, milk and powdered sugar in a bowl; whisk until smooth and a pourable consistency. If it seems too thick, add more milk 1 tsp at a time to desired consistency.
Bundt cake
- When cake is done, cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. After cake has cooled slightly, turn it out of pan onto wire rack. Place rack on a baking sheet. Spoon half of glaze over warm cake. Allow to cool completely – approximately 2 hours; Spoon over remaining glaze. Allow glaze to set before serving.
Layer cake
- Allow cake to cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out of pan onto rack, remove parchment paper and allow to completely cool. Frost as desired.
Notes
I never have buttermilk on hand, so I use powdered buttermilk. To substitute, add 3 tbsp buttermilk powder to flour mixture. Use ¾ cup water in place of the buttermilk in lemon juice/zest/vanilla step. Continue as normal with recipe.
Tossing the blueberries with a little flour to coat them helps prevent them sinking to the bottom of the cake.