Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe from Scratch (with Pudding) - Restless Chipotle (2024)

Y'all, this old fashioned dessert is light, fresh, tangy and just right for Spring! I know it's not Spring yet, and lots of you probably have snow, slush, or something in-between but really...It's coming.

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🗝️ Key takeaways

• Old-fashioned flavor from an easy, from scratch cake recipe with a homemade lemon glaze. No boxed mixes needed.
• We love this for Spring; Easter, potlucks, parties, and family treats!
• The secret ingredient—instant pudding mix—makes the cake extra moist and deliciously dense

A Southern favorite, lemon pudding bundt cake is ready for all your Spring parties and potlucks! Lemon desserts are a fresh, light change after the heavy winter recipes.

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖Variations

Cake recipes are kind of a science, and should be followed closely for the best final results. However, here are some tried-and-true variation ideas!

• If you can't find lemon instant pudding, vanilla will work instead. You can add a few extra drops of lemon extract to make up for it.
• Use Meyer lemons instead of regular lemon zest and juice for an even yummier flavor. You could also use oranges if you want a different twist.
• We like to stir pistachios into the cake batter. Blueberries are also good, and poppyseeds would add a lovely twist, too!
• If you're out of buttermilk, sour cream is a fine substitution for this moist lemon bundt cake.
• Prefer even more creaminess and tang? Make a lemon cream cheese frosting to go on top of the cake.
• To tone down the lemon flavor, you could swap out the lemon glaze and simply top the cake with a dusting of confectioners' sugar, instead.
• This can be made into 2 loaves instead of one bundt cake.

If you like lemony goodness give this very southern sweet tea bundt cake a try! It's moist and has the classic sweet tea flavor.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, flavorings, and eggs.
2. Add about ⅓ of the flour and mix well.
3. Mix the buttermilk and lemon juice. Add about ½ to the batter mixture and beat well. Continue adding the ingredients, alternating the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture.
4. Spoon into a prepared bundt pan and bake according to the instructions in the green recipe card below.

🥫 How to store leftover lemon bundt cake

Lemon pudding cake is one of those great recipes that actually tastes better on the second day—lemon lovers, trust me! And, storage is simple.

Whether cut or whole, keep the cake in an airtight container, like under a cloche or in a cake carrier. You can also cover the cake with plastic wrap, but be sure to seal it tightly around the edges of your serving plate.

At room temperature, the bundt cake will keep for about three days. You can extend its shelf-life by two more days using the refrigerator.

On the other hand, for moist lemon cake any time you want it, wrap slices in tight layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to two months, letting thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before enjoying.

💭 Things to know

• Use a sifter to combine your dry ingredients together more evenly.
• Pick fresh lemons that are heavy and fragrant for the best flavor.
• When zesting the lemons, don't scrape off any of the white pith—it's too bitter. Yuck!
• I don't recommend swapping the butter for vegetable oil. You need solid fat (rather than liquid) to aerate the batter for a delicious bundt cake.
• Some lemon cake recipes will let you get away with using pre-squeezed juice. For this cake, fresh lemon juice is best!
• Lemon pudding cake needs the proper pudding! It's important to use instant mix, not traditional pudding—it won't work the same way.
• Don't forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl! Dry ingredients tend to fall to the bottom and hang out there.
• You can use an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, but don't overbeat the batter. Once the flour is added, you only want to mix until everything is combined. Otherwise, you'll have a tough, dry cake!

👩‍🍳 FAQs

• If you love nostalgic lemon recipes, you need to try this No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake. Absolutely delish, and easy, peasy, lemon-squeezy!
• Sweet, buttery, dense, and ultra-moist, Buttermilk Pound Bundt Cake is the kind of delicious dessert you'll crave for every occasion.
• This easy dessert recipe starts with a lemon cake mix to cut down on prep time—plus, it's the best Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake I've had!

📞 The last word

This easy lemon bundt cake recipe would be great on the table for Easter or Mother's Day!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published February 19, 2014. Last updated February 2, 2024 for editorial improvements.

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