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Homemade Lemon Bundt Cake with Ginger Lemon Glaze

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Homemade lemon bundt cake with ginger lemon glaze is a perfect sweet treat for almost any occasion. It has the perfect balance of sweet, tart and spicy to make your dessert course tasty and interesting.

2/3 of lemon bundt cake with white glaze and soft yellow interior showing.

Making this lemon cake from scratch is easy to do. Pick a pretty bundt cake pan and it will be a showstopper with very little effort.

It is topped off perfectly with a simple glaze flavored with more lemon and candied ginger. That pop of flavor really takes it to the next level.

You will find this cake will be right at home with a warm mug of tea. It would also be a spectacular finishing touch to a summer bbq

There really aren’t many events that wouldn’t be made better with a slice of bright lemon cake though. So don’t let my suggestions limit you.

slice of lemon bundt cake being lifted off serving plate ready to be served.

Whipping up the batter

The batter for this lemon bundt cake comes together pretty easily. The biggest key is making sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you start.

Of course softened butter is easier to whip smooth. If you start with cold butter, there may be chunks of butter in the batter.

Room temperature eggs and buttermilk also incorporate more easily. Plus the batter will bake more evenly if it is starting at room temperature.

Adding freshly squeezed lemon and grated zest adds the best lemon flavor. In a pinch, feel free to use the bottled lemon juice and a few drops of lemon extract.

A 12 cup bundt pan is the best size pan to use for the best results. Then bake it until a toothpake inserted in several spots come out mostly clean.

Once baked, cool your cake in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

What if I don’t have buttermilk?

No problem! I seldomly have actual buttermilk on hand.

There are several great options for getting the effects of buttermilk though, so don’t let that stop you.

One easy option is to keep buttermilk powder on hand. Then you can hydrate it for use in pancakes, waffles and lemon Bundt cakes!

Whole lemon bundt cake with white lemon ginger glaze on top of cake stand.

Otherwise you can fake buttermilk by adding a about a Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to about a cup of regular milk. Let it sit for about ten minutes and then use it in place of buttermilk in recipes.

Preparing your Bundt pan

There are several great ways to prepare your bundt pan for baking. My favorite way is to use the baking spray with the flour in it.

Some people make their own baker’s goop with oil, shortening and flour in it. You just brush it on the pan and fill it up.

You can also go old school and spread butter in the pan and coat it with flour. Similarly you can use cocoa powder for a chocolate bundt cake.

Forkful of lemon bundt cake ready to eat.

I have also read that you can use hitter and sugar in your pan. Supposedly the sugar gives the cake a great crust.

I haven’t given it a try, but it sounds interesting and I can see it working. I would totally do it if the spray wasn’t so easy.

If you have a favorite way of prepping your bundt pans, let me know about it. I’d love to get all of your tips and tricks in the comments below.

Making the glaze

This lemony glaze has candied ginger mixed in to add a really nice extra layer of flavor. In order to prevent large chunks, you will want to grind it down before you use it.

Just grind some bits of ginger with a mortar and pestle or use a small food processor. You could even put the milk and ginger in a small blender and grind them up that way.

Then whisk in the remaining ingredients and drizzle it over the cake. Feel free to do this right on the serving platter or drizzle while the cake is still on the wire rack for a cleaner finish.

Pro tip: put a sheet pan under the cooling rack if you are glazing that way. It makes cleanup easier!

More great Bundt cake recipes

Whip up a homemade chai latte Bundt cake for your next soiree. It has all of those spices you love in a buttery cake for a perfect grown up treat.

A soft and delicious strawberry and sour cream Bundt cake with chunks of fresh strawberries is a perfect dessert. The sour cream makes the texture of the cake superb. It’s sweet, but not too sweet and the fresh berries are as good as you’d imagine. 

lemon bundt cake with white lemon ginger glaze dripping through cooling rack onto cookie sheet.

Italian lemon and honey Bundt cake is flavored with the perfect mix of lemon and honey.  Top it with the caramelized honey glaze for an extra special treat.

Homemade chocolate Bundt cake filled with peanut butter filling to make your mouth water and your eyes pop out of your head! Of course a drizzle of peanut butter glaze and some chopped peanut butter cups make this cake a beauty without a ton of effort. 

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card.

2/3 of lemon bundt cake with white glaze and soft yellow interior showing.

Homemade Lemon Bundt Cake with Ginger Lemon Glaze

Carlee
Homemade lemon Bundt cake with ginger lemon glaze is a perfect sweet treat for almost any occasion. It has the perfect balance of sweet, tart and spicy to make your dessert course tasty and interesting.
4.91 from 10 ratings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20 Servings (12 Cup Cake)
Calories 292 kcal

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 3 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 18 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs + 1 yolk

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Tablespoons buttermilk
  • 2 Tablespoons crystallized ginger or more to taste

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
    3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • Combine buttermilk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside.
    ¾ cup buttermilk, 3 Tablespoon lemon zest, 3 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high. Add eggs one at a time and combine.
    18 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1¾ cups granulated sugar
  • Add eggs one at a time and combine.
    3 large eggs + 1 yolk
  • Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with two halves of the buttermilk mixture. Mix until just combined.
  • Pour batter into the greased Bundt pan and bake at 350°F for about 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  • Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes, then turn the cake out of the pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.

Glaze

  • Crush the crystallized ginger with a rolling pin or mortar and pestle to form a paste.
    2 Tablespoons crystallized ginger
  • Add powdered sugar, ginger, lemon juice, and buttermilk in a bowl and whisk until fully combined. 
    2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1½ Tablespoons buttermilk
  • NOTE: This is a thick glaze. If you want it to be a thinner consistency, add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time until it is the consistency you want.
  • Drizzle or pour glaze over the top of the cake.
  • Allow the glaze to harden, then serve.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 292kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 195mgFiber: 1gSugar: 29g
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Recipe Rating




Jaxon

Saturday 11th of June 2022

I burned mine lol, def doesn’t need the full 55 minutes, took it out at 51

Carlee

Sunday 12th of June 2022

Oh no! I think part of the problem with Bundt cakes is the different pans bake a little differently too. I will try this recipe again in a few different pans and try to sort out the directions again. I'm sorry it didn't go well for you.

Amy (Savory Moments)

Tuesday 6th of April 2021

This is a lovely cake! I love lemon baked goods and the addition of ginger here sounds so good!

Carlee

Wednesday 7th of April 2021

Thank you!

Andrea Nine

Monday 5th of April 2021

Oh my friend! I bet that ginger adds the perfect touch to the glaze! I love how pretty and moist a good Bundt cake can be! This looks delicious!

Carlee

Wednesday 7th of April 2021

The combination is really good, thank you!