Sweet, simple, luscious glazed lemon poppy seed Bundt cake to bring sunshine to even the coldest of days.
When it comes to lemon desserts, what I run into often is finding the right balance between tart and sweet. And too much flavor vs. no flavor at all. But this lemon Bundt cake nails it. Lemon is worked into every single component:
- Lemon poppy seed cake
- Lemon simple syrup
- Lemon glaze
Even when used in each layer, the lemon flavor doesn’t taste overwhelming. The cake itself is balanced out with sweet vanilla and rich buttery flavors. The simple syrup seeps into the cake creating that mouthwatering moist texture. And the lemon glaze on top? Well that’s just a given. What’s cake without some frosting?!
For the softest, most cakey texture (read: the best texture!)—I like to use creamed butter and cake flour in the batter. Creamed butter and sugar provide a deliciously cakey base for the recipe. And as you might remember from my red velvet cake, cake flour produces a sensationally soft cake. I don’t use it all the time for my cakes and cupcakes, but for Bundt cakes that are usually a little heavier, it’s just perfect. I actually ran out of it when I began making this cake. (A good reminder to measure out all your ingredients before beginning a recipe.) So I used all-purpose flour with some cornstarch (this is a quick “DIY” cake flour substitute).
Bundt cakes have the tendency to be a little dry, so let’s use a few eggs for tenderness and buttermilk for a moist texture. Some poppy seeds add a sprinkle of light crunch and let’s use lots of fresh lemon zest and juice for flavor.
The simple syrup, which goes onto the cake as it cools, is crucial. I’ve been toying around with using simple syrups on cakes for the past few months. A drizzle of homemade lemon syrup over this cake puts it over the top. It gives the edges, which can dry out quickly, moisture and flavor. In fact, I ate the syrup-soaked edges of the cake before even making it to the center of the cake. They’re the BEST part.
So, the simple “soaking” syrup. It’s imperative.
A light glaze made from confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice finishes things off.
Lick-the-plate-good.
This blissful sunshine cake, everyone, is the epitome of lemon desserts. And the perfect cure for those cold winter blues.
If you crave these flavors but don’t quite need a large Bundt cake, give my lemon poppy seed bread or lemon poppy seed muffins a try.
More Lemon Treats
- Lemon Cheesecake
- Lemon Cake
- Lemon Cupcakes
- Lemon Blueberry Tart
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Lemon Sweet Rolls
- Lemon Shortbread
Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: serves 10
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This lemon poppy seed Bundt cake is full of fresh lemon flavor! Don’t skip the simple syrup; it’s the best part. Bundt cakes are usually a little heavier, so don’t expect a super light texture. Soft and cakey, most definitely. Avoid overbaking, which can dry out your cake. Read the recipe in full before beginning. You will need 4 and 1/2 large lemons total.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 and 3/4 cups (344g) all-purpose flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- zest of 3 large lemons (about 1/4 cup, packed)
- juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
Lemon Simple “Soaking” Syrup
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
- juice of 1/2 large lemon (or 1 medium, or 2 Tablespoons)
Instructions
- Lower the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick spray or grease thoroughly with butter. Set aside.
- Make the cake: Sift the flour and cornstarch together into a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy—about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together fairly well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Pour/spoon the batter evenly into the Bundt pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil if you begin to see the top browning quickly. Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes inside the pan.
- During this time, make the simple syrup. Combine the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Invert the slightly cooled Bundt cake onto a wire rack set over a large plate or serving dish. Spoon the syrup on top of the cake. Allow cake to cool, then place on serving plate before topping with icing/glaze. (Next step.)
- Make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Drizzle over cake. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake and syrup through step 6. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months. The flavor will be amazing after this time! Bring to room temperature and continue with step 7.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 10-inch Bundt Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack | Citrus Zester | Citrus Juicer
- Flour: 3 cups (345g) cake flour work here instead of using the mix of all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature ingredients mix together more easily, evenly, and ensure a uniform texture in the cake.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk helps produce a supremely moist cake. If you don’t have buttermilk, use whole milk instead. You can use lower fat or nondairy milks in a pinch, but the cake won’t taste nearly as rich and moist.
- Here is the Bundt pan I own and love. Heavy-duty, long-lasting, love the grip handles!
- Adapted from Make it Ahead by Ina Garten.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I’m wondering if there is a step missing… should the pan have been floured as well? My gut said yes but the directions said to just grease or spray. I did this, sprayed, and the cake won’t release…
Hi Marcia! We always grease Bundt pans with a generous amount of non stick spray (like Pam). You can certainly try flouring as well next time if you find that works best for your pan.
Sally, I was making this recipe and when I added the lemon juice, the butter immediately split into granules. I soldiered on because I had no choice, but do you have any tips? Did I ruin it?
Hi Lola, did the batter seem curdled? Curdling of the wet ingredients is normal, it usually comes together when dry ingredients are added. Make sure to use proper room temperature ingredients to prevent excess curdling!
Yes it did, glad to know that it’s normal. All my ingredients were room temp and the cake baked beautifully..unfortunately it split in two when unmolded. If I made it again would buttering and flouring my bundt pan negatively affect the cake in any way?
Thank you for taking the time to answer!
A heavy dose of non stick spray is our preferred method for greasing bundt pans, but you can certainly try buttering and flouring if you prefer!
I was given fresh eggs. Which is wonderful. But they are small. How many should I use in place of large eggs?
Thank you
Hi Beverly, a large whole egg weighs about 57g (or 50g out of the shell), so you’ll need about 200g of eggs for this recipe.
Beverly-I have read that one large egg should be equivalent to 1/4 cup, and so that is how I make sure that I’m using enough egg. Hope that helps-Happy Baking!
Hi Beverly~I’ve read that one egg should be equivalent to 1/4 cup. Hope that helps and Happy Baking! ( I thought I posted this earlier♀️)
Sally, your website used to have a recipe for an orange bundt cake that is my dad’s favorite. It now appears to be scrubbed from the internet. Is it in one of your books and if so which one? Happy to pay for it but it’s annoying not to be able to find it.
Hi Chandler! We were no longer satisfied with the outcome of that older recipe, so we unpublished it. We still have it, so send us an email and we can forward it to you. sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com
Followed recipe and did not taste freshly baked at all. The entire thing burned due to the instructions to have it in the oven for 50 minutes and it was so dry when I tasted it.
I’ve always associated “bundt” with a dry, dense cake. I love lemon poppyseed, so, I thought I’d try this recipe using my angel food cake pan, and my trust for Sally’s recipes. Wow! It is so delicious, with a moist superb crumb. I’m going to have to buy a fluted bundt pan now! Thank you Sally!
Yum! Can’t wait to make this! I’m planning on making a day ahead. I know it says to cover tightly before storing in the fridge… I don’t have a container to fit the cake. Do you think could it be covered with aluminum foil on a plate or is that not covered enough? Thanks?
Hi Savannah, yes, you can use aluminum foil if needed. Hope the cake is a hit!
would this travel well or is it too moist and would fall apart bc of the moist texture
Hi Marcy, it should be fine. We recommend keeping it cold until you travel and glazing the cake once you arrive.
I would like to make this without lemon, I prefer an almond poppy seed. Do you have any suggestions for swapping the lemon juice with almond extract? Thank you!
Hi Arianna, we haven’t tested this, but what you could try is using milk instead of the lemon juice, omitting the lemon zest, and then adding a teaspoon of almond extract (in addition to the vanilla—or even a bit more depending on how strong you’d like the flavor). Please do let us know if you give it a try!
Can this cake be made in a 13×9 pan?
Hi Alisa! This wouldn’t be the best cake for a 9×13 pan, but our lemon layer cake batter would definitely work – see recipe Notes for 9×13 baking instructions. You could add lemon poppy seeds to that recipe if desired 🙂
This was a hit at Easter dinner last night! I will definitely be making it again.
The lemon simple syrup adds so much flavour!
Don,t know if my request went threw on the adjustments at high altitude (above 7000 ft.)
Hi Gerri, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Can you do lemon zest ahead and store it in a air tight container
Hi Gerri, yes, that will work just fine.
Could we add some berries to the recipe?
Hi Claudia, we haven’t tested it but can’t see why not! You may want to try this lemon berry yogurt cake instead, though. It’s been tested with berries!
I have never been disappointed in Sally’s recipes and this one is no exception!
It’s so delicious and the whole family loved it! Next time I’ll put less sugar though it was a bit too sweet formy taste
I have never been disappointed in Sally’s recipes and this one us no exception!
It’s so delicious and the whole family loved it! Next time I’ll put less sugar though it was a bit too sweet fit my taste 🙂
Is it possible to use lemon extract for part of the lemon juice in the cake?
Hi Kris, you could add a little lemon extract to this cake, but we wouldn’t reduce the lemon juice. Try adding 1/2 – 1 tsp, or to taste.
I’m going to make this! Could I use lemon oil? If so, how much should I use?
Can the lemons be substituted for Oranges? and replacing melted butter and buttermilk to 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup whole milk?
Hi Kamelia, we recommend sticking with the recipe as written for best results. Let us know if you try any variations!
I am not a baker, but I decided to try this for Thanksgiving. I followed the recipe to a t and was disappointed in the lack of lemon flavor in the actual cake. The only real lemon I tasted was in the glaze. The moistness and texture of the cake were quite nice, however.
HI! I would like to freeze the cake as you said, through step 6 then defrost. However at that point I would like to frost it with your lemon buttercream, would that work or will the cake not hold it because of the syrup? thank you very much!
Hi Karine! You should be able to frost with lemon buttercream after thawing – yum! Let us know how it goes.
Sally, your recipes are the absolute best!! I never look anywhere else when it comes to baking recipes. I make 36 mini Bundt cakes using your Lemon Poppy Seed recipe. I bake them for 15 minutes using the Nordic ware mini Bundt molds. They are cute and moist and delicious! My friends think I am the cat’s meow! . Thank you!
We’re so happy to read this, Cindy! Thanks for trusting our recipes.
This is a great recipe however it did not mention when to add the poppy seeds.
Hi Marie! See step 2: Sift the flour and cornstarch together into a large bowl. Whisk in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds. Set aside.
Could one use a combination of sugar and Splenda baking sweetener instead of all sugar in the cake part of the recipe? My mom has high blood sugar but she likes to enjoy cake every so often!
Hi Kerry, We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
Question: can this be baked into 12 mini Bundt pans? What would the baking time be? Thanks so much!
Hi Nadia, Absolutely, you can use this regular size Bundt cake batter for mini Bundt cakes, but we’re unsure of the bake time.
This has been my favourite cake to make for the last 6 years. Best lemon flavour and texture. Love it!!!
Oh dear. Followed it exactly and it fell apart. Still tastes delicious so will use the cake pieces to make into a layered dessert-cake pieces, pudding, berries, and whipped cream. I’ll blame my new oven.
Judy, I like to make trifles, and that sounds delicious. A creative use for your cake mishap. It didn’t have to go to waste! Kudos to you!
Amazing lemon flavor. Beautiful texture. Another winner!
I think we should talk about what an amazing resource Sally and her recipes are. There are so many bad recipes for lemon bundt cake that use lemon cake mix and lemon pudding mix. Sally makes us all better bakers.
I have made this recipe so many times. It’s a delicious one and everyone loves it. Only thing is, not a single time has my glaze ended up white or stayed on the cake (as in the pic). Would you mind sharing some icing tips? Thank you ☺️
Hi VRM, it sounds like your glaze may have a bit too much liquid in it. You can try making it with a bit less lemon juice, or make as is and add some additional confectioners’ sugar to help thicken it and give it more of a white color. Then let it thicken for just a few minutes before adding to the top of the cake. Hope this helps!