I came up with this lemon cake after being inspired by this wonderful recipe for Old Fashioned Hot Milk Cake (and my love for lemon 🙂 ). I have been looking forward to Spring to arrive here in the Northeast and lemon is just one of those flavors that reminds me of spring and summertime. I just thought this cake base would be perfectly suited to create a lemon flavored cake. I was right- it worked perfectly and it’s a great way to welcome Spring!
Instead of a sheet cake, I decided to pretty it up a bit and bake it as a bundt cake- but I am sure it would still make a delicious sheet cake if that’s what you prefer. I threw lemon zest in the batter and cut the vanilla down a bit. Then I topped it with a super lemony glaze. To give it an added boost of lemon flavor and a little bit of texture, I sprinkled some lemon sugar on top. I LOVE this cake!!! It is simple but absolutely lemony, moist, and delicious. Another great thing is that it can be made ahead, because it stays moist for at least a few days. I really hope you enjoy this as much as we have! Happy Spring!
I
Moist Lemon Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 2 large lemons about 2 Tbsp of zest
- 1 1/4 cups milk I use whole milk, but 2% would work
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
For the glaze
- 1 1/2 Cups of confectionery sugar
- 2 to 3 Tbsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice
For the lemon sugar topping (optional)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 to 3 tsp of granulated sugar enough to coat lemon zest
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a large (12 cup) bundt pan very, very well, making sure to get all the crevices, then lightly flour pan. (or 9x13 if you prefer)
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside
- In a large bowl (or in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment), beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes or until thickened and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and lemon zest and beat in.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until smooth, scraping bowl as needed.
- In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter just until butter is melted (don't let boil). With mixer running, gradually add milk mixture to batter; beating just until combined and scraping bowl as needed. (this will be a very thin batter that pours easily)
- Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake at 350° for 28 to 35 minutes- until top springs back when pressed and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs)
- Remove from oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes or until the cake starts to pull away from side of pan. With a knife gently release the cake from the sides of the pan and turn cake out onto cake platter. ( I do not recommend removing cake if you use a 9x13 pan). Let cake cool a bit before putting on glaze.
For the glaze
- Whisk together the confectionery sugar and enough lemon juice to make a drizzling consistency until smooth.
- Drizzle, pour, or brush onto cake.
For the lemon sugar topping (optional)
- Mix lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of freshly glazed cake while the glaze is still wet (so it will stick)
Notes
Based on the recipe for Old Fashioned Hot Milk Cake originally adapted from Taste of Home
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It’s my go to for lemon bundt cake – my family’s top favourite — on a good day, it’s gone in less than 24 hrs… usually it’s gone right away 😂
Thank you! We love this one too😀
Hi Amy I made this amazing cake last week and it was absolutely delicious! !! Thank you so much ☺☺☺☺
I’ve baked this cake a dozen or more times. I use a bit less milk than called for as the batter seems a bit thin if using more than 1 Cup of milk. The milk mixture should be tepid when incorporated or the cake won’t rise properly. This is by far one of my favourite cakes to make. Thank you!
Hi Amy!Just found your website a few days ago..me n my fiancee loves cooking together and we made this cake together last night!It was absolutely delicious..we cut down the sugar to 11/2 cup instead of 2 cups..the cake was definitely a hit with everybody.
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Hi, your recipe looks great, but for us , across the waves, could you possibly convert also in grams, and oven temp for for fan ovens, I find that the cup method is not so accurate , many thank
Your best bet would to be to use an online converter to go from cups to grams. I do use a convection oven- and reduce the temp by 25 degrees.
I made this cake twice fallow excextly the recipe my comes out heavy not light waht I am doing wrong?
I am not 100% sure and hopefully soon I can add some pics of the steps. My guess would be not beating the eggs until they are thick enough- maybe if you are using a hand mixer you should try longer than 5 minutes. Make sure to use the scoop with a spoon and swipe for flour- I scoop my flour out with a spoon and sprinkle it in the measuring cup, then level. Also don’t overmix when adding the flour or hot milk mixture- just until combined. I hope this helps.
I may have figured out the problem- if your baking powder is older or not good it will make the cake heavy and dense.
ok, i tried this recipe with oranges (was out of lemons) and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
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Hi Amy thanks for sharing! I made this for work and it was a winner. I am going to try it tonight with blueberries as a 2 layer cake. I will keep you posted 🙂
Rose if you are reading this please let me know if you ever tried it.
So I tried the recipe with blueberries and like Amy said the blueberries ended up at the bottom of the cake but it worked perfectly for the cake that I wanted to make. The texture of the cake was divine!
If you toss your blueberries in a light coating of corn starch or flour it keeps them from sinking without altering the taste or texture😊
Just baked this wonderful cake! Turned out perfect, no complaints! Used Meyer lemons from my backyard tree. Had to bake it about 40 minutes. Very light, very moist. Crunchy exterior that was so tasty. Love the glaze too. My BF and I finished 1/3 of the cake tonight, it’s so good! Thanks for sharing, will make it again for sure!
i tried the recipe and my dad put it in the fridge and then when we took it out, it was really hard to slice it.Is it supposed to be like that or is it the fridges fault?But I ate a slice and it was great(since I normally hate lemons).
It doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Keeps well at room temp several days. The butter in it would get cold and make it harder. Glad you still liked it though 🙂
…this is an amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Would be delicious but just won’t cook all the way through. There is literally a ring of uncooked batter while the rest of the cake is too brown. Wouldn’t make again without using less liquid.
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you, I’ve never had that issue.
I’m having this same issue:( the batter tastes so delicious though. Hoping to salvage it somehow.
You are not supposed to cut down on liquid usually, but just keep it in the oven longer 10-15 min longer or until a toothpick inserted in it comes out clean. I always, always use the toothpick method for that exact same reason. Ovens do vary! Good luck 🙂
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I made this lemon bundt cake this morning and it turned out fantastic! It’s so moist and fluffy and it has a great flavor. I put the glaze and lemon sugar on it as well and it looks so pretty. I made it today as a test-run before Mother’s Day. It turned out so well I’m definitely going to make it on Sunday to serve to my mother and the rest of our family.
I only have a 10-cup bundt pan. After I filled the pan up to about 75% full, I had enough batter leftover to make eight cupcakes along with the bundt cake. I love the fact that I’ll be able to send my guests home with some cupcakes at the end of the day.
Absolutely amazing – lovely flavour from the tangy lemon sugar to the moist and extreme cakiness of the bundt. Was a hit – 10/10 would bake again
my batter turned out really thick even after I added extra milk and lemon juice. i had to do all the mixing by hand, so maybe that’s what did it? (that said, it came out a little nobby-looking, but it tastes incredible.)
Hi, I have quite opposite problem. Mine is VERY running consistency. Should it be liquidy like a cream?
It is a very thin batter
Aww, I’m waiting on my parents to get back from a trip to Dominican Republic. I made it so they can try it. Counting down the minutes for them to get here. It is delicious I have to say! Thanks for sharing it! Delicious treat!
This was delicious! So moist and fluffy!Bookmarked ready to make again!
I just try it this afternoon…first time too….and the result is sooo nice….my boss and her visitors love it!!! Plate is empty….thanx
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HI Amy, could you show a picture of the pan you used? I just made it and pulled from oven. It came out of the pan beautifully the cake is darker than yours. Yours is beautiful. The top however was a beautiful color.
This is the pan I have Nordic Ware Pro Cast Original Bundt Pan, 12 Cup
I am so upset. I made this wonderful looking cake 2 times with the exact same results. After it tests done (45 mins. for me) and I dump it out and cool it, no crumb at all just a solid doughy center with about 1/4″ around edge that looks baked properly. Other cakes bake perfectly. I’ve baked for over 40 years. I’m guessing my eggs are too large because we have our own. Should I try 2 instead of 4? I hate to waste all that lemon a third time! Thanks, Annie
I am not an expert by any means to troubleshoot what’s going on. I haven’t had an issue and I use eggs from my own hens too that vary in size. The only thing I can think of is if the baking powder isn’t fresh or the egg aren’t beaten long enough. Also make sure your “hot mixture” isn’t boiling but just warm enough to melt the butter. I hope this helps.
When you say gradually add sugar and gradually add flour…how gradually? Always when I make a cake that calls for beating the eggs 10-12 minutes then gradually add sugar and flour, the eggs go down, it doesn’t stay as fluffy. Perhaps I’m adding too much at once. My baking powder is fresh.
I just slowly pour it in. I haven’t made this in a while but this is a pretty thin batter so the eggs do deflate.
Thanks for this fantastic recipe. My cake turned to be well baked fluffy and the taste was great
I had the exact same problem! I followed the directions word for word. I don’t know what I did wrong. ☹️
I have been trying to trouble shoot this cake for those that have trouble. I haven’t had an issue until I used older baking powder with another cake I made and it caused the problem that has been described. So make sure you use really fresh baking powder
hope you can help me-I have made the cake three times-and I am wondering if I am over beating the eggs at five minutes-because every time the consistency doesn’t turn out like yours-mine is more like a pound cake..should I have let the milk mixture cool before adding?-you didn’t mention it-but I thought that may be my mistake..it looks ok-and it rises..but when I take it out of the bundt pan it’s almost like I tied a string around the middle of the cake-so instead of having a flat side-there is and indention that runs around the exact middle of the cake..it doesn’t taste bad-but it doesn’t have a crumb at all…it’s just..dense..VERY dense..and since I am in france I don’t have the ability to know the exact quantity of a tablespoon-so how many cups is ten tablespoons-I have figured two thirds of a cup-is that correct?-everything else was in cups-which I have, so was hoping you could confirm the amount in cups..because maybe I’m putting in too much butter…either way it doesn’t look like yours at all..I am a professional cook with a small bistro and was really crushed hearing all the responses you got and how they all said it turned out wonderfully..so I am really clueless-please let me know..thanks..S.Phillips
It is definitely not a pound cake texture but a light texture. I don’t think overbeating would do it cause I always just let it go in the mixer. And I don’t let the milk cool- it shouldn’t be boiling hot, just warm enough to melt the butter. 8 Tablespoons is 1/2 cup so I think 10 Tablespoons would be 5/8 of a cup of butter if my math is correct
May i know, this cake does not require lemon juice itself? Just lemon zest is it?
I just put lemon juice in the glaze. The cake batter already has a lot of liquid so I used the zest there.
Hey Amy,
Can we replace the milk with almond or soy milk?
I have never tried that and I am not sure how it would work.
Hi Amy, I was wondering could i use Cake Flour or does it have to be All Purpose Flour?
I usually use regular flour but I believe some others have commented that they have used cake flour with success.
Had not made a bunt cake in years … Looks wonderful can’t wait to try it tonight
I am so happy that I found this recipe and I have baked mine yesterday. Just love it softness and fresh lemon taste. By the way, I changed 1/4 cups of the flour with corn starch to make it even more moist. Thank you for sharing this out and I just can’t wait to share the recipe with my fellow baker.
I’m planning on making this on Thursday with a blueberry lavender glaze! I may add lemon juice instead of vanilla, as I do that with my pound cakes and they turn out more “lemony.”
Thanks for the recipe!
That sounds great!
I followed the instructions to the letter and it created to much batter
The only thing I can think of is that your bundt pan wasn’t the right size. But that is easily fixable- just bake the excess batter in small pan or cupcake pan.
YUMMY. I found your recipe while doing a search on milk cake. I didn’t have lemons, but tried with oranges and loved it. Great recipe! Thanks.
I bet it tastes just as great with orange. Sounds good!
Hello, what to to this try as a birthday cake, but was wondering could you tell me the tin size in inchs, please as I’m having trouble finding one.
It’s an original bundt pan from nordicware. It measures 10 inches across the top and about 4 inches high on the outside. Hope that helps.
Hi amy can I substitute the zest for lemon extract?
Haven’t tried it but don’t see why not 🙂
Made this last night and it looked & smelt amazing! It’s for my mam’s birthday, shes driving down from Middlesbrough as we speak and I selfishly can’t wait for her to get here so we can dig in! Wish I could post a photo to show how amazing it looked before I demolish it! Thanks so much for the recipe x
Hope you guys enjoy it!!
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I made this cake today without an electrical mixer; the 5 minutes of beating the eggs was though, but the result is wonderful! I’m definitely going to make it again when I’m back home, where I do have a mixer 🙂
🙂
Fabulous cake recipe! Very well liked by all the lemon lovers in my family. I’m glad I saw the note about cooking times as my pan/oven required 46/47 minutes for the cake to be done and it still wasn’t very browned. I’ll try a few minuets longer next time but this is a fantastic recipe. I make a lot of cakes, including a hot milk Boston Cream but this recipe produces a better large, tender crumb. Thank you so much for posting🎂
I just made this today!! Amazing!! I did cut the sugar down to 1.5 cups. I also added two tablespoons of lemon juice to the batter. It didn’t seem to affect the moisture of the cake. I didn’t have to add more flour. Baked it for about 40 mins in a bundt pan. The texture of the cake was perfect. Not dense. Thank you for the recipe!! 😊
Dear Amy, my husband is a big fan of lemon cake, however, he is very particular on the texture and taste. I am trying to find a recipe that will blow his mind. While this recipe is his favorite so far (it is moist enough for him), the cake is not lemony enough for him. I’ve tried substituting lemon extract for the vanilla extract but it made very little difference. Any ideas on how to make it more lemony without affecting the moisture level? Thanks.
That’s tough if lemon extract didn’t help. The glaze is super lemony but the cake is a bit lighter. You could add more lemon zest and try some lemon juice in it. That is the only thing I can think of.
Just made it a second time and worked beautifully again, this recipe is a keeper!
Thank you 🙂
Made it in two half size bundt pans! Beautiful cake and very delish! This one is a keeper!!!
🙂
Could you add fresh blueberries to this recipe if I toss them with 2 T flour?
Haven’t made this in a while but I believe it is a very thin batter. My only concern would be the blueberries sinking even with the flour. Best bet is to give it try and see- would probably still be good even if they sink 🙂
Thank you Amy. Does the lemon zest make the cake yellow? Can I use heavy whipping creme instead of milk? if so, do I need to make any adjustments?
Not sure if the lemon zest makes it very yellow or not, but it does come out light yellow. I have never used heavy cream before but use whole milk. It may make a different in the texture because of the fat content buy I am not sure.
Hi , love this recipe.. So moist and tasty! Just want to ask, planning of making this under fondant.. What’ s the best ganache to use for crumb coat? Milk or white chocolate? How about the filling? Thanks! 🙂
Honestly- I am not the best at decorating but I personally think white chocolate would pair better with the lemon 🙂 Glad you like the cake!
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Hi Amy!
I love this recipe of yours and have made this many times! 🙂 I’m thinking of converting them to cupcakes, do you think I will need to make any changes to the recipe? 🙂 And Im also thinking of adding some poppyseeds to the cake, would it be alright? 🙂
thank you so much for your recipe!!
I think poppy seeds sound great! I know others have made cupcakes successfully from this recipe. I wouldn’t change anything except decreasing and watching your baking time 🙂
I’ve got this in the oven now. If the finished product tastes even close to how good the batter alone is, then I’m sold! Seriously, probably one of the most delicious batters ever! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe…I have made this at least 6 times in the last 4 months and it is always delicious! I even varied the recipe once. I picked fresh lavender from the farm and needed something to do with it so I added to the batter (cutting down the lemon zest) and adding a little wild lavender honey to the milk mixture. I made these into cupcakes with a light lemon honey glaze and lavender sugared flowers on top. They where super yummy. Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you so much!! That add in sounds great!
Trying this recipe for the first time (Just spent 10 mins converting weights into English measurements) after googling Lemon bundt cake.. Looked at a few, but yours sounds the most delicious.. Here goes..
I want to make this for a party on Saturday night. Today is Thursday. Should I bake it on Friday? Or is it better to do it the day of? Some cakes taste a bit better if they are made a day early. Thoughts?
This would be great made either day. It really stays moist for several days and is great the same day made or a few days after 🙂
I made this cake on the weekend – it was great! 🙂
Thank you 🙂
I made this cake to have for dessert and it is wonderful! I made the HORRIBLE mistake of using the electric hand mixer instead of my stand mixer! I will definitely use the stand mixer next time. I subbed the sugar for artificial sweetener (my hubby and kiddo are diabetic!!) but it still turned out very moist and delicious. Obviously I had to use real powdered sugar for the glaze but the amount used is very small. My husband said it was the best cake he’s ever had. I will be making this again and again!
I’m so glad it worked for you and thanks for letting me know it worked with an alternative sweetener!
It is it for me! Made this yesterday morning and it is wonderful!!!! Compliments all around. I strictly followed your instructions, except to add chopped pecans to the drizzle glaze. Yummy!
Imitation lemon or lime just tastes like poison to me. There is no substitute for fresh ingredients. I will be making this again and again, no doubt.
I did also have to add a bit more baking time. No big deal.
So glad you liked it as much as I do!!!
Please help, when you write 2 1/4 cups of flour, does that mean 2 cups + 1/4 cup. Would love to try this but I am not used to using cups. Thanks
Yes, you got it, it means 2 cups + 1/4 cup. I know I should start adding in the weights of the flour too. 🙂
Well that’s the cake made and it’s absolutely delicious. Took about 1 hour in my oven and I think about the same amount of time for my family to demolish it. Thank you for this fantastic recipe xx
Your Welcome! Glad you liked it 🙂
Any idea if I can do this as a layer cake? Thanks!!
It can be made in a 9 x 13 cake pan like the original hot milk cake recipe. I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why it couldn’t be made into 2 layers.
My cakes are in the oven now. I decided to make mini bundt cakes. I hope they turn out as amazing as everyone else’s. I will say that I did add a bit of lemon extract because I love a powerful “lemony” cake. Thanks for the recipe! I have never used warm milk for a cake.
That is a great idea to make mini bundt cakes. I love this cake too!
does cake flour make a difference?
Have never tried it. It really is a tender cake without it.
I baked this cake at 350 degrees with my oven on convection, for 38 minutes. The toothpick came out clean! Then, after waiting on the longer side of ten minutes, I tried to take the cake out of the pan. Most of it came out, but a big chunk stayed stuck in the pan! I’d say wait more than 5 min to take out the cake 🙂
Thanks for you input- I always hate when a pretty cake doesn’t come clean out of the pan!
no baking powder or baking soda?
Yup there is 2 and 1/4 tsp of baking powder in the ingredients
What a fun recipe! I loved that I didn’t have to wait for the butter to soften on my counter. I’ve never made a cake using the warm milk and butter until I made this cake. The cake is filled with flavor and so moist.
I love recipes where I don’t have to wait for butter too. Glad you liked it!
I was given this website from a close friend who raves about this cake. I plan on baking about five (5) Lemon Bundt cakes along with other bake niceties for a big church social. I want to bake this cake using a “proportioning” formula to produce the five (5) cakes ALL AT ONCE. What I need to know is what is the yield of your cake?
I am really glad you are giving this a try! I am not sure I know how to answer your question. Do you mean how much batter this yields? I have actually never measured the batter when I baked it since I have never doubled it- I just know it needs the large 12 cup bundt pan. I always just double/triple etc ingredients but I have never tried to double (or more) this recipe and don’t know if it would yield the same results or not. I am sorry I can’t be of more assistance but please let me know how this works out 🙂
OK. Then I will use the “12 Cups” as my proportioner. Since I have industrial size mixer and ovens, I’ll let you know how they come out. Thanx
I hope it works out! I would love an industrial mixer and oven- It would be great for bread baking too!
OH MY GOODNESS. I followed the recipe exactly and it’s AMAZING. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Thank you so much- really glad you liked it!
Thank you for so nice recipe!!! I did it with orange zest and chocolate icing it also was very nice and delicious!
Your very welcome! Sounds like a great combination!
How long would you bake this for in a 9×13? I’m drooling over it, but don’t have a bundt pan!
This cake is actually based on this hot milk cake which is baked in a 9 x 13 pan. So it would probably bake around 30-35 minutes like that one 🙂
Thank you! In the oven now and my house smells sooo good!
Hope it came out great for you!
The most beautiful cake I have ever made, I was concerned about how liquid the mix is. I don’t think I have ever had a cake with such amazing texture and flavour, am going to try some of your other recipes. Really easy to follow and looks exactly the same as the picture. So pleased I found your site. Some conversions need to be done considering I’m in Australia but still perfect.
So glad you liked it!
Hi Amy I have two questions. Would it be ok to use cake flour instead of all purpose flour? And the other question is how would my lemon Bundt cake turn out if I used all purpose flour but swift the flour?
I have not tried either cake flour or sifting for this recipe. It is already a pretty tender soft cake using all purpose flour and I would be concerned the lower protein in cake flour may not allow enough structure. However I have read you can increase the cake flour by 2 tablespoons per cup of flour called for if you want to sub cake flour for all purpose but I haven’t ever tried it. I don’t think sifting would hurt as long as you are still using the same amount of flour- not sure of what affect it would have. 🙂
Ok Amy, I want to thank you for this recipe. I love anything lemon. I just completed my first bundt cake about an hour ago. My only flaw was that it didn’t have that pretty lemon color. I followed the recipe directly to the details. The cake itself is delicious especially the glaze. Also, I wish I would’ve added some more lemon flavor to the cake. Amy, what did I do wrong to not get that pretty lemon color cake.
I am not sure- it probably looks more yellow since I photographed it on a stark white background. You could always add more lemon zest or use lemon extract to up the lemon in the cake. I just think with the glaze and zest the cake is great as written! But that’s why recipes are a basline and you can adjust to your liking 🙂
Thanks you. I think l will leave as is. Cause it’s delicious.
Do I have to use zest? Can I just use lemon juice?
I have always used the zest since it really adds nice lemon flavor to the cake without adding more liquid. This is a really thin cake batter to begin with and I think you would have to add too much lemon juice to get the flavor- it may be too much liquid. But I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t say for sure.
The zest makes for a richer flavor…a bit more intense if you will, without being overpowering. Do use zest in the sugar topping. I made this for work and it was a huge hit exactly the way Amy makes it.
Made this cake today for the 4th time in 2 weeks! It’s a hit at all the potlucks, dinners, etc. I’ve taken it to! It’s consistently good.
Thank you!!! I am really glad everyone has enjoyed it!
This cake turned out fantastic. I actually varied this recipe a little bit and added coconut milk and flakes. I added a 1/4 cup of coconut milk to the milk and butter mixture. Also, I added a little bit of coconut milk to the glaze. Lastly, I topped it off with lemon flavored coconut flakes (i.e. lemon juice, sugar, and coconut flakes) versus the lemon zest.
I agree with the longer cooking time. My cake baked for 45 minutes and it was perfect.
That sounds like a great variation 🙂
Made it for a home church tonight and it was gone in under 2 minutes! Lol thank you for a great recipe!
Your welcome!! Glad you liked it.
I’m not a fan of vanilla. Could I use (homemade) lemon extract instead?
I think vanilla balances and adds great flavor but I am a huge vanilla fan 🙂 . I don’t think it would be a problem to use lemon extract- it would probably add to the lemon flavor- but I haven’t used lemon extract in this cake or much at all, so I don’t know if it would be too strong or not. And I would love to learn how to make homemade lemon extract! Maybe then I would use it more -I love lemon!
I live in Arizona and have 2 huge lemon trees so I’m very lucky to have fresh or frozen juice and zest all year long. I made lemon extract last year. It’s basically lemon zest and vodka. There are lots of recipes on line. I can’t recall which I used but it’s very easy. Some call for heating them together first but basically you put the two ingredients in a glass bottle in your dark pantry for at least two weeks. It gets stronger with time.
I made the cake tonight and used lemon extract in place of vanilla. The cake took 40 minutes to bake fully.
I added a tsp or two of edible lavendar to the lemon sugar and it smells amazing. (I love lavender!). It is for a pot luck at work so I’ll let you know how it turned out! I can tell you that it looks and smells beautiful!
You are very lucky- I have a really hard time finding lemons without the waxy preservative coatings up here in the northeast. The extract sounds similar to making vanilla extract- I will have to give it a try sometime. Lavender sounds like an interesting addition- I love the stuff too. Let me know how it turns out!
The cake was fantastic! It was the only item at the potluck lunch that was gone! Everyone wanted seconds and thirds. The touch of lavender was a hit; everyone was surprised by the unique and complimentary flavor with the lemon zest sugar. The one comment everyone made was that the cake was super moist but the flavor was light. I’ll definitely make this cake again (and using the lemon extract in place of vanilla out of preference.)
So glad it was a hit at the potluck! I actually have lavender in my pantry and will have to try it sometime with this cake. My husband is sitting next to me asking me to make it right now lol 🙂
Best lemon cake ever, esp using the Bundt mold which often turns out a bit dry. A little more work than other lemon cakes but worth it. It was a nice project with my 10 and 5-year-olds. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you liked the cake and that you and your children enjoyed making it together. My kids love when I have them help me cook. Thank you for commenting!
Hi, could I microwave the milk and butter instead of using a saucepan? Thanx:)
I have never used the microwave but since you are just heating up the milk and butter I don’t see why it would not work.If you give it a try, let me know if it works 🙂
Yes, it worked! Still tasted delicious, as promised. I will definitely use this recipe again!
Great to know it works- thank you 🙂
Which I am planning on trying next! Do you have anything you particularly like using pumpkin? It IS that time of year after all 🙂
I haven’t posted anything pumpkin yet- I have a couple pumpkin recipes in the works but have been dealing with 4 very sick little guys for several weeks now and haven’t had much time for posting or recipe testing!!! But hopefully soon 🙂
So sorry to hear about the boys being sick. You just take care of them and you and when you are able to get the pumpkin yummies (and they will be yummy I bet!) posted, I will be here along with your other faithful bakers. Take care Amy and stay well!!
Thank you- this has been a tough season!
I just made this Lemon Cake. I decided to sprinkle the Lemon Sugar on top of the glaze. I figured it would give it a nice crunch factor. The cake looks amazing and I can not wait to try it tomorrow when I take it to work. I just found your site and look forward to trying more of your recipes Amy. I did bake mine for 36 minutes – perfect when I inserted the toothpick – came out clean.
I so glad you made this and I really hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Oh it was DEEEElish! I took it to work for my co-workers and they gave it rave reviews. So much that one of my friends there asked me to make it for her mom’s birthday next month! Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Onto trying more of your fabulous looking goodies!!
Oh and one more thing….I highly recommend the sugar-lemon on top of the glaze. It gives it such a nice crunchy texture that is special to the cake. I also found that making it a day ahead enhances the lemon flavors so much more. 🙂
Thank you soooo much!! And I am glad you liked the lemon sugar too- it is one of my favorite things- I use it on my blueberry muffins too!
Hi Amy,
I just did the silliest thing. Wanted to make your cake again and accidentally put blueberries in the batter with some lemon zest. Where I got that from is beyond me – I think I must have crossed over recipes in my keepsake book? Anyway I am planning on doing the glaze as well as the sugar topping. I am sure it will be yummy with the berries. Seems to me you have a recipe for blueberry muffins you put the sugar topping on? Maybe that is where I got it? That page is right next to the cake…ha ha 😀
Bye for now~
Terry
Yes- the blueberry muffins have the lemon sugar which I love!! I bet the cake will taste great with blueberries! 🙂
I’m going to bake this cake over the weekend for my friends birthday, he loves lemon!!
I’ll keep you posted on how it comes out!
I hope you love it as much as we do! Just note some others who have tried it have had to bake longer. Ovens can vary quite a bit.
What size eggs medium or large?
I would have to say large. I get my eggs from a friend who has chickens and I am pretty sure they are comparable to store bought large eggs.
This was the best cake ever! Thanks so much
Thank you so much!! Glad you loved it as much as I do!!
I baked this today and my cake is still runny after 39 minutes in the oven. The top is browning though. I followed the directions to the T so I’m confused.
Looks delicious though so hopefully more time in the oven works or I’ll try another recipe. Thanks for sharing
Replaying to my own comment to say it finally cooked. The cooking time was far greater than posted though. 47 minutes. Usually it takes the greater end of the cooking scale for my oven to finish a product but I didn’t assume it was take so much longer. Cake came out great. Thank u again
Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know it did come out just with a longer cooking time. I honestly test and retest these recipes many, many times using both the convection and non-convection settings and using an oven thermometer to assure my oven temp. The only thing I can think of is that oven temps can vary greatly or the pan used made a difference in the cooking time. I use the largest nordicware bundt pan (I think it’s 12 cups). This will be helpful to any one else who has the same issue, so once again thank you for your comments. I hope you enjoy the cake- it’s one of my favorite simple cakes 🙂
Is the batter consistency suppose to be soup-y? Once I finished gradually adding the milk with melted butter, the whole batter just turned into soup. I double checked all my measurements and nothing was off.
It’s not a thick batter at all- I guess you could call it soupy once you pour in the hot milk mixture. Just make sure your milk is not boiling, just hot- just heat it enough to melt the butter. It should cook up to a nice moist sturdy cake though.
What a beautiful cake. It looks just perfect for spring! I was just thinking I wanted to bake some sort of lemon dessert this weekend, and then I came across this recipe. I think this will be it!
Thank you for commenting! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious!I agree, lemon does remind me of spring as well. So fresh.
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Amy!Just found your website a few days ago..me n my fiancee loves cooking together and we made this cake together last night!It was absolutely delicious..we cut down the sugar to 11/2 cup instead of 2 cups..the cake was definitely a hit with everybody.
I’m so glad you liked it 🙂