Best Lemon Bundt Cake
Best Lemon Bundt Cake is one of the best cakes you’ll sink your teeth into. No kidding. Nothing Bundt Cakes doesn’t have anything on this amazing cake. It starts with a Lemon Cake Mix. It uses Lemon Jell-O, instant vanilla pudding mix and Lemon Pie Filling. Sour cream and the vanilla pudding are what make the cake so moist. Then it’s topped with the most drool-worthy cream cheese icing ever! My, oh my!
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We lived south of Dallas for almost a quarter of a century. In the last neighborhood we lived in, we became good friends with folks who lived diagonally across the street. Especially after my husband’s stroke. Even though we live an hour away now, we try to get together once or twice a month for lunch. She had given me her mom’s dynamite Loaded Potato Soup recipe, so I made that along with some Peach Salad Halves and this amazing cake. I gave her have of it after lunch and I froze the rest in slices and stashed them away in the freezer for a rainy day. (That rainy day has long come and gone). 🙂
We both LOVED this recipe. Yes, it’s very rich–especially the icing. Yes, it’s decadent. Yes, it has dynamic lemony flavor. And, yes, it’s the perfect dessert for company or holidays. You do have to be sure you cook it long enough. Stick a knife in the center and if no cake batter residue comes off you’re good to go. You may get a little of the lemon pie filling on the knife, but not cake batter. It may take an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes or even longer, depending on your oven. Mine took about 65 minutes. My strawberry version is just as sensational.
Best Lemon Bundt Cake is so good you may have to put this recipe on your regular dessert list. Yes, it’s a little more involved than some recipes (and you should bake it a day ahead). But if you want a fantastic cake for family or company meals, this one is sure to please and cure any sweet tooth craving. 🙂
Best Lemon Bundt Cake is one of the best lemony desserts ever!
Lemon Pie Filling is swirled into the cake and makes the flavors just pop.
While I decorated the cake with shredded lemon peel and raspberries, the cake is sweet enough that you don’t need anything else.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients for the cake.
Combine all of the ingredients except lemon pie filling.
Whisk or use an electric mixer to combine until smooth.
Generously grease and flour a large Bundt pan. Spread half of the cake mix into the pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.
Spoon half of the can of lemon pie filling over top of the cake batter.
Use a bamboo skewer to swirl the pie filling into the cake batter.
Here, the first two layers are swirled together.
Spoon remaining cake batter over top of swirled layer. Smooth the top with a spatula.
Spread the remaining pie filling on top of the second cake batter layer.
Swirl just the top two layers with the bamboo skewer. Don’t swirl down into the bottom two layers.
Now the cake is ready for the oven.
Bake about an hour or until a knife inserted all the way to the bottom comes out with no cake batter residue on the knife. You may have a little pie filling on the knife, but no cake batter. My cake took about 65 minutes to bake.
Cool cake completely. Place in refrigerator (wrapped in plastic wrap) several hours or overnight.
I used these ingredients for the cream cheese frosting.
Soften butter and cream cheese.
Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing with electric mixer after each addition.
Add real vanilla extract, lemon juice and grated lemon peel.
Mix again. Scoop icing into a large gallon-size zip-lock bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (I refrigerated the icing about 1 1/2 hours).
Cut a half-inch corner off the zip-lock bag. Pipe cream cheese icing in ribbons over top of cake and into the middle (funnel). There is enough to do two or three rows of ribbons of icing. Sprinkle with grated lemon zest, and garnish with lemon pieces, mint and fresh raspberries, if desired.
Every forkful will knock your socks off!
Best Lemon Bundt Cake will have you drooling over each bite.
Best Lemon Bundt Cake is even fantastic after freezing it. I froze the cake in pieces and the cake was still amazing a couple of months later!
Here’s the recipe.
BEST LEMON BUNDT CAKE
(My own concoction)
Best Lemon Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 1 large Bundt pan
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 bamboo skewer to swirl layers of cake batter
- 1 gallon-size Zip Lock bag WITHOUT the "stand and fill" bottom
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 15.25 oz. box Lemon Cake Mix
- 3.4 oz. box instant vanilla pudding mix dry, (or lemon if you can find it)
- 3 oz. box lemon Jell-O dry
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
- 1/2 cup oil
- 22 oz. can Lemon Pie Filling available from Lucky Leaf
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 16 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar as desired
- 1 tsp. real vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. lemon peel grated
- 1 tbsp. lemon peel for garnish, if desired
- 3 slices lemon quartered, if desired
Instructions
CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Grease a large bundt pan very generously with Crisco shortening.
- Add flour and rotate pan until very well covered.
- Set aside.
- Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, cream and oil with a whisk in a mixing bowl.
- Batter will be thick.
- Fill prepared bundt pan with half of the cake batter.
- Smooth the top.
- Spoon half of the lemon pie filling over top of the batter.
- Swirl the batter and pie filling together with a bamboo skewer.
- Spoon remaining cake batter over top of swirled batter.
- Smooth top again.
- Spoon remaining lemon pie filling over top of cake batter.
- Repeat the swirling process only doing the two top layers and not going to the bottom of the pan.
- Bake at 350º for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- Start testing at 45 minutes.
- Check with knife or bamboo skewer every ten minutes after that, putting cake back into the oven until the knife or bamboo skewer comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool completely before adding icing.
- Refrigerate cake several hours or overnight. (See note below).
- Remove cake to cake platter.
- Pipe cold cream cheese icing over top.
- Decorate with grated lemon peel and pieces of lemon and mint, if desired.
- Refrigerate.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add vanilla, Lemon juice and lemon peel and mix again with mixer.
- Gradually add in powdered sugar a cup at a time.
- Continue mixing with mixer until all the powdered sugar is used and the icing is really thick.
- Fill a gallon-size Zip Lock Bag with frosting.
- Chill frosting in refrigerator about 30-60 minutes before using.
- Cut off one-half inch diagonal corner at the bottom of the bag.
- Frost cake by squeezing out the frosting in thick, half-to-one-inch ribbons on top of the cake.
- Add a second and third layer of ribbons on top of cake, as desired.
- Sprinkle lightly with grated lemon peel.
- Add quartered lemon slices and fresh mint for garnish, if desired.
- Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
The lemon pie filling swirled around in the middle makes this cake so rich and decadent.
Lemony flavor really pops in this delectable cake.
If you need a dessert to wow your family and friends, Best Lemon Bundt Cake will do it!
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Best Lemon Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 1 large Bundt pan
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 bamboo skewer to swirl layers of cake batter
- 1 gallon-size Zip Lock bag WITHOUT the "stand and fill" bottom
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 15.25 oz. box Lemon Cake Mix
- 3.4 oz. box instant vanilla pudding mix dry, (or lemon if you can find it)
- 3 oz. box lemon Jell-O dry
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
- 1/2 cup oil
- 22 oz. can Lemon Pie Filling available from Lucky Leaf
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 16 oz. cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar as desired
- 1 tsp. real vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. lemon peel grated
- 1 tbsp. lemon peel for garnish, if desired
- 3 slices lemon quartered, if desired
Instructions
CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Grease a large bundt pan very generously with Crisco shortening.
- Add flour and rotate pan until very well covered.
- Set aside.
- Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, cream and oil with a whisk in a mixing bowl.
- Batter will be thick.
- Fill prepared bundt pan with half of the cake batter.
- Smooth the top.
- Spoon half of the lemon pie filling over top of the batter.
- Swirl the batter and pie filling together with a bamboo skewer.
- Spoon remaining cake batter over top of swirled batter.
- Smooth top again.
- Spoon remaining lemon pie filling over top of cake batter.
- Repeat the swirling process only doing the two top layers and not going to the bottom of the pan.
- Bake at 350º for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- Start testing at 45 minutes.
- Check with knife or bamboo skewer every ten minutes after that, putting cake back into the oven until the knife or bamboo skewer comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool completely before adding icing.
- Refrigerate cake several hours or overnight. (See note below).
- Remove cake to cake platter.
- Pipe cold cream cheese icing over top.
- Decorate with grated lemon peel and pieces of lemon and mint, if desired.
- Refrigerate.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add vanilla, Lemon juice and lemon peel and mix again with mixer.
- Gradually add in powdered sugar a cup at a time.
- Continue mixing with mixer until all the powdered sugar is used and the icing is really thick.
- Fill a gallon-size Zip Lock Bag with frosting.
- Chill frosting in refrigerator about 30-60 minutes before using.
- Cut off one-half inch diagonal corner at the bottom of the bag.
- Frost cake by squeezing out the frosting in thick, half-to-one-inch ribbons on top of the cake.
- Add a second and third layer of ribbons on top of cake, as desired.
- Sprinkle lightly with grated lemon peel.
- Add quartered lemon slices and fresh mint for garnish, if desired.
- Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.
4 Comments
Angelina
September 14, 2021 at 2:41 pm
Sounds delicious, looks very pretty, & fairly easy to make. As with all of your recipes, there is ‘no need’ for quite so many photos. Otherwise, I enjoy your blog very much.
Teresa
September 16, 2021 at 7:28 am
Hi, Angelina. It is a really delicious cake recipe. Sorry you don’t like all the photos. I modeled my blog after the Pioneer Woman when she first started out. She used lots of pictures too back then.
Patty Rice
February 3, 2022 at 7:09 pm
Do you let the cake cool completely in the pan (including in the refrigerator) or do you take it out after 15 min?
Teresa
February 4, 2022 at 12:16 pm
Patty, you need to allow the cake to cool completely in the bundt pan before inverting it on a plate. The icing needs to be cold before icing the cake. After the cake is iced, you refrigerate the cake.