Lemon Buttermilk Cake

A moist and tangy buttermilk cake flavored with fresh lemon zest and juice, finished with a sweet lemon glaze. This classic Bundt cake combines rich butter with bright citrus for the perfect balance of flavors.

12 servings
2 hr 55 min

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • cups sugar
  • 2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • cups buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup confectioners sugar
  • additional confectioners sugar

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour a (9-inch) Bundt pan or line 36 muffin tins with paper liners.

    5 min

  2. 2.

    2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and light in texture, about 5 minutes. While the butter is beating, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, lemon zest, and 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice and set aside.

    10 min

  3. 3.

    3. Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. In 3 additions, alternate adding the sifted dry ingredients and the wet ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, stirring on low until just incorporated.

    10 min

  4. 4.

    4. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan or fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter. Bake until the center of cake springs back when touched and a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Bake cupcakes until they rise in a dome shape and spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip, 16 to 20 minutes.

    75 min

  5. 5.

    5. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Release the sides and bottom of the cake from the pan with a narrow metal spatula or knife. Invert the pan and turn out the cake. Place a wire rack in a baking pan and set the cake, right side up, on the rack.

    60 min

  6. 6.

    6. In a small bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon cold water and stir until very smooth. Add a little more confectioners' sugar or water as necessary to achieve a glaze consistency (similar to that of honey). Spoon the glaze evenly over the cake. When the glaze has firmed, transfer the cake to a plate. Slice and serve at room temperature.

    15 min

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