Lemon Bundt Cake

4.65 from 117 votes
221 Comments

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This Lemon Bundt Cake recipe tastes just like a Nothing Bundt Cakes original! A sweet, tart cake with an AMAZING cream cheese frosting.

Slice of Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake on a plate.

Lemon Bundt Cake

This gorgeous Lemon Bundt Cake is just as delicious as what you can get at the Nothing Bundt Cakes store, but now you can make it right at home! The dense, rich, moist cake is bursting with lemon flavor, with the flavor and consistency of lemon pound cake. It’s topped with a light, fluffy cream cheese frosting. Make this yummy Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake for an special birthday, baby shower, or a casual Saturday evening dessert.

This is one of our most popular cake recipes! And we didn’t stop at lemon! We have copycat recipes for all the Nothing Bundt Cakes classics: Chocolate Chocolate ChipWhite Chocolate RaspberryRed Velvet and more!

Ingredients for Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake


Ingredients for this Lemon Bundt Cake

Using cake mixes helps this recipe come together in a snap! You’ll avoid having to use salt, baking powder, baking soda, etc. Here’s all you need for the best lemon bundt cake recipe ever:

  • Lemon cake mix from the store – any brand will do!
  • Lemon pudding mix – you’ll stir the dry instant pudding right in the batter.
  • Sour cream 
  • Eggs
  • Vegetable oil
  • Lemon juice – you can use fresh lemon juice squeezed right from a lemon or you can measure ¼ cup of lemon juice from a bottle.
  • Water
  • White chocolate chips (optional) – For a richer cake, fold in some white chocolate chips into the batter using a rubber spatula.

Bundt Cake Frosting

The cream cheese frosting is so easy and can be used on dozens of treats. Here’s all you need:

  • Cream cheese – make sure it is softened at room temperature.
  • Butter – I like to use unsalted butter at room temperature.
  • Powdered sugar – use a sifter to make sure the confectioners’ sugar is nice and fine.
  • Use fresh raspberries or mint leaves as a garnish. You can also use a little lemon zest on top for a beautiful finish.

How to Frost this Lemon Bundt Cake

Sometimes I frost this cake like the store on our Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake. This looks pretty, but I always feel like someone gets short-changed if they don’t get the big blob of frosting on their slice. To prevent this, I sometimes frost the whole cake as pictured above. There is always plenty of frosting and I pile the extra in the middle so there is added frosting on each piece when I slice it. You can also thin the frosting with milk to make more of an icing and drizzle it over the top.

Top view of Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake.

More Than Meets the Eye

Because of the richness of Nothing Bundt Cake’s Lemon Cake, one bundt cake can easily serve 15-20 people. It saves in the refrigerator for several days if you have leftovers. The cake can also be frozen and then thawed in the refrigerator before it is frosted. Make sure it is wrapped in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before freezing to maintain the moisture and texture of the cake.

Close up of a fork with a piece of lemon nothing bundt cake.

Removing the Cake from the Bundt Pan

Sometimes it can be tricky to remove the cake from the bundt pan after baking. Here’s a tip to remove the cake once it cools.

  1. Run a knife around the outer and inner edges of the cake (between the cake and the pan).
  2. Place the plate or stand you will be using to hold the cake upside down on top of the bundt pan.
  3. Gently hold the bundt pan and plate together as you flip them both right side up. The cake may pop out of the pan as you are flipping, but if it does not leave the cake pan upside down on top of the plate.
  4. Gently tap around the top of the pan with the handle end of a butter knife. This will loosen the cake from the sides and it should easily come out onto the plate.
  5. If not, flip the platter and bundt pan over again and start over by running the knife around the edges of the pan.

Tips for Making this Bundt Cake Recipe

  1. Use Fresh Lemons: For the best flavor, always use fresh lemons for both zest and juice. You can use bottled lemon juice but it may lack the vibrant citrus flavor you are looking for.
  2. Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring ingredients like eggs, butter, and sour cream to room temperature before starting. This ensures better mixing and a smoother batter.
  3. Don’t Overmix: Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can result in a dense and tough cake.
  4. Properly Grease the Pan: Use baking spray or butter and flour to coat the Bundt pan thoroughly. This helps in easy release after baking.
  5. Avoid Overbaking: Check the cake a few minutes before the recommended baking time to prevent it from becoming dry. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
  6. Cool the Cake Properly: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack or cake platter. This helps the cake settle and prevents it from breaking.
  7. Try a Lemon Glaze: For an extra burst of lemon flavor and sweetness, consider adding a simple lemon glaze made with powdered sugar and lemon juice instead of making a cream cheese frosting.
  8. Garnish with Lemon Zest: To make the cake more visually appealing, sprinkle some fresh lemon zest over the frosting.
  9. Store Correctly: Store the cooled cake in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It can stay fresh for several days at room temperature or longer when refrigerated.

What Readers are Saying About this Recipe

“I have made this cake from this recipe so many times I figure it is way past time I gave a review. It is a delicious moist cake and the frosting is to die for. I do not add all the powdered sugar (usually around 2 cups) and I grate a little lemon zest along with the raspberries and mint leaves for the top. This is one of my go to recipes when I want to impress!!!” – Rosie G.

“Amazing! I’ll never spend $30 on the real deal Bundt cake ever again. This recipe is as good, if not BETTER! Thank you for sharing! It was delicious!!” – Michelle

“I even made this Gluten Free using Magnolia Mixes GF Lemon pound cake mix. I also zested my lemon before juicing it. The non-gluten free family and friends could not believe how good it tasted! Thank you!” – Leah N.

More Bundt Cake Recipes

  • Carrot Cake – I found a new way to use all of the same ingredients, including the ease of a cake mix, yet give the cake a lighter texture that is similar to the Nothing Bundt Cake texture.
  • White Chocolate Raspberry Cake – White chocolate chips and a raspberry filling give this cake so much flavor!
  • Try the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake – A rich and moist pumpkin cake that is perfect for the holidays.
  • Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake– This Bundt Cake is rich, moist, and delicious! Our recipe tastes just like the cake you can get at the shop.
  • Red Velvet Cake – The cake is rich and chocolatey and it is topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting.
Slice of Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake on a plate.

Nothing Bundt Cakes Lemon Cake Copycat

4.65 from 117 votes
This Nothing Bundt Cakes Lemon Cake Copycat recipe tastes just like the original! A sweet, tart cake with an AMAZING cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 15

Video

Equipment

  • Hand Mixer
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Bundt Cake Pan

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon cake mix
  • 3.4 ounces lemon pudding mix dry, instant pudding
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh lemon juice tastes best)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips optional

Frosting

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients.
    Ingredients for Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake
  • Using an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, pudding, sour cream, eggs, oil, lemon juice, and water for 2 minutes. If using white chocolate chips, chop the chips into smaller pieces and add to the cake batter. Pour cake batter into a greased bundt cake pan (nonstick cooking spray works best).
    Batter in a bundt pan for Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake
  • Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes.
    Baked Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake in a bundt pan.
  • Remove the cake from the bundt pan and place it on a serving plate or cake stand. See post above for details on how to easily do this. Wrap the cake well with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before frosting and serving.
    Unfrosted Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake.

Frosting

  • In a medium bowl or mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually add the powdered sugar. Start with 2 cups and then keep adding until the frosting is nice and thick.
    Frosting whipped in a bowl for lemon nothing bundt cake.
  • Place a ziplock bag or piping bag into a cup and fill with frosting.
    Frosting loaded in a piping bag using a cup for lemon nothing bundt cake.
  • Snip the corner of the bag. You want a thick frosting strip, so make sure the hole is big enough to let out the right amount of frosting.
    Cutting the tip of the piping bag for Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake.
  • Frost the cake in thick stripes going from the middle to the outside. Keep cake refrigerated.
    Top view of Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 627kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 6gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 490mgPotassium: 151mgFiber: 1gSugar: 51gVitamin A: 760IUVitamin C: 1.8mgCalcium: 163mgIron: 1.2mg

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About the author

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Pleasant Grove, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising, and her four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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Comments

  1. I make your cake all the time and I use 2 Lindt white chocolate bars. I have also two smaller bunt cake pans and the recipe makes two smaller cakes. I always have at least two cakes not iced in my freezer. Every time I take this cake to a dinner party everyone love’s it and want the recipe. I also ordered the Raspberry filling on Amazon and it is always perfect. Please help me to print the recipe – I took the cake to a Dinner party last Sunday and everyone want’s the recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    Have made this multiple times and it’s just perfect. My family loves it and ask for it often! Thank you

  3. 5 stars
    I have made this as a mini bundt cake with blueberries several times, my co-workers are addicted to them. I went to nothing but cakes, bought a dozen and it was $25. I have learned my lesson and bake these probably once a month, I have tried all different flavors too but, I only put a glaze on mine. Thank you so much for an awesome recipe !!!!

  4. 5 stars
    I cannot wait to make the Lemon Bundt Cake. The Raspberry cake turned out so delicious that I know the lemon will be a winner as well! Your recipes are truly amazing and most that I’ve tried are keepers!

  5. 5 stars
    This is a fabulous recipe, thank you. The first one I baked was perfect. However, the past two times the cakes had literally folded into its self ending up looking and tasting more like a pound cake. Does anyone know why this would happen? I’m not sure if I used a different cake mix the first time or not. I want to make this gif friends but I’m embarrassed to give them a shrunken Bundt!

  6. 5 stars
    My family loved this cake very much. I was requested to make it again for birthday days! I did add lemon juice to the cream cheese frosting giving a little extra kick. If I was thinking at the store I would have purchased more lemons as a garnish😜

    1. Try adding 2-3 Tablespoons of flour to the batter. This works for one of my Bundt cakes 🎂 make that tend to sink!

  7. 3 stars
    It was just OK. I substituted the lemon cake mix for chocolate, substituted the lemon pudding mix for vanilla, used 1 cup of heavy cream, only used 3 eggs and 1/4 cup oil, omitted the lemon juice, and used semi sweet chocolate chips instead of the white chocolate chips. For some reason it did not turn out as good nor did it have any lemon flavor? Why?

    Just kidding. Don’t you hate it when people take wonderful recipes and try to change it?

  8. 5 stars
    I can’t get over how good this is. This was my first Bundt cake, so I followed the directions exactly and it was delicious. Thanks!

    1. I haven’t tried cooking this in a bundtini, so I would just start with about 25 minutes and then check on them every few minutes.

  9. I don’t know what I did wrong, but for the first time in all my baking years, my bundt cake shrunk. It’s only about 3 inches high. I was so excited watching it bake as it rose to the very top of the pan. After 45 minutes I tested it and it was beautifully done. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan and when I came back to flip it, it had shrunk at least an inch. I covered & refrigerated it overnight and it tastes fantastic! BUT….this was a trial run for a bake sale item and it’s so tiny. What could I have done wrong?

    1. The two most common factors in cakes falling is moisture and oven temperature. Do you live somewhere humid?

    2. 5 stars
      I have made this cake from this recipe so many times I figure it is way past time I gave a review. It is a delicious moist cake and the frosting is to die for. I do not add all the powdered sugar (usually around 2 cups) and I grate a little lemon zest along with the raspberries and mint leaves for the top. This is one of my go to recipes when I want to impress!!! ❤️

    3. The same thing happened to me. My cake shrunk horribly as it cooled. I wanted to bring it to a friends house for a party. What went wrong?

    4. I came here to read the comments because I had the same problem! It looked so awesome coming out if the oven, then it literally folded into itself:-( It tasted great, more like a pound cake though.

    1. We haven’t tried using a lemon jello mix, so I unfortunately can’t say one way or another. Let us know how it goes if you do try it!

  10. Hi! What is the lemon pudding? What did you use? Also, do you prepare the cake mix like the box says and then you add the 4 eggs + oil or does your recipe already account for it? Thank you!

    1. The lemon pudding is a dry instant pudding mix. You can find it by the Jello on the baking aisle of most grocery stores. You don’t prepare the cake mix, you just add it in with the listed ingredients. Hope this helps!

  11. My cake took almost 65 min to cook. The crack was wet while the outside was done. It looks dark but per my dark pan they always are so that’s no biggie. Its beautiful and tastes delicious. I have made this for years.

  12. As someone who worked at NBC, I would suggest changing the lemon juice for lemon extract and the lemon pudding mix for vanilla pudding mix. Or even getting rid of the pudding mix all together. Also get rid of the white chocolate chips. NBC’s lemon cake is strictly that– a lemon based cake. It’s not a white cake so there’s no white chocolate in it. This is really good recipe for just a lemon bundt cake, but it’s not the best dupe for NBC’S cake.

    1. I never recommend lemon extract! It tastes horrible! Every recipe I have ever put it in is wretched. If you want more lemon, use lemon zest! But any recipe that has lemon extract RUN from!

      1. Put 2 drops of lemon extract in a 1/4 cup measuring cup then fill it with water. This will give the same lemon flavor as 1/4 cup lemon juice. Thanks for asking!

  13. 4 stars
    The results were pleasing and it was a great week night recipe for a lemon bundt cake to bring to work the next day. I made the cake after work and then wrapped and kept in the refrigerator. I woke up a 1/2 hour early and made the frosting. It was moist and tasted very good and people at work enjoyed it. I added one cup of white chocolate chips just because I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. They added a little texture which wasn’t too sweet. I also used real lemons for the juice. I decorated it like like a Nothing bundt cake and put lemons in the middle. The only difference is that I don’t think it had the height that I would have liked but it was fine. Thank you so much for this recipe.

  14. My cake was very dark, almost looks burnt…..I did cook it for around an hour because at the 45 and the 50 minute mark, the cake wasn’t done. Any insight as to why it got so dark? Thanks you!

    1. What kind of pan were you using? Sometimes different metals and coatings can transfer heat at different speeds.

  15. 5 stars
    Amazing! I’ll never spend $30 on the real deal Bundt cake ever again. This recipe is as good, if not BETTER! Thank you for sharing! 🍋 It was delicious!!

  16. 5 stars
    I even made this Gluten Free using Magnolia Mixes GF Lemon pound cake mix. I also zested my lemon before juicing it. The non-gluten free family and friends could not believe how good it tasted! Thank you!

  17. 5 stars
    Turned out perfectly. I added 5 extra mins to the bake time because I was worried it would collapse but it came out perfectly and I will try each time cutting the time back. This is just as good as the real ones. Thank you for sharing!!!

  18. I’m gonna TRY TO make this delicious lemon cake for my granddaughter for thanksgiving tomorrow I pray that you can respond quickly my granddaughter LOVES LEMON NOTHING BUNDT CAKES so I wona NAIL IT!! I wanted to see if you could tell me what box cake brand would you suggest and is it crucial to let the cake be refrigerated for a day or is it optional if I have to I will thank you for reading

    1. Hi! I am so sorry we didn’t respond back sooner, we were spending Thanksgiving with family. I hope your cake turned out well! Brand of cake mix doesn’t really matter with this recipe, and if you don’t have the time to refrigerate overnight, you can just put it in the freezer for 30 mins – 1 hr instead.

  19. The store didn’t have lemon instant pudding so I used vanilla. Instead of sour cream I used 2 small Greek lemon yogurts. I also used my stoneware 6 buntini pan. Tasted warm out of oven and was yummy! In fridge now.
    I’ll just dust with powered sugar as I’m not a huge frosting fan.

  20. Can I freeze these ahead of time? If so, can I frost them and then freeze them or should I avoid frosting them until I thaw them?

      1. My daughter’s wedding cake was a NBC. They explained how to freeze it. Place cake on the LID of a plastic bowl that will hold the etire cake. Freeze frosted cake unwrapped. When completely frozen, put the bowl itself on the lid. We ate that cake a year later and it was perfect!

  21. I would like to know if I could use this recipe and add raspberries to copy their seasonal lemon raspberry Bundt cake

    1. If you do, I would use freeze dried raspberries. Adding fresh raspberries will introduce too much liquid to the cake batter. Hope this helps!

  22. December 31, 2018 at 10:39 AM you replied to a reader whose cake didn’t turn out, “It must have needed more cooking time if the cake sunk. I live at an elevation of 4600 ft.” Wow! That is probably why several people, like me, had problems with the cake falling. According to https://www.wheatmontana.com/content/high-altitude-baking-how-make-your-recipes-work-mountains “High altitude is generally considered 3,500 or more feet above sea level. If this is you, then you need to make some adjustments to your recipes to ensure that your baked goods rise evenly.” So I take that to mean those who live closer to sea level (I’m at 338 ft.) must make the reverse adjustments to your baking recipes. Here are some things to try for those who live at lower altitudes (since not all can be done for this recipe, I’ve only listed those which can be done):
    Decrease temperature by 15-25° F.
    Increase baking time by 20-30%
    Decrease liquids by 1 to 2 tbsp. per 1,000 ft.
    I’m going to try again.

    1. This time I added 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, reduced the water by 1 Tbsp. and increased the baking time 5 minutes. I was more careful not to overbeat the batter. Also I was slow to bring the cake out of the oven. When it was done, I pulled the rack partway out with the cake still on it and left it there for a few minutes before moving it to a wire cooling rack. It didn’t fall this time. Hope this helps others.

  23. 5 stars
    I made this recipe and it was quick and easy and full proof! It was so good that my husband had three pieces before I had a chance to frost it and he’s quite the cake snob! Thanks so much for a great recipe

  24. 5 stars
    Just made this tonight and it was EXCELLENT! So moist and tasty! And the frosting was to die for! I didn’t have a Bundt pan so I made 2 cakes in 8” round pans and baked them at 325 for 33 minutes. The only thing I didn’t include were the white chocolate chips because I didn’t have any on hand. Thank you!!! 🙂

  25. I never made a bundt cake before and I want to try this, I want add berries into the cake, how do I need to adjust the recipe to accommodate or do I? I also want to split into smaller bundt cakes instead of on large on what are changes to the oven temp and time or do i? Thank you!

    1. Adding fresh or frozen berries to a cake can be tricky because it introduces a lot of liquid to the batter. I would use freeze dried berries. Or, you could add the berries into the frosting! For the smaller cakes, reduce the oven temp by 25 degrees and start with 20 minutes of baking. Check the cakes after that every 5 minutes until a toothpick or knife comes out clean after being inserted in the middle.

      1. Hi! I used a similar recipe years ago for my wedding trying to recreate their bundtinis, since they wouldn’t sell them to me with the frosting on the side and there are no locations to be had in Alaska 😆 and I was traveling from California. Anywho it’s now my daughters first birthday and I want to make them again and can’t for the life of me remember how long I should bake them for cupcake size Bundts. Can you give me your best guess? Thanks for your time!

        1. 5 stars
          I love these recipes! The recipe says white chocolate chips in the lemon cake are optional. Is that only if you want to add a different flavor or so they do that on the original recipe? I tried the white chocolate raspberry and it was amazing! Thank you!

          1. They don’t have white chocolate chips in the original lemon cake, but we think it is yummy!!

  26. Hello! Planning to bake this for my mom’s birthday this weekend! Is it necessary to let chill in the fridge overnight, or is there a way to bake and serve in the same day? Thanks for your help!

    1. You can achieve the same effect by putting it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Hope this helps! And Happy Birthday to your mom!

  27. 5 stars
    I made this and my family loved it! It turned out so moist and the frosting was perfect with the lemmon.

  28. 1 star
    I consider myself an “OK” baker and usually my desserts turn out OK, so my friends often volunteer me to make dessert for our dinner parties.
    I was making this cake for Easter and followed the instructions and ingredients closely. When I removed it from the pan it totally just flopped and sagged. Not sure what went wrong, however not as fool proof as one might hope.

    1. I’ve made this cake it’s delicious and turned out great several times. The last time I made it mine also flopped and sagged – you said check the baking powder/baking soda – the ingredients don’t call for either. Am I missing something?

      1. I’m so sorry! Thanks for catching that. I have deleted the comment. It was a response to another post about cake. There are a few different reasons that cakes can sag. If the oven door was opened during cooking, that can cause it to sag. It can also sag if it is under-baked. I hope this helped!

      2. Same here! I was so disappointed it literally deflated when I placed on rack to cool…. it still tasted good. I am so mad at myself. My baked goods always turn out fluffy and moist. However I threw away the box of pudding. Not sure If Hubby picked up one and not the other?
        I found a recipe back on the 4 th of July and it was a killer Bundt cake recipe! I wish I could find it

    2. That usually happens to me when i havent cooked it long enough. If you want to try again I would suggest adding 5-10 mins to the baking time.

      1. In what way will it not turn out? I checked 3 different stores in my area and the only lemon pudding mix I could get my hands on is the cook & serve… is it going to ruin the whole recipe? Do I absolutely need the instant kind?

        1. You can probably get away with the cook & serve. The cake might just turn out a little thicker. Hope this helps!

          1. I just made this tonight. It came out nice and full. But, in a couple of minutes it went flat. What did I do wrong?

        1. If you do, I would use freeze dried raspberries. Adding fresh raspberries will introduce too much liquid to the cake batter. Hope this helps!

  29. 5 stars
    I just made this lemon Bundt cake I used yogurt instead of sour cream and it was amazing. I will use half of the frosting recipe next time, otherwise, it was delicious as the ones from nothing Bundt cakes.

    Thanks sharing.

      1. Yes! You can put a ceramic ramekin or other oven safe cylinder in the middle to get the hole in the middle.

    1. It’s me again, I cut Large portions of the frosted lemon Bundt cake, and froze them in foil paper and put them in a freezer bag. The cake was way too big for just my husband and I. And I did not want it to go to waste. Yesterday I took a portion out of the freezer, let it thaw out on the kitchen counter and let me tell you it tasted delicious and still moist and the frosting was excellent. I still have two more portions in the freezer.

    1. We haven’t tried to use this batter for cupcakes before, so I can’t speak to how they would turn out. Let us know if you do try it!

        1. These are good rules of thumb for adjusting to high altitude. Hope this helps!
          Reduce baking powder: for each teaspoon, decrease 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon.
          Reduce sugar: for each cup, decrease 0 to 2 tablespoons.
          Increase liquid: for each cup, add 2 to 4 tablespoons.
          Increase oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

  30. 5 stars
    Still making this cake! It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! I think, that folks are using different brands of ingredients which greatly affects the outcome!

    Very easy, a bit pricey to make, but well worth it!

  31. 2 stars
    While this made a decent cake, it is NOT the Nothing Bundt Cake recipe or even similar to me. I reduced the pudding in half to keep it from being “heavy” but it was still not light like the on you buy. Also the cream cheese frosting was not like the stores. I feel I wasted time and good money on this one.

    1. I’m so sorry that this recipe didn’t turn out for you. There are so many factors that can affect a recipe, such as altitude, brand of ingredients, and freshness of ingredients. I hope you’ll give some of our other recipes a try!

  32. 2 stars
    I made the lemon cake for my husband’s birthday. I followed the instructions exactly except that I used an angel food cake pan instead of a bundt cake pan. The time was correct. I tested the cake with a Thermapen for temperature. It was 210°F. I took the cake out and set the pan on a cooling rack. A few minutes later it fell to about half its original height. After 20 minutes I removed the cake from the pan. After it cooled I cut a piece. It was delicious, but not presentable for a party. The inside of the cake was very dense at the bottom and had small holes in the top half. I didn’t bother with making the frosting. Such a disappointment. I’ve looked at recipes that had sour cream, but no pudding mix and others that had pudding mix but no sour cream. Maybe this recipe just tried to add to much. My cake mix was Duncan Hines 15.25 oz.

    1. I’m so sorry that this recipe didn’t work for you! We test all of our recipes to make sure they are accurate, but so many factors contribute to a recipe working out – altitude, freshness of ingredients, and brand of ingredients to name a few. I hope you’ll give our recipes another chance!

  33. 5 stars
    This was yummy! Made this the day before our event and refrigerated overnight. I used the Aldi’s gluten free (LiveGFree) brand – I used just one lemon cake mix (16 ounces). I also made it dairy free by using dairy free sour cream (also from Aldi’s). I like lemon as a flavor, but often need another balancing flavor (personal preference) – so I did a strawberry frosting from AllRecipes. I also left out the white chocolate chips since dairy-free WCC are hard to find.
    It was still very delicious, though! My non-gluten/dairy free hubby really liked it, and we agreed that it didn’t taste gluten/dairy free 🙂

  34. 5 stars
    Three people told me this was the best cake they had ever eaten! I did add lemon zest to the frosting and only used 2 cups of the powdered sugar… Perfection. Thank you for the awesome recipe!!!

    1. Wow, what a huge compliment! Great idea adding lemon zest to the frosting– yum! Thanks for the nice comment and for the 5 stars!

  35. I wanted so bad to make my husband a cake and totally destroyed it. I tried to cook the raspberry white chocolate cake and ruined it. The direction state to add one 5 once box of white pudding. When I bought it I got the smaller box and got two just in case i needed it. Sure enough my box was only half that so I added two boxes and cooked it that way. Not good. I then checked another recipe (The lemon cake recipe) I wanted to try of yours and it called for 13.4 ounces if pudding mix. I know know not to trust you again.

    1. Hi Amyi- I am so sorry this recipe was confusing. The recipe is for one (1) 3.4 ounce box. We switched recipe plugin templates and it made the numbers closer together so it looks like a 13 instead of (1) 3.4 oz. I changed it on the recipe to make it more clear. We are going through all of our recipes as we speak (all 1,000+ of them) to make sure this doesn’t happen again. We hope to regain your confidence in us again and try more of our recipes in the future!

  36. 5 stars
    I made this with the only exception I used Gluten Free Lemon Cake mix because my daughter and I have Celiac. My family LOVED it!!!! We are addicted to NBC and have to drive an hour to the nearest one. This recipe is a keeper for sure! Thank you!!!!!

  37. The recipe calls for 13 oz of instant pudding mix. That is more than three 3.5 oz boxes. That seems like a lot. Am I reading the recipe correctly?

    1. It’s actually one 3.4 oz box. Sorry with the new recipe format it looks confusing. Hope this helps!

  38. 5 stars
    I made this and it turned out wonderful!! I think it tastes better than the original Nothing Bundt Cake recipe!!

  39. 5 stars
    I make these in mini bundt pans so they are single serving size .. i made lots for a fundraiser they were perfect every time. Love the frosting .. will; never buy store bought again .. I’m called the cake lady at work .

    1. Hi Karen- I love that they call you the Cake Lady! That is definitely a good name to have! Thank you so much for coming back to tell us your success. Thanks for the 5-stars!

  40. 3 stars
    As per Susie’s review last Jan 2017,
    I found this recipe in October 2018, made it twice and both times, during cooling, the cake collapsed. It came out of the oven lovely, and after about 10 minutes had sunk in half.
    I used freshly purchased ingredients and two different brands of cake mix. This is soo similar to the Nordicware Bundt recipe for the chocolate cake, but increases the oil from 1/3 c. to 1/2 c.
    I’m so puzzled, I really wanted a good lemon semi-homemade Bundt cake. 🙁

    1. I’m so sorry the cake didn’t turn out! I’ve made this cake many times and I’ve not had that experience. It must have needed more cooking time if the cake sunk. I live at an elevation of 4600′ – is your elevation higher or lower than this?

  41. Hello ! I love your recipes! I was wondering if you have a nothinb bundt cake red velvet cake copycat 🙂🙂 Thank you

    1. We don’t yet…but it’s in the works for Valentine’s Day this year. Watch for it in February. 😉

  42. I tried your recipie this weekend but before I added the egg whites to the cake batter , it was really thick. It took too long to cook (an extra 30 min) and it still wasn’t done right. What did I do wrong ?

    1. I am so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you! It is hard to say without seeing it what may have gone wrong. So many factors can contribute to a recipe turning out differently than how we make it – altitude, brand of ingredient, expired ingredients, measurement discrepancies, etc.

  43. 5 stars
    This recipe is awesome! I think it was pretty darn close to Nothing Bundt Cakes’. 5STAR!!!.. I replaced sour cream with lemon flavored yogurt. And, halved the frosting recipe.

    1. Thank you for the s stars!!! So glad it worked out for you– and AWESOME idea to use lemon-flavored yogurt! I am totally doing that next time!

  44. For easy and perfect removal of a cake from a Bundt pan every time, you need to prepare the pan using pan grease. Mix equal amounts of Crisco shortening, vegetable oil, and all purpose flour well with a mixer. Brush it inside of Bundt pan well with a pastry brush. After baking, let cake sit for a couple of minutes until cake begins to pull away from the pan, then invert onto cake plate. Perfect release every time. Pan grease can be stored in frig.

  45. I’m sorry to say this recipe failed several times for me, and I am an experienced baker. The cake collapsed when cooling and was a gummy mess inside. Nothing like Nothing Bundt.

    1. We are sorry this didn’t work for you! We honestly can’t figure out why it works for some people and not for others? What brand of cake mix did you use?

  46. 4 stars
    The recipe was good – cake was very moist with an awesome texture. However, I was a little disappointed in the “lack of lemon” flavor in the cake. So, doing this again, but adding some zest and a bit more juice to it.
    However, Thank You for the recipe!

  47. 5 stars
    What an AWESOME recipe! This came out (in my opinion) exactly like an NB cake! Thank you so much!

      1. Hi. My son absolutely LOVED this cake and would like me to make it for his birthday. However for theme purposes I have to make it in a 9×13 pan. Would this turn out the same?

        1. We haven’t tried making this bundt cake in a 9×13 pan, so I can’t say how it would turn out! Let us know how it goes if you do try it!

  48. 5 stars
    OMG! I’m a Nothing But Bundt addict and someone pointed me to this recipe and so I tried it out and WOWZA! It was absolutely perfect, dense, moist and delicious. LOVED the white chocolate pieces in the lemon cake! I need some practice frosting the cake but otherwise, it was a total winner! Printing this for future use for sure!

    1. So glad that you liked this Lemon NBCake! And THANK YOU for such a wonderful review! 😀

  49. I love your chocolate cake recipe. I’ve made it twice and it’s a hit. I want to do a lemon raspberry. If I follow the recipe for the lemon one how would you do the raspberries?

  50. If you think this recipe is going to taste like the lemon cake from Nothing Bundt Cake, you will be sorely disappointed. I made this last night, and it is not even close. It is ok, but neither the cake nor the frosting is anything like Nothing Bundt Cake.

  51. 5 stars
    Tried this cake today. First I want to say that my family LOVED it. It really doesn’t taste like the Nothing Bundt Cake lemon, but it has already been requested for a birthday cake and to take to my husband office. I will say that the icing recipe makes way too much and it was too sweet and not thick enough. I didn’t add any more powdered sugar to thicken it more as it was already super sweet. I think I would cut it in half and still have plenty. Thanks!

  52. Loved the Lemon Bundt cake but tried my version by adding a cup of lemon pie filling.
    I added it by pouring about 1/3 of the cake mix into prepared pan then added about 1/2 cup of lemon pie filling -the added some more cake batter and swirled the mixture lightly -then put the remaining lemon pie filling and the remaining cake batter. Followed recipe baking instructions. Refrigerate over night. Tastes delicious and refreshing.

  53. Hello!! Do you have a recipe similar to this that doesn’t use cake mix? I make everything from scratch and don’t like to use anything store bought or pre-made. I don’t mind using the pudding mix, but I would like to avoid the cake mix. If you could help me out that would be great!! Thanks!!

  54. Tried your recipe and I had to write and say thank you. I followed your recipe as written and it came out perfect. I used cooking spray and it came out of the pan cleanly. And it is light and moist and is just as good as the original…..next up is the white chocolate raspberry!!

    1. Thank you for your nice comment! So happy that you liked the cake and that it turned out so well for you. Let us know what you think about the White Chocolate Raspberry!

  55. Great taste, I will make again. But….. I don’t think it is nearly as good as Nothing Bundt cakes.
    The crumb/texture is way off comparatively speaking. Perhaps its the cake mix? I was shocked that even with 4 eggs, oil & sour cream, it was dry comparatively speaking. I ended up making a lemon syrup/glaze (poured over the cake) before frosting it. This helped but as I mentioned, the texture just wasn’t the same.

  56. I knew there was another question- The white chocolate chips. The recipe says they’re optional, what do you really think? Is it better to use them or not?

    1. I like to use them because I never have regretted using chocolate 🙂 But some people like just the pure lemon flavor so it’s totally up to you!

  57. I’m going to make this next week and I have a few questions. If my cake mix has pudding in it already, should I not use the additional box? I was also thinking of using a couple of drops of lemon essential oil instead of the lemon juice. Do you think that would be a mistake since there would be less liquid?

    1. Hi Jessica, yes – still use the pudding even if the cake mix has pudding in it. I think using the essential oil will be fine. I would put the couple of drops of essential oil in a 1/4 cup measuring cup and fill the rest of the cup with lemon juice or water. Using lemon juice will make your cake really lemon-y. It will be delicious!

  58. Hi,
    This cake looks amazing. I bought a bee hive cake pan for an upcoming party. It came with a lemon cake recipe but it wasn’t quite right. I was thinking of trying this be but I am wondering if it will hold the shape of the beehive and the little bees that are part of the mold. What are your thoughts?

  59. BEST LEMON CAKE IVE EVER HAD!! I made this for my sister in laws birthday and everyone LOVED it. It is so moist it practically melts in your mouth. I made a cream cheese glaze to go with it. Mm mm good. I will absolutely be making this cake again. And again. And again.

    1. So glad you like this recipe!!! We love it too, it is perfect for Spring (if Spring will ever come this year, am I right??)

  60. I wish there was a “liked it” button. This is a really good cake, but it’s not the same as the Nothing Bundt Cakes one. This recipe has the right texture, but there needs to be more lemon flavor to be a copy cat recipe.

    This recipe tastes best when refrigerated.

    1. I copied this review from my Pinterest one where you could pick “Loved it” or “Not for me” and forgot to edit.

      The cake is really good, just not quite the same for me. I’m toying around with brushing on a lemon flavored simple syrup to see if that fixes it for me.

      1. 5 stars
        I added about 1/2 to a tsp of lemon extract. Perked it up quite a bit. One full recipe will make 2 8″ pan bundt cakes…I made a total of 12 cakes…(6 recipes) all with lemon extract…and received rave reviews from all clients I gave them to.,

      1. Glad I wasn’t the only one! I added lemon juice to fix it for me, but it’s good to know about the lemon flavoring. I’ll give that a try!

  61. I love this cake and have made in numerous times. I spray with Baker’s Joy and it always comes out beautifully. Only thing, it falls to about half the size. What can I do?

        1. This is exactly what happened to my TWO attempts to make this cake. I thought my first fail was something I had done but the second cake did exactly what Susie above says. It comes out of the oven looking great then during the 20 minute cooling in the pan, the cake completely goes flat. It ends up being a rubbery tube about 2 inches tall. SO sad.

          1. Also, I should point out that I used a Betty Crocker mix the first time and a Duncan Hines the second time, with the same bad results. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I know my oven is fine because after the two cake fails, I made (from scratch) chocolate cupcakes and they turned out just fine. I’m so curious as to why this would happen.

          2. 3 stars
            Same thing happened to me! Made the chocolate and it turned out perfect, made the lemon and it looked beautiful when it came out and then fell to half the size, really wanted this cake for an event so I made it again being extra careful with measurements and mixing and it happened again! Crazy 😜

          3. I am so sorry this happened to you! It is hard to know what can cause things like that. There are lots of different culprits – expired ingredients, different altitudes, and oven temperatures can all contribute.

    1. 5 stars
      I did mini last night (I usually do the full size one) and I ended up making a full size. The mini didn’t have that same dense pound cake feel. They seemed to light and airy for me. I lost the rich yummy part of this cake.

      1. I’ve had the same experience with trying to make mini bundt cakes. They lost their yummy dense texture, came out more like regular cake. I wonder if possibly lowering the baking temperature so it cooks slower would help?

      2. Love this recipe. I think using “good” butter Kerry’s Gold, with flouring after, mine came out beautifully. Thanks!!

  62. I made the cake twice. I have been making the chocolate version for about 30 years, since I was a teen, always perfect. When I was introduced to Nothing Bundt Cakes my eyes opened to a new possibility, Ive been hooked ever since.

    I made the lemon version twice. The first time with a cooking spray with flout in it. Almost came out, but the frosting would have covered it. The top was highly carmelized, could this be due to the natural sugars in the lemon juice? The second time I only used a regular cooking spray because that is what I use for the chocolate and the receipt did not say “grease and flour” and only half came out.

    Both were very tasty and I liked the lemon juice addition. Would a lemon extract work or taste tinny? I will go back to the nonstick with flour and try again tomorrow.

    1. I haven’t tried it with lemon extract because I am not a fan of the taste. I have thought about trying this cake with lemon oil as a substitute for the lemon juice. I have found that the bundt pan I use does make a big difference in how the cake comes out of the pan. I’ve tried a couple of newer non-stick pans, but I keep going back to an old bundt pan I’ve had for years. It’s not a non-stick pan, but with the non-stick cooking spray it works like a charm every time. Greasing and flouring the pan should work as well.

      1. See my comment above about using shortening – not cooking spray. Also, you might like lemon emulsion if extract doesn’t work for you.

        1. I have used baking spray with flour in it and then also floured after spraying and it works every time with no messy shortening.

  63. It looks like delicious even though I never tried it yet.????????????and still hoping that I could taste it so I could tell if its delicious or not.????????????

  64. Somehow this cake didn’t turn out for me. The flavor was terrific, but the cake was heavy as a rock. I followed the recipe, so I don’t know what happened. I wonder if the fact that I used a moist cake mix, which probably already had pudding like stuff in it, made the cake just too heavy. Also, I made half of the frosting and had plenty. Frosting recipe was very good–not too sweet.

    1. This is a heavier cake, as bundt cake’s are…but, not as heavy as a rock. The problem is the likely the moist cake mix because the cake is getting extra pudding. It could also be an altitude issue if you live above 3,500 feet. If this is the case, you would need to add 1 Tbsp of flour to the recipe and an additional 1 Tbsp for every 1,500 feet above that. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor of the cake and the frosting in spite of the heaviness. Thank you for your comment!

  65. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out your method for getting the cake out of the bundt pan. I would love it if you would post a video or at least a couple of pictures showing the method. I understand the part about running the knife around the inside edges between the cake and the pan but the upside down plate portion of the description just doesn’t make any picture for me that will give me the cake on the plate correctly!

    1. LOVE the idea of posting a video… we are putting it on the “to-do” list. We have dozens of videos right now but none of our bundt cakes yet. The most important part is getting the pan greased and floured. Are you talking about the part where you flip the cake on to a plate?

      1. Just wondering….. the recipe didn’t say anything about the flour after greasing, but you mentioned it here. If so, how much flour do you use?

        1. Oh sorry, it must have been in the raspberry bundt cake recipe. I like to grease the pan and lightly flour (shaking out any excess into the sink, hitting the sides of the pan so there is a really light flour coating). I usually use butter to lightly grease but you can use cooking spray and then flour. Does that make sense?

          1. I ONLY use Crisco (shortening) to grease pans if I plan on removing the cake for presentation. Use a piece of waxed paper and really get the shortening in there …every single nook and cranny. Follow it with flour. Don’t even think about cooking spray. I started using shortening when I first made a lamb mold cake (where it is really, really necessary due to the complexity of the mold) and have never looked back.

      2. I agree grease and flour but in your recipe it states you can use non stick spray which by the way doesn’t work at all. Sorry I had to find out the hard way!!

      1. 5 stars
        Thanks Marsha! I just started having trouble getting bundt cakes out of the pan. I was embarrassed that they would come out in chunks on the top. Tried greasing and flouring and other spray products. I remember reading your post and bought Baker’s Joy the last time I went shopping. It worked perfectly. I had to write and thank you.

        Bonnie

    2. I’ve made this cake twice (but without lemon) and it came out great. I always use just butter to grease the pans and it falls right out. Also, if you bake it a little less it comes out even moister. Just check with a toothpick.

      1. Yes, always go by the toothpick test since all ovens bake differently! Thanks Linda! So glad you liked this recipe 🙂

  66. Just made the lemon version for Father’s Day. followed the recipe exactly. Tasted great and was a hit. Any tricks on getting the cake itself a little lighter – seemed heavy? I used a Betty Crocker lemon cake mix. Recommendations on a better cake mix?

    Thanks

  67. I followed this recipe to the tea and was pleased with the out come, we visit Nothing Bundt Cake kinda often and lemon is one of my favorite flavors. Job well done.

  68. I made the chocolate “nothing but bundt” cake, and it was delicious! My daughter-in-law, an artist, frosted it for me though!

    1. So glad you liked it!!! If you can, a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes , we would love to see a picture of her creation!

        1. I am so sorry that this cake didn’t turn out for you, Patricia! A couple of things that can cause cakes to shrink are too much liquid and quick temperature changes. If you add any additional liquid like food coloring or extra lemon juice that can cause the chemistry of the cake to be off. Also, if your kitchen is too cold and the cake comes directly from the hot oven to the cold kitchen, that can cause it to fall as well. Altitude can also affect how recipes turn out in different regions. I hope this helps!

          1. I am so sorry this didn’t work out for you. Did you make any changes to the recipe?

          2. I live in high altitude, little over 6,000 ft. My cake came out fine, here I have to add 1-2 tblsp. of water and 1-2 tblsp. of flour to everything I bake. One more thing, I have found if I use generic brands for any of my baking, I don’t get the same results, I don’t know why. I have to use Jello pudding and Pillsbury or Betty Crocker cake mix. C & H Powdered Sugar, that sort of thing. Any generic oil seems to be fine. Hope any of that helps!

  69. Sounds & looks incredible! Are you using the ‘new size’ cake mix – which is like 15. ‘something’ ounces? I know the frosting is very delicious, but I’ll just drizzle it with a “Lemon Glaze”, in or to keep down the calories.