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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.
Table of Contents
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 a special birthday, baby shower, or a casual Saturday evening dessert. See below the recipe for helpful tips and more recipes like this one.
Key Ingredients
- Lemon cake mix – A quick and flavorful base that brings bold citrus flavor.
- Lemon instant pudding mix – Adds extra lemon flavor and keeps the cake super moist.
- Sour cream – Makes the crumb tender and rich, just like the original.
- Eggs – Help bind the cake and give it structure.
- Vegetable oil – Keeps the cake soft and moist.
- Fresh lemon juice – Adds bright, natural lemon flavor.
- Water – Helps thin the batter to the right consistency.
- White chocolate chips (optional) – Add a creamy, sweet contrast to the tart lemon.
For the Frosting:
- Cream cheese and butter – A rich, tangy base for the frosting.
- Vanilla extract – Adds a warm flavor to balance the lemon.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the frosting to a pipeable texture.
- Fresh raspberries and mint (optional) – For a beautiful and fresh garnish.
How to Make Lemon Bundt Cake
- Preheat and prep your Bundt pan with non-stick spray or butter and flour. Mix the batter by combining cake mix, pudding, sour cream, eggs, oil, lemon juice, and water until smooth. Fold in white chocolate chips if using, then pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, before turning out onto a rack.
- Remove from the bundt pan (see tips below) and place on a serving plate. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill the cake overnight for best texture and easier frosting.
- Make the frosting by beating together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until thick and fluffy.
- Fill a piping bag or ziplock bag with frosting. If using a ziplock bag, snip a corner of the bag to allow for a thick frosting stripe.
- Frost and decorate by piping thick stripes over the cake and topping with fresh raspberries and mint if desired. Keep the cake refrigerated, if not serving immediately.
Tips and Tricks
- Use fresh lemons for zest and juice to get the best citrus flavor. Bottled juice works in a pinch but isn’t as vibrant.
- Bring ingredients to room temperature (like eggs, butter, and sour cream) for a smoother, well-mixed batter.
- Don’t overmix—stir just until combined to avoid a dense texture.
- Grease the Bundt pan thoroughly with baking spray or butter and flour for easy release.
- Avoid overbaking by checking a few minutes early. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes before inverting to help the cake set and prevent breakage.
- Try a lemon glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice for a quicker, zesty topping.
- Garnish with lemon zest to brighten the look and flavor.
- Store in an airtight container at room temp for a few days, or refrigerate to keep it fresh even longer.
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.
- Run a knife around the outer and inner edges of the cake (between the cake and the pan).
- Place the plate or stand you will be using to hold the cake upside down on top of the bundt pan.
- 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.
- 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.
- If not, flip the platter and bundt pan over again and start over by running the knife around the edges of the pan.
How to Frost
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.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! In fact, it tastes even better the next day. Chill the unfrosted cake overnight for the best texture, then frost before serving.
Nope! They’re optional. They add a sweet, creamy bite, but you can leave them out or swap with another mix-in like blueberries.
Absolutely! Just make sure it’s a lemon-flavored mix or add extra lemon zest and juice to boost the flavor.
Keep it covered in the fridge. It stays fresh for up to 4–5 days. Let it sit at room temp for about 15 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Yes—freeze the unfrosted cake tightly wrapped in plastic and foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then frost before serving.
A 10- to 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan works well. Just make sure to grease it thoroughly so the cake releases easily.
More Bundt Cake Recipes
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 Chip, White Chocolate Raspberry, Red Velvet and more!
Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lemon cake mix
- 3.4 ounces lemon instant pudding mix, *IMPORTANT – SEE RECIPE NOTES
- 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
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- raspberries , for garnish (optional)
- mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients.
- 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).
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes.
- 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.
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.
- Place a ziplock bag or piping bag into a cup and fill with frosting.
- 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.
- Frost the cake in thick stripes going from the middle to the outside. Keep cake refrigerated.
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Bundt Cake Pan
Notes
- IMPORTANT NOTE ON INSTANT DRY PUDDING MIX:
- Use fresh lemons for the brightest flavor—bottled juice just isn’t the same.
- Room temp ingredients mix more smoothly for a better batter.
- Mix gently to avoid a dense cake—just until combined.
- Grease the pan well to help the cake release cleanly.
- Check for doneness early; a few moist crumbs on the toothpick is perfect.
- Cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes before turning out.
- Try a lemon glaze for a quick topping, or finish with cream cheese frosting.
- Sprinkle lemon zest on top for a fresh look and flavor.
- Store airtight at room temp or refrigerate to keep it fresh.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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. 🙁
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?
Hello ! I love your recipes! I was wondering if you have a nothinb bundt cake red velvet cake copycat 🙂🙂 Thank you
We don’t yet…but it’s in the works for Valentine’s Day this year. Watch for it in February. 😉
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 ?
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.
What kind of “oil” do I use?
Canola oil or coconut oil should be fine!
So, do I make the pudding or just put the dry mix in?
You just add the dry mix. Hope this helps!
Do you have recipe for strawberry nothing bundt cake?
Not yet, but we do have a delicious Strawberries and Cream Cake! Click here for the recipe.
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.
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!
How much yogurt did you use? Thank you!
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.
Great idea! Thank you for sharing!
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.
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?
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!
Great idea to add more lemon zest to kick up the lemon flavor!
What an AWESOME recipe! This came out (in my opinion) exactly like an NB cake! Thank you so much!
So glad you liked this recipe! Isn’t it PERFECT for SPRING?
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?
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!
What size bundt pan do you use?
We used the standard 10-cup (about 9 1/2 – 10″) bundt pan. Hope this helps!
I made this lemon cake this past weekend. It was delicious!
So glad you liked it 😀 Perfect for Easter weekend. Such a Spring-y flavor
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!
So glad that you liked this Lemon NBCake! And THANK YOU for such a wonderful review! 😀
Thanks for the lemon cake recipe, it was the best!
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?
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.
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!
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.
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!!
This one is made from scratch but it is a coconut cake, not lemon… https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/coconut-cream-cake-with-coconut-cream/ You could probably make some changes to it to make it a lemon cake like this one here. Hope this helps!
I use the lemon cake recipe from grandbaby cake website….yummy with a capital him!