When you want a quick and super easy dessert, look no further. This Simple Lemon Bundt Cake is just what you want! You start with a cake mix, add four ingredients and Voila! you have a luscious lemon cake that everyone will love!
I don’t normally use a cake mix because my grandmother Mimi taught me how to bake at a very early age. But when speed is of the essence, a cake mix is a life saver.
The lemon Jello gelatin adds a beautiful light lemon flavor. You can boost that by adding some lemon juice for part of the water. Pour about 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice into your measuring cup and fill to 2/3 full with water. Add it to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix into a beautiful batter.
I like a really bold lemon flavor so I added a few drops of food grade lemon oil from LorAnn Oils. They are the best and have more flavors than you can believe. It is an amazing company and one of my favorites!
Being gluten-free, finding cake mixes is more challenging. I really like King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Cake mixes. They bake beautifully, aren’t gritty or grainy, and taste wonderful. I can’t wait to see how it behaves with the additions in this recipe! You can find them at some grocery stores or you can order direct from their online store.
King Arthur has several options to choose from but I stick primarily with their yellow and chocolate cake mixes. There are likely other options in other areas of the country/world. Use what is easiest for you to find!
When you are getting your bundt pan ready for baking, I like to use traditional pan spray (not the kind with flour in it). It easily gets into all the little nooks and crannies that many bundt pans have in the design. The cakes release easily and pop right out of the mold! So much easier than buttering them by hand.
If you want to pipe the frosting around the top or bottom of the cake, you want it thick enough that it will not easily shake off of a spoon when held upside down. That is the texture that is perfect for piping beautiful designs that hold up!
If you want to make ruffled roses use the 1M piping tip. If you have a set of jumbo/large piping tips, you can play with them until you find the ones that make the designs you want. There are lots of videos on YouTube that will guide you. Here’s one you might like.
I chose a very simple design for today’s version because I knew I wanted to top it with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and didn’t want to disrupt a more complex design. Use whatever you have available. The design can be as fancy or plain as you like depending on the bundt pan you choose.
When your recipe calls for adding a bunch of eggs one at a time (like this recipe), it is easiest to break them all into a measuring cup with a spout. From there you can easily pour them in, one yolk with accompanying whites at a time. If you accidentally drop two yolks, don’t panic, just be them in until fully incorporated.
The frosting is wonderful with just a hint of the white chocolate highlighted by the fresh lemon juice and vanilla. It whips up to a luscious fluffy gorgeousness. I used it today on top of the cake but it would also be beautiful piped next to the cake on the platter or onto the plates when you are serving the cake.
If you want the easiest dessert that is perfect for dinner parties, birthday parties, showers, or weeknight treats, this Simple Lemon Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is for you!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Simple Lemon Bundt Cake:
- Cake: yellow cake mix, lemon Jello gelatin, oil, hot water, lemon oil, optional, 4 eggs
- Frosting: cream cheese, butter, white chocolate chips, confectioners’ sugar, salt, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon oil, optional
- Optional Garnishes: lemon slices, piped frosting around bottom of cake, sprinkles or decorations for the season or occasion
PRO Tip:
You will want a larger bundt pan for this recipe because this cake expands a lot in the oven and may rise well above the level of your bundt pan. But it will shrink back as it cools, coming down to about the level of the lip of the pan.
PRO Tip:
My favorite cooking, baking, and candy-making flavored oils are from LorAnn. Amazing quality and flavor in every single one. Their highly concentrated oils are suitable for candy making and baking. I keep mine in the refrigerator with eye dropper tops on the bottles.
How to make Simple Lemon Bundt Cake:
- Butter or spray a bundt pan. Do not use the spray with flour in it if you are gluten-free!
- Prepare the Cake: Using your mixer, combine the cake mix, Jello, oil, and water. Mixing until smooth. Mix in the lemon oil if using. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition and after all the eggs are added, beat for about 30 seconds on medium until creamy and thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake at 350°F (180°C) about 40 to 48 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Set the bundt pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then turn the cake out onto the rack and finish cooling it completely.
- Make the Frosting: Cream together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Mix in the melted white chocolate. Add the vanilla and lemon juice with a pinch of salt, mixing until combined. Add the powdered sugar, half at a time, mixing after each addition and then whip on medium for a minute until light and fluffy. Mix in food coloring if using.
- Dollop on top of the cake or use a large piping bag and tip to create roses or other decorative additions to your cake. Add lemon slices around the edges and sprinkle with seasonal decorations or candies if desired. Slice and serve.
PRO Tip:
To tell when the cake is fully cooled, feel inside the center hole to judge the heat level. It is the last place to cool and will let you know when it is time to frost the cake.
PRO Tip:
If you don’t want to bother with making frosting, you can make a simple glaze with lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar. Start with about 3 cups of powdered sugar and a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Mix together until smooth. Add more juice if too thick, more sugar if too thin, and more of both if you don’t have enough glaze. Pour it over the top of the cake and let it puddle on the plate or platter beneath.
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Zester
- Citrus reamer
- Bundt pan
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Wire cooling rack
- Piping bags
- Large piping tips
Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good gluten-free choices.
** My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s or another brand you will likely not need as much because they are saltier.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Simple Lemon Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Frosting (GF)
When you want a quick and super easy dessert, look no further. This Simple Lemon Bundt Cake is just what you want! You start with a cake mix, add four ingredients and Voila! you have a luscious lemon cake that everyone will love! Top it with white chocolate buttercream for a luscious treat or use a simple lemon sugar glaze.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box (about 13.25 oz; 376g) yellow cake mix (King Arthur’s Gluten Free mix is 22oz; 624g)
- 1 box (3 oz; 85g) lemon Jello gelatin (Not pudding!)
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup warm/hot water
- Several drops of lemon oil**, optional
- 4 large eggs
Buttercream Frosting
- 8 oz (1 brick; 227g) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 8 tbsp (1 stick; 113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (85g) white chocolate chips, gently melted
- Pinch kosher salt**
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 3 cups (339g) confectioners’ sugar (powdered)
- Food coloring, optional
Optional Garnishes
- Fresh lemon slices
- Piped frosting around the bottom or dolloped on top
- Sprinkles or decorations for the season or occasion
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter or spray a bundt pan thoroughly and set aside.
2 .Prepare the Cake: In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, blend the cake mix, Jello gelatin, oil, and water together until smooth. Mix in the lemon oil if using. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until creamy and thick.
3. Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake about 40 to 48 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean (or according to package directions). Set the bundt pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove the pan, and cool completely.
4. Make the Frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Mix in the melted white chocolate. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and zest, plus a pinch of salt, mixing to combine. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 at a time, thoroughly mixing between additions and whipping for a minute after the second addition to make it light and fluffy. Add coloring if using. You want it thick enough that it will not easily shake off a spoon when held upside down. Add more sugar if needed to get the right consistency.
5. Dollop it on the top of the cake or transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (such as a 1M) and pipe frosting onto the cake. Decorate with lemon slices and seasonal decorations if desired. Slice and serve.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* My preferred brand of kosher salt is from Diamond Crystal. If you use Morton’s or another brand you will likely not need as much because they are saltier.
** My favorite cooking, baking, and candy-making flavored oils are from LorAnn. Amazing quality and flavor in every single one. Their highly concentrated oils are suitable for candy making and baking. I keep mine in the refrigerator with eye dropper tops on the bottles.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. And use grams, they are much more accurate than pounds and ounces.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Cake adapted from a recipe from Jamie Lee Curtis, originally found in Anne Byrn’s “The Cake Mix Doctor” cookbook
Frosting adapted from a recipe from Cheryl of Pook's Pantry
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 743Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 13gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 416mgCarbohydrates: 106gFiber: 1gSugar: 88gProtein: 6g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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