Do you ever find yourself craving a cake from a dessert or party that you cannot get it out of your head?? That’s how I’ve been feeling lately about Nothing Bundt Cake’s Lemon Bundt cake. If you have never tried their cakes, they specialize in bundt and bundtlets (mini bundt cakes, basically the cutest desserts ever!) and they were always my favorite for office birthdays and celebrations. Now that I’m fully remote like so many other people, I find myself craving those classic office delivered desserts and decided to try and make this copycat! Not to toot my own horn but honestly, I was shocked with how similar this copycat is 🙂
What makes this a perfect copycat?
- Lemon flavor: Getting lemon flavoring right in baking is so tough! It can be bitter, too faint, too intense, etc. I also wanted that bright yellow inside without adding food coloring. I managed this by incorporating instant lemon pudding mix and fresh lemon juice and zest into the batter. This created an absolute flavor bomb of delicious lemon goodness!
- Moist cake: One of the reasons Nothing Bundt Cake’s desserts are so delicious is because of how moist they are. I’m talking, they’re sticky to the touch moist. Although the actual cake is super soft due to using a mix of buttermilk, oil and butter, I also made a quick lemon simple syrup and soaked the cake with that. It reinforces the lemon flavor while making the cake the most amazing texture.
- Frosting: Traditionally their frosting is a thicker cream cheese frosting but I wanted a lighter option since the actual cake is more dense. I use a mix of butter and cream cheese and add heavy whipping cream to thin it out to the consistency I want. If you want it to be thicker, feel free to omit the cream!
So what is the true secret ingredient in this cake? It’s the instant lemon pudding! Adding the instant pudding mix adds extra fat and flavor to the cake which gives it that moist, soft crumb. I mean, look at that slice! Make sure you pick up instant pudding because the cook and serve kind will not work. I was able to find the lemon flavor in my local grocery store or you can order it on amazon!
This truly is the ultimate lemon cake. The super moist cake is packed with lemony flavor and the tangy cream cheese frosting is so light and airy. I’m telling you, if you’re thinking of making this recipe, just do it, trust me! And if you do, please let me know what you think in the comments 🙂 For other bundt cake recipes, check out this Banana Bundt Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting recipe!
Equipment used:
Lemon Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the bundt cake:
- ¾ cup salted butter room temperature (12 tbsp)
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest the zest of about ½ a lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk room temperature
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3.5 oz box instant lemon pudding
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
For the simple syrup:
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest the zest of about ½ of a lemon
For the frosting:
- 4 tbsp salted butter room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2-3 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
For the bundt cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350° and grease and flour bundt pan. In the the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until light and creamy, 3-5 minutes.
- Add flour, buttermilk, oil and lemon juice. Mix on low until just combined. Stir in the instant pudding, eggs, baking soda and salt. Mix on low until combined. Pour into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until golden brown and baked through. While the cake is baking, make the lemon simple syrup and frosting.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for ten minutes in the pan. Place a wire rack over the base of the cake, invert the pan and flip it out. While the cake is still warm, brush on the simple syrup. Let the cake completely cool before frosting it. Store sealed in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For the lemon simple syrup:
- Combine water and sugar in a small pot, stirring occasionally. Bring to a light boil for 1 minute then remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Pour into a bowl and set aside until needed.
For the frosting:
- Add butter and cream cheese to a stand mixer and beat until smooth. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla and salt and mix until it's all incorporated. Add heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency. When the cake has completely cooled, frost and serve!
Sam
I am so excited to try this recipe but my little one has an egg allergy. Do you have an egg replacement you recommend for this recipe?