Today I’m bringing you a fresh, flavorful bundt cake recipe that you’ll want to make again and again! Bundt cakes are very traditional, but this Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake is packed with lemon flavor and perfect to snack on all week! The topping is a light cream cheese frosting and the inside is packed with poppy seeds. This recipe is simple, super flavorful and perfect for a crowd.
WHAT MAKES THIS SO DELICIOUS?
- 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 this recipe is so delicious is because of how moist it is. I’m talking, almost 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: For bundt cakes the frosting is traditionally 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! You can also thin it out to make it more of a glaze!
Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the bundt cake:
- ¾ cup salted butter room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3.5 oz box instant lemon pudding mix
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
For the simple syrup:
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
For the frosting:
- 4 tbsp cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 4 tbsp salted butter room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy cream room temperature
- ½ tsp kosher salt
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, salt and poppy seeds. 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 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!
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