Nothing Bundt Cake Recipe – Lemon Copycat From Scratch
A completely from-scratch Nothing Bundt Cake recipe with fresh lemon, a moist bakery-style crumb, and thick cream cheese frosting. No boxed cake mix or instant pudding.
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Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour 240g
- ⅔ teaspoon Baking powder 3g
- ⅔ teaspoon Salt 3g
- 2 sticks Butter- softened 226g
- 2 cups Granulated sugar 450g
- 4 large Eggs- room temperature
- 4 ounces Cream cheese, room temperature 113g
- ⅔ cup Buttermilk 160ml
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
Glaze Ingredients (Optional)
- ⅓ cup Lemon Juice
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
Frosting Ingredients
- 3 cups Powdered sugar 339g
- 1-3 tablespoon Milk, half-and-half, or cream 15ml
- 4 oz Cream cheese- softened 113g
- 4 tablespoon Butter- softened 57g
Instructions
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt cake pan to ensure easy release. Use a stand mixer, electric mixer, or hand mixer on medium speed to prepare the cake batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, measure the buttermilk, and fresh lemon juice. Set aside.
- Zest the lemon directly into the granulated sugar and stir to combine.
- Mix the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth and combined. You can do this by hand, with a hand mixer, or with a stand mixer. Be careful not to overmix.
- Add the lemon sugar to the butter and cream cheese mixture and mix just until combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix; stop as soon as the last addition of flour disappears.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt cake pan, spreading it evenly and tapping the pan gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Place the bundt cake pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Baking times may vary, so keep an eye on the cake and adjust as needed.
- Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Then, carefully invert the cake onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
How to Make the Optional Lemon Glaze
- Combine ⅓ cup lemon juice, with ⅓ cup granulated sugar and bring to a simmer. Let cool slightly and brush over the top surface of the bundt cake. Allow the glaze to cool and soak into the cake before frosting.
How to Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Begin by softening the cream cheese and butter. Leave them out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before beginning.
- Use an electric mixer to mix the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and mix until combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar in two or three additions and mix just until smooth and creamy.
- Add the milk, half-and-half, or cream 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition. Stop as soon as the frosting is thick, smooth, and pipeable. It should hold its shape when piped rather than spreading.
- Once you've achieved the perfect consistency, your cream cheese frosting is ready to frost your bundt cake.
How to Frost Your Bundt Cake
- Ensure your Bundt cake is completely cooled before starting the frosting process.
- To fill a piping bag: first, insert a large round piping tip into the bottom of the bag. Then, use a spatula to scoop your frosting into the bag, ensuring it's evenly distributed and avoiding air pockets, before twisting the top of the bag to close it.
- To replicate the iconic Nothing Bundt Cakes look, start at the outside edge of the cake and pipe a thick stripe of frosting up and over the cake toward the center. Rotate the cake and repeat, spacing the stripes evenly all the way around.Once all of the stripes are piped, use a small offset spatula or knife to gently smooth the frosting together in the center of the Bundt cake.Watch the video for a step-by-step example of how I pipe the frosting to get that classic Nothing Bundt Cakes look.
- If desired, add decorative touches like sprinkles or edible flowers to recreate the Nothing Bundt Cake style.
- Allow the frosting to set slightly before serving your beautifully frosted Bundt cake.
