The bright flavor of lemon in this sweet and tangy Lemon Burst Buttermilk Cake is a flavor combination that's universal. It's one of those desserts that will brighten the dreariest of days ideal served just as it is for brunch with a cup of coffee or hot tea, or served as a simple dessert with berries and cream.
Easy Lemon Burst Buttermilk Cake Recipe
Cakes made from scratch are the best kind of cakes. While I do occasionally develop recipes using a cake mix and have several recipes here on my website that begin with a mix, when time allows I prefer baking from scratch. I find it a challenge that's both satisfying and fun to take everyday ingredients and flavors then mix them together to create something special. Especially, when the end result is as sweet as this lemon butter bundt cream glazed cake.
How to Make the Best Lemon Burst Buttermilk Cake
A loaf cake is ideal for those occasions that may be a bit more informal or for when a smaller portion dessert is all that's needed. For brunch, tea or dessert this lemon cake will satisfy your sweet spot.
- Ingredients you'll need to make homemade Lemon Burst Buttermilk Cake: All purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, granulated sugar, large eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- For the lemon glaze you'll need powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Kitchen gadgets you'll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer, large mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a citrus zester and lemon juicer, two 8 x 4 x 3 inch loaf pans and a whisk.
- I'm a skilled baker and 99% of the time I sift together the dry ingredients using a whisk. Trust me, it works like a charm.
- When making any baked goods that require flour, always spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. If you plant the whole measuring cup into the flour, it can become compacted and will result in dry cakes and cookies.
- This lemon cake can be made in advance and frozen until serving. When doing so, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and glaze just before slicing.
- Store Lemon Buttermilk Cake in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More Lemon Dessert Recipes to Make
While we often think of lemon as a warm weather dessert, it's far too delicious to limit to one time of year. Other Southern style lemon goodies you may like to try:
- Scratch made Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake.
- Easy Lemon Curd can be served as a filling for cupcakes, with pound cake and fresh berries or with scones.
- Homemade Lemon Bars features lemon from the crust to the filling.
- Blueberry Lemon Trifle is a stunning addition to the dessert table.
- Lemon Cookies from Love From the Oven.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Lemon Burst Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- Glaze:
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon zest reserve ½ tablespoon for garnishing
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray (2) 8 x 4 ½ x 5-inch metal loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Beat until creamy then add the eggs one at a time. Beating well after each addition.
- To the creamed mixture, add 2 tablespoon zest, reserving 1 ½ tablespoon for glaze and garnish. (1 tablespoon for glaze plus ½ tablespoon for garnishing)
- Mix together ¼ cup fresh lemon juice with ¾ cup buttermilk. Add to the mixing bowl alternately with the sifted dry ingredients. Beat until fully combined and all of the dry ingredients are fully moistened.
- Divide the batter between the 2 loaf pans. Bounce the pans to release air bubbles.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center shows moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the glaze: Mix together powdered sugar, heavy cream, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and lemon juice until drizzling consistency. Add additional cream or juice 1 teaspoon at a time to thin.
- Drizzle the loaf with glaze, sprinkle with reserved ½ tablespoon zest, slice and serve.
Nutrition
My name is Melissa and I'm the Creator of Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen. Cooking, baking, developing recipes and kitchen tips is my passion. I love sharing my dishes and connecting with people through the food that I create.
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Ramona Jarrells
Thank you, I am looking forward to this cake and I am sure I will love it... my husband and I love Lemon Cake.
Diane
Fabulous! Bright lemon flavor! Made a fresh blueberry compote to go along with it.
Melissa
Thank you, I'm so happy you enjoyed them!
Susan
Haven’t tasted it yet but fingers crossed. For some reason the center of the cake caved in a little bit with a crack. Do you know what could have caused this?
Melissa
If the center caved in, it's likely underdone. Always test the center with a cake tester or toothpick before removing it from the oven.
Greg
So appx how much zest should there be in the cake and the glaze. I know 1/2 T for garnish
Melissa
Reserve 1 Tbsp for glaze, 1/2 Tbsp for garnishing and the remaining 3-4 Tbsp goes into the batter. The amount in the batter can vary depending on the amount you yield from zesting the lemons.
Mrs Deborah Scoffings
hi what can i use instead of granulated sugar please. had gastric surgery so cant eat sugar
thanks debbie
Melissa
I'm not sure there's an easy answer. If you've used sugar substitutes in the past to make other cakes with success it should work for this recipe. I haven't tested it so, I can't tell you with certainty.
Ruby g Howes
wondering i I can make my own pie filling for the custard pie bars
Melissa
If you prefer.
Nana Jo
Can the lemon burst loaf cake be frozen? With or without glaze? How would you prepare it for freezing?
Melissa
It freezes beautifully. Cool it completely, wrap in freezer wrap and freeze. Glaze before serving.
Ann Ferreira
Yes, it can be frozen. I just baked this as a Bundt cake last week and wrapped it and froze it. After defrosting I put a glaze on it. Delicious cake and very moist.
Lydia Bambao
Thank you for sharing your recipe
Melissa
You're welcome!
Anna
Could this be baked in a Bundt pan ?
Melissa
It can be baked any shape you like. The amount of batter was specifically designed for a loaf.
Sheneka Beaumont
I haven't made the cake yet but I plan too in the next day or two. I just wanted to know that if I used cake flour instead of AP would the amounts change and if so how much?
Melissa
You would use the same amount of cake flour.
Emma
This cake was super easy to make. The cake was light and fluffy. I made it without the icing and it was still tasty. Thank you for sharing the recipe
Katrina J Oliver
I baked this cake a few weeks ago using gluten free flour. I used Bob's Red Mill GF flour using the same amounts as your recipe. It had to cook much longer, can't remember amount of extra time, but it was great!
Charlotte
AMAZING !!! 😋😋😋😋
Melissa
Thanks so much!
Nancy
A friend brought this to our ladies group today and it was wonderful. We all wanted the recipe, especially since the friend also brought us fresh picked lemons. It was to most, and tasted sooo good.
Melissa
Hi Nancy, how wonderful, thank you for visiting!
Zhanna
I love this cake ! I must have made this already like 5 times in the past year. Right now its in my oven again but this time with some dried cranberries. Thank you for sharing this!
Melissa
Hi Zhanna, I'm delighted you're enjoying this cake, thank you!
Dawn Sole
Hello, can I add 1 or 2 cups of frozen blueberries?
Thank you
Dawn
Melissa
I haven't tested fruit in this particular cake however, you probably could. Fresh would be better.
Theresa Barrier
I see all your delicious recipes on my phone, I just wish I could forward them to my email where I could print them. There's the options of Twitter, FB, Instagram, Pinterest, etc., bUT no emaIL option. I do subscribe to get your daily recipe via email, but it seems like more recipes show up on FB and those I cannot forward to my email.
Melissa
Hi Theresa, that's why we provide a print option so, you can save any recipes you like. After having an email option for several years, it wasn't offered in the recipe template when it converted.
roxanne
Can I make this into one bundt cake?
Melissa
You can but, it won't make a large cake as it's designed for a loaf pan.
Charmaine
Hi Melissa...I just made this cake...I made little adjustments cut down the lemon juice and some sugar...It turned out super moist and delicious (it was to die for)..Thank you so much for sharing. It will always be my go to recipe..Charmaine...
Charmaine
Hi Melissa...I just baked this cake, did little adjustments...Cut down a bit of the lemon juice and sugar..It was perfect and to die for...It was super moist and delicious.....Thank you so much for sharing...This will always be my go to recipe...Charmaine
Melissa
I love this cake, I'm so happy you do, too.
Lorry
Looks so, so yummy. Also very easy... I'm planning on making this for Thanksgiving at Nana's. She prefers to have everything catered but there HAS to be something homemade even if it's not pumpkin! Thanks for the recipe!
Melissa
How wonderful, I love this loaf cake hope you do as well.
Christie
Hi Melissa, this recipe looks great I can't wait to try it! I don't like a lot of sugar in my baking, so if I reduced the amount of sugar by half (use 1 cup instead of 2), how much do you think I should reduce the lemon zest? The lemon cakes I've made in the past turned out a little bitter and I concluded that it was because I reduced the sugar but didn't reduce the lemon zest?
Melissa
My guess is if you half the sugar use half the amount of zest.