Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream (can substitute plain Greek yogurt in a 1:1 substitution)
Lemon Glaze
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or as needed to thin out glaze)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F and place the rack in the center. Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan thoroughly to prevent sticking, then set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds until evenly combined; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Add eggs one at a time to the creamed butter mixture, beating well after each addition to incorporate fully. Then mix in lemon zest, vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, and vegetable oil until everything is well combined.
- Incorporate Flour and Sour Cream: With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry flour mixture and sour cream to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the flour. Mix gently until just combined without overmixing; the batter will be quite thick.
- Fill Pan and Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center—it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. The referenced bake time was about 44 minutes.
- Cool in Pan: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. This resting period allows the cake to firm up for easy removal.
- Remove from Pan and Cool Completely: Carefully invert the bundt cake onto the rack, then cool until just warm to the touch. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to cool completely to retain moisture.
- Prepare Lemon Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or lemon juice to thin, aiming for a thick, pourable glaze.
- Glaze the Cake: Once the cake is fully cooled, pour the lemon glaze evenly over the bundt cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides for a beautiful finish.
Notes
- Use a 10-cup bundt pan for best results; properly greasing and flouring ensures easy release of the cake.
- Allowing the cake to cool slightly before removing from the pan helps prevent sticking and breaking.
- Covering the cake with plastic wrap while warm helps retain moisture and keeps the cake tender.
- Sour cream can be substituted with plain Greek yogurt in equal parts.
- The glaze consistency is key: it should be thick enough to coat but pourable enough to drizzle easily.
- Room temperature ingredients help achieve a smooth batter and even baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 44 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
