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Whether you’re a seasoned home baker or just dipping your toes into the world of cakes, this limoncello Bundt cake is a total breeze to make—and even more fun to eat. Light, fluffy, and bursting with bright lemon flavor, it’s topped with a sweet limoncello glaze that takes it over the top. With the sunny kick of limoncello in both the cake and the glaze, every bite is a perfect balance of sweet and zesty. It pairs beautifully with everything from your morning coffee to a chilled glass of milk, and it makes a stunning centerpiece for Easter, brunch parties, or any celebration that calls for a little citrusy cheer.
Limoncello liqueur elevates this luscious limoncello bundt cake to gourmet status. It’s soft, sweet and richly flavored. If you like lemon, you’re definitely going to love this!
Lemon fans might also want to try lemon ricotta cookies, limoncello panna cotta, or this favorite lemon poppy seed loaf. Limoncello tiramisu is also amazing!
Why You’ll Love This
Easy: There’s nothing difficult about making this tangy, zesty cake. Once you’ve combined the ingredients, you can bake the batter in a bundt pan and, when the finished cake has cooled down, pour the glaze over the top.
Lemon-licious: If lemon is one of your favorite flavors, you’re really going to love the beautiful flavor limoncello liqueur gives to this light and tasty limoncello bundt cake recipe. It’s both sweet and citrusy.
Popular: If you’re thinking about making limoncello cake for a party or buffet, you might want to consider doubling the recipe. This cake is always very popular and everyone will want at least one slice!
Limoncello Bundt Cake Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below
Limoncello: This Italian liqueur is one of the main ingredients in the cake recipe and you can find it just about anywhere that sells liqueurs. You can also make homemade limoncello.
Sugar: Use granulated sugar for the cake and powdered sugar to make the glaze.
Lemon zest: This boosts the citrusy lemon flavor in the cake and also adds a fresh taste.
Sour cream: To add moisture to the cake and also a creamy, tangy flavor. Use creme fraiche instead if you want.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla and lemon are a harmonious duo. Add a few extra drops if you love vanilla as much as I do!
Yellow food coloring: This is an optional ingredient. You can leave it out if you don’t mind a paler colored cake.
How to Make a Limoncello Cake
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card
Combine some of the ingredients: Beat the sugar with the oil and then add in the eggs, sour cream, limoncello, lemon zest, vanilla and, if using, the food coloring.
Add the remaining ingredients: Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl and then whisk this flour mixture into the egg mixture.
Bake: Pour the cake batter into a flour-dusted, greased bundt pan and bake in a preheated oven for about 50 minutes.
Cool: Let the limoncello cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then flip on to a plate and let it cool completely.
Make the glaze: Beat the powdered sugar and limoncello and drizzle over the cake, then sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.
Substitutions and Variations
Alcohol-free option: If you want an alcohol-free version, swap the limoncello for a mixture of water, lemon extract and sugar. You will need the same amount of liquid. Another option is using half lemon juice and half water, with a pinch of sugar added too.
Orange cake: Swap the limoncello for orange liqueur, the lemon zest for orange zest and the yellow food coloring for orange food coloring, for an orange cake.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: If you’re making this limoncello cake for a party, perhaps start off with some corn and jalapeno cheese dip or mini pizza bagel bites.
Main course: Next up, get everyone in an Italian food mood with chicken pesto sandwiches or penne rosa pasta.
Drinks: A glass of chilled homemade Italian limoncello is great served with this cake.
How to Store Limoncello Bundt Cake
Store: Keep the baked limoncello cake recipe in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last for up to 5 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the cake for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag.
Thaw: Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for several hours on the countertop.
Top Tips
Food coloring: Although the food dye is optional, it does give the color a very pretty hue.
Cool in the pan: The cake needs to cool in the pan until you can touch the pan sides without burning your fingers. Tip it out gently and let it cool completely on a plate before adding the glaze.
Don’t overmix: Overmixing the batter makes the cake come out chewy, so try to avoid this.
Room temperature ingredients: Letting everything come to room temperature means the batter will mix smoothly and the eggs won’t deflate in the mixture.
Limoncello Cake FAQs
This helps ensure your limoncello bundt cake comes out light and soft. Cold ingredients can produce a lumpy batter and using ingredients straight from the fridge means risking your eggs deflating in the batter.
If you want, once it’s cool, use a skewer to poke holes over the top of the cake and then, when you pour the glaze, some will seep into the holes. This is optional but fun.
If you want, you can add a scoop of lemon sorbet or something contrasting like raspberry sorbet or vanilla ice cream.
Best Limoncello Cake Recipe
Limoncello Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 Cup vegetable oil
- 1 Cup sour cream
- 2 Eggs
- 3 Tablespoons limoncello
- lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 or 3 Drops food coloring, yellow, optional
- 2 Cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
For the Glaze:
- 2 Cups confectioner’s sugar
- 4 Tablespoons limoncello
- lemon zest, from 1 lemon, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a bundt cake well with cooking spray. Dust with flour, making sure all the crevices are coated.
- Beat the sugar and oil together, then add the eggs, sour cream, limoncello, lemon zest, vanilla and food coloring and combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then stir into the cake.
- Pour the cake into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove and cool for 15 minutes. Gently loosen the sides by sliding a knife down the edges. Place a plate over the cake and flip the cake over onto the plate.
- Beat the confectioner sugar and limoncello together and drizzle over the cooled cake.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with the lemon zest and serve.
Notes
Cool in the pan: The cake needs to cool in the pan until you can touch the pan sides without burning your fingers. Tip it out gently and let it cool completely on a plate before adding the glaze.
Don’t overmix: Overmixing the batter makes the cake come out chewy, so try to avoid this.
Room temperature ingredients: Letting everything come to room temperature means the batter will mix smoothly and the eggs won’t deflate in the mixture.
Nutrition
This limoncello bundt cake has to be one of the best lemon cakes ever. It’s light, fluffy, flavored with sweet, tangy limoncello liqueur, and finished with a delectable glaze on top. It’s an easy recipe boasting a wonderful lemon flavor in every bite. Whatever the occasion, this cake is sure to be perfect, as everyone loves the zesty, heady flavor of lemon and this cake is very citrusy and tasty!
Other Recipes to Try
- This Italian limoncello wedding cookie recipe is also really delicious.
- A limoncello panna cotta is a delicious dessert that is a classic in Italy!
- Italian canestrelli cookies are a treat that pair nicely with lemon Bundt cake.
- This pineapple upside down Bundt cake is another gorgeous recipe.
- Lemon lavender vodka cocktail is so refreshing and delicious too!
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This sounds terrific but I dont know what Limocello is can you please help me?
Limoncello is a liqueur. You can buy at the store or make your own. I have a recipe here.
https://xoxobella.com/limoncello-bundt-cake/
To substitute try a mixture of water, lemon extract and sugar. You will need the same amount of liquid. Another option is using half lemon juice and half water, with a pinch of sugar added too.
I absolutely love this website…I will be trying all of these receipes they remind me of my younger days in chicago when all my friends Mom’s were italian and baked like crazy and wonderful food as
well as desserts….so far, I only tried the Limoncello bundt and it was awesome …keep on posting , please and thank you
SO glad you enjoyed the bundt! So many recipes are family favorites that I have, especially the Italian ones.
This recipe is the bomb! So flavorful and easy to prepare! Absolutely my new fave. 🙂
The taste is superb! Such a delicious cake.