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Whether you’re a keen home baker or somewhat new to baking, you’re going to find this delicious limoncello bundt cake straightforward to make. It’s a light, fluffy cake topped with a sweet lemon glaze. Limoncello liqueur features in both the cake itself and also the glaze. Everyone will want a slice of this sweet and zesty cake, and you’ll find it goes with anything from a glass of milk to a cup of coffee. It’s also a lovely centerpiece for an Easter party or just about any other special occasion you can think of!

A limoncello bundt cake with white glaze and lemon zest topping on a glass plate, surrounded by lemon slices and flowers.

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!

A limoncello bundt cake with icing and zest garnish, served with lemon slices and lemonade, presented on a glass plate with floral decorations in the background.

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!

Sliced lemon bundt cake with limoncello glaze and zest on a serving platter.

Limoncello 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.

Ingredients for baking a limoncello bundt cake laid out on a countertop, including a bottle of limoncello, eggs, flour, sugar, lemon, and other baking supplies.

How to Make a Limoncello Cake Recipe

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.

Limoncello bundt cake with glaze and lemon zest topping on a glass serving plate.

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.

Pouring glaze over an easy lemon bundt 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.

An easy bundt cake with glaze and zest topping, partially sliced.

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.

A limoncello bundt cake recipe with glaze and zest decoration, accompanied by fresh lemon slices and tulips on the side.

Limoncello Cake FAQs

Why do the ingredients have to be at room temperature?

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.

Can you make it a poke cake?

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.

What can you serve this with?

If you want, you can add a scoop of lemon sorbet or something contrasting like raspberry sorbet or vanilla ice cream.

A slice of lemon flavored bundt cake on a plate with the remaining cake in the background and fresh lemon slices as garnish.

Limoncello Cake Recipe

Limoncello bundt cake with white icing and lemon zest garnish on a glass serving plate.
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5 from 15 votes

Limoncello Bundt Cake

By: Bella Bucchiotti
Limoncello liqueur elevates this luscious lemon cake to gourmet status. It's soft, sweet and richly flavored. If you like lemon, you're definitely going to love this!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

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

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.
Let it cool: 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
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Ingredients for baking a limoncello bundt cake laid out on a countertop, including a bottle of limoncello, eggs, flour, sugar, lemon, and other baking supplies.
Bowls of flour and liquid ingredients, including limoncello, on a table, likely prepared for baking bundt cake.
Ingredients for baking a limoncello bundt cake arranged on a countertop with a handheld electric mixer.
Mixing bowl with ingredients and electric hand mixer, with flour in another bowl and a bottle of oil nearby, suggesting limoncello bundt cake preparations.
Ingredients for a limoncello bundt cake dough and a hand mixer on a tabletop, in the process of baking.
Ingredients for a limoncello bundt cake recipe with an electric mixer on a kitchen counter.
A bowl of whipped limoncello mixture next to a bottle of oil and a pair of egg beaters on a textured gray surface.
Unbaked limoncello bundt cake batter in a bundt pan on a gray surface.
Ingredients for a limoncello bundt cake arranged neatly on a countertop, including lemons, sugar, a sifter, and liquid ingredients.
Ingredients for limoncello bundt cake with flour, whisk, and lemons on a kitchen countertop.
Ingredients for limoncello bundt cake recipe with whisk in bowl of liquid on a kitchen countertop.
A freshly baked limoncello bundt cake on a silver platter with lemons and a whisk alongside.
A limoncello bundt cake with white glaze on a glass plate, accompanied by lemons and a jug of glaze on a kitchen countertop.
A slice of limoncello bundt cake with icing and lemon zest on a white plate, accompanied by a lemon wedge and a jug of lemon sauce.

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

Limoncello bundt cake with glaze and lemon zest garnish.
A limoncello bundt cake garnished with lemon zest on a serving plate.
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.

 

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Recipe Rating




5 from 15 votes (12 ratings without comment)

4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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

    Reply

    1. SO glad you enjoyed the bundt! So many recipes are family favorites that I have, especially the Italian ones.

      Reply