Sourdough Lemon Bundt Cake

May 19, 2025

This sourdough lemon bundt cake is bright, buttery, and bursting with lemon, juicy raspberries, and creamy white chocolate chips folded right into the batter. And the best part? It uses sourdough discard—a delicious way to reduce waste while adding flavor and moisture to this sourdough lemon bundt cake!

A moist sourdough lemon bundt cake topped with creamy white glaze, garnished with fresh strawberries, blackberries, lemon slices, and edible flowers, displayed on a white cake stand with a slice cut to reveal raspberries baked inside.

This pound cake is spring in a bundt form. It’s bright, buttery, and bursting with lemon, juicy raspberries, and creamy white chocolate chips folded right into the batter. And the best part? It uses sourdough discard—a delicious way to reduce waste while adding flavor and moisture to this sourdough lemon bundt cake!

The texture is soft and tender thanks to buttermilk and butter, the sourdough lemon bundt cake is topped with a silky cream cheese glaze flavored with vanilla. It’s the kind of cake that turns a regular day into a celebration — and no one will guess it started with your leftover starter.

Tools you will need

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dry Ingredients:

2 ½ cups (320g) all-purpose or cake flour
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda

Lemon Sugar:

2 cups 400g granulated sugar
3 tbsp lemon zest (from about 3 large lemons)

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup (120g) sourdough discard (100% hydration)
½ cup (120g) sour cream
¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (60ml) milk or buttermilk (room temperature)
Butter for greasing the pan

Mix-ins:

1 cup (120g) fresh raspberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 tbsp flour (for tossing berries and chips)

Lemon Syrup:

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (use real lemons)
½ cup (100g) cane sugar
Zest of 1 lemon

Cream Cheese Glaze:

4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
2–4 tbsp heavy cream, as needed for consistency

Let’s Bake!

1. Prep your pan and preheat the oven.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Generously butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan — get into all those curves and ridges if your pan has details! Flip the bundt pan upside down and pat it so the extra flour comes out. This step is key to a clean release.

2. Mix the dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. Make the lemon sugar.
In a separate small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar using your fingertips — this releases the fragrant citrus oils and gives the cake a bright lemony base.

A white bowl filled with lemon sugar, made by rubbing lemon zest into granulated sugar, sits on a kitchen counter next to whole lemons, a microplane zester, and a mixing bowl with flour.

4. Cream the butter and lemon sugar.
In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat the softened butter until smooth and fluffy, about a minute. Add the lemon sugar and beat for another 2 minutes until pale and airy.

A mixing bowl with creamed butter and sugar sits on a kitchen counter, with a hand mixer resting inside. Surrounding the bowl are cracked eggshells, whole eggs, a peeled lemon, a butter wrapper, and a floured Bundt pan in the background, capturing the process of making a lemon cake.

5. Add eggs and wet ingredients.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Then mix in the sourdough discard and lemon juice until combined. Don’t worry if it looks a little curdled — it’ll smooth out once the dry ingredients go in.

6. Combine and fold in mix-ins.
Add half the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low until just incorporated. Add the buttermilk and sour cream and mix until combined, then add the remaining dry ingredients and stir until smooth. In a small bowl, toss the raspberries and white chocolate chips with one tablespoon of flour—this helps prevent them from sinking. Gently fold them into the batter.

A mixing bowl filled with lemon cake batter and fresh raspberries sits on a kitchen counter, surrounded by peeled lemons, cracked eggshells, a floured Bundt pan, and baking tools, capturing the preparation stage of a raspberry lemon Bundt cake.

7. Fill and bake.
Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. If it starts browning too quickly, loosely tent it with foil for the last 15 minutes.

A Bundt pan filled with lemon raspberry cake batter is ready to be baked, surrounded by baking ingredients including cracked eggshells, juiced lemons, a citrus juicer, measuring cups, and a large mixing bowl on a kitchen counter.

While it bakes, make the lemon syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice, sugar, and zest. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside to cool slightly.

8. Soak the cake.
Once the cake is out of the oven, let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, poke small holes over the surface with a skewer or fork and slowly pour the warm syrup on top. Let it soak for 10–15 minutes more before inverting the cake onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before glazing.

A golden-brown sourdough lemon bundt cake sits on a white cake stand as a hand holds a wooden spoon, gently drizzling syrup over the warm cake, ready for the final glaze.

Make the glaze:

Beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until fluffy. Drizzle in heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired glaze consistency — thick but pourable.

9. Glaze and serve.
Drizzle the cream cheese glaze generously over the cooled cake. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with lemon zest, fresh raspberries, or even a few extra white chocolate chips. This recipe makes the perfect sourdough bundt cake! Enjoy with a hot cup of tea 🙂

A beautifully decorated sourdough lemon bundt cake topped with creamy white glaze, fresh strawberries, blackberries, lemon slices, and colorful edible flowers, displayed on a white scalloped cake stand with a striped cloth underneath.

Tips for Success

Don’t skip flouring the bundt pan. It really makes a difference in ensuring the cake releases cleanly.
Toss your berries and chips in flour. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom.
Room temperature ingredients = better texture and easier mixing.
Want to prep ahead? Bake the cake a day in advance and glaze it before serving.

This cake is the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, soft with little bursts of berry, and so satisfying with a cup of coffee or tea. Whether you’re baking for a brunch, a birthday, or just because you have sourdough discard to use — this one is always a hit. If you love lemon desserts, made sure to try our sourdough discard lemon bars

Sourdough Discard Lemon Bundt Cake with Raspberries, White Chocolate & Cream Cheese Glaze

This bright, tender bundt cake is bursting with lemon flavor and made with sourdough discard — a baker’s secret weapon for extra moisture and a subtle tang. Fresh raspberries and white chocolate chips take this springtime treat over the top, and a rich cream cheese glaze drizzled on top brings everything together.

Whether you’re trying to use up discard or just want a lemony showstopper, this recipe delivers.

How to Store This Cake

Room Temperature:
If your kitchen is cool, the unglazed cake can sit at room temperature for up to 2 days, covered well with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

Refrigerator:
Because of the cream cheese glaze, I recommend storing the glazed cake in the fridge. Wrap slices individually or store the whole cake in a cake container. It will keep for up to 5 days and stays moist!

Freezer:
Yes, it freezes beautifully!

To freeze the whole cake: Wrap it (unglazed) tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
For individual slices: Wrap each slice and store in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temp or warm gently before serving. Add glaze after thawing for best texture.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen raspberries instead of fresh?
Yes! Use them straight from frozen and toss in flour like the fresh ones — just don’t thaw first, or they’ll release too much liquid.

What if I don’t have buttermilk?
You can make a quick substitute by mixing ½ cup whole milk with 1½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes before using.

Can I skip the white chocolate chips?
Absolutely. They add sweetness and creaminess, but the cake is still delicious without them — or you could substitute chopped white chocolate or even dark chocolate if preferred.

I don’t have sourdough discard. What can I use instead?
You can swap it with ¾ cup full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream, but you’ll miss out on that subtle sourdough tang. Still works beautifully though!

What kind of bundt pan do you use?
I used a standard 12-cup bundt pan. If your pan is smaller or has lots of intricate details, reduce the batter slightly or be sure not to overfill.

Can I make this into cupcakes or a loaf instead?
Yes! This recipe adapts well to:

Two 8×4-inch loaf pan – bake ~45–55 min.
Cupcakes – fill liners ⅔ full and bake for 18–22 min.

Why is my cake sticking to the pan?
This can happen if the pan isn’t greased and floured thoroughly. Be sure to get into all the crevices, especially with decorative bundt pans. Using softened butter (not melted) and tapping out excess flour helps too.