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The most delicious way to welcome citrus season is with a sparkling citrus champagne bundt cake. With a light and lovely golden crumb and the perfume of winter citrus, this bundt is reminiscent of the best pound cake.
Made with champagne (or prosecco), fresh citrus zest, and freshly squeezed citrus juice, this simple citrus bundt cake is so light and delicious.
I love to top slices with a dusting of snowy powdered sugar. It’s also fantastic served with creamy scoops of homemade Meyer lemon ice cream or a drizzle of lemon glaze.
Success Tips
Use fresh citrus zest and juice in this cake – I love using a blend of winter citrus like Meyer lemons and tangerines. For maximum citrus flavor, combine sugar and citrus zest in a food processor and process for 1 minute, until finely ground and aromatic.
The baking time may vary a bit depending on the shape of your bundt pan, so start testing for doneness after 40 minutes in the oven. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
More sweet citrus recipes you’ll love:
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Citrus Champagne Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 44 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 4 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This light and lovely citrus champagne bundt cake is perfumed with winter citrus and the perfect celebratory bundt cake for citrus season!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 Tbsp fresh citrus zest
- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup champagne or prosecco
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed citrus juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 10-cup bundt pan generously with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Combine sugar and citrus zest in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute; combine with butter in a large mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time. Mix in flour mixture on low speed until almost incorporated. Add champagne, citrus juice, and vanilla; mix on low speed just until combined.
- Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake for 40 to 44 minutes, until cake is golden, springs back to the touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes; carefully invert onto rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Baking pan: I used this 10-cup Heritage Bundt Pan
I made the cake this morning! I used the Nordic Ware Crown bundt pan and have some questions….
First of all I accidently used only 8 TBS butter instead of 10, and cake was still extremely moist. Which brings me to the question, is the cake supposed to be a bit gooey on the inside? I inserted a pick several times that came out clean. The cake was PLENTY done on the outside edges, but the inside was very, very moist when I cut into it. Just wondering if the inside wasn’t done, as I’ve never used a pan like this before. Whatever the case, it’s a huge hit at work!
Hi Elaine, thanks for your feedback! It is a moist cake, though it sounds like it may have been a touch underdone. I’ve never baked in the crown bundt pan, so I can’t speak to how that specific pan conducts heat. From my experience with other Nordic Ware bundt pans, the edges tend to bake much more quickly than middle, which sounds like your experience as well.
Hi, I don’t have a hand mixer or mixer. Do you think I could still make this recipe?
Thanks,
Allison
Hi Allison! It can be done, though it will take more effort on your part. 🙂 This article from Food52 is a good resource that gives tips for creaming butter and sugar with a wooden spoon. The comment section there also has some helpful tips from readers who have used that technique. Once you’ve creamed the butter and sugar, you can add the eggs and then fold in the dry ingredients followed by the wet ingredients. Hope that helps!
Made this last night and brought it to work. It was a BIG hit! I ended up topping it with a mixed berry glaze and fresh fruit. My husband begged me to keep the recipe in our dessert recipe collection! Thank you for a super easy and delicious recipe
I also used San pellegrino sparkling blood orange juice in place of the champagne since it’s all I had on hand.
So happy to hear that, thank you Amber! 🙂 The sparkling blood orange juice is such a good idea too – can’t wait to try that!
I have a family member with a milk allergy- any recs on subs for butter?
Hi Christina, I haven’t baked with any butter substitutes so I can’t speak to any impact on the texture of the cake. I would try something like Earth Balance or a similar dairy-free butter stick that can be used as a 1-to-1 replacement for butter.
Just made this with tangerines and Prosecco – so light and delicious!
Thanks Lisa, so glad you tried this recipe!
This cake is a joy to make and a joy to eat!! I used sparkling cider and Meyer lemons and it was beautiful. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Donna! 🙂
Has anyone made this, popped in freezer, then thawed and served later?
Hi Angela! This cake freezes well – let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once fully cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and then wrap again in foil or place the wrapped cake in a freezer bag and freeze up to 2 months. The day before you plan to serve, let the cake thaw (still wrapped to prevent condensation). Dust with powdered sugar or glaze just before serving.
This cake is so delicious! I just snacked on a few crumbs (and more of the batter than I care to admit).
Will definitely visit your blog more often!
Thank you so much, Jazz! So glad you tried this recipe! 🙂
I made this lovely cake as a gift for friends and they loved it so now I am making one for us! (I found Meyer Lemons at the store this morning and we are expecting snow.)
A very happy new year to you!
Thanks so much, Amy! That’s great to hear! 🙂
What type bundt pan is that and where did you purchase it?
Hi Diane, it’s the Heritage Bundt pan by Nordic Ware.
Happy new year! Looking forward to seeing new recipes in 2018! All the best!
Can you substitute the champagne for something else if you don’t have any?
Hi Marlene, you can use champagne, prosecco, or sparkling wine.