This Lemon Cake has mouthwatering acidity and sweetness and tender, moist crumb. Saturated with a refreshing lemon glaze that is poured over a still-warm cake, each bite bursts with fresh lemon flavor. It hits the spot for just about any occasion when you want to dazzle with a light and tangy, fall off the fork, absolutely addictive dessert!
Why You’re Gonna Love This Lemon Cake:
Burst of Zing: Adding lemon zest and juice to the chickpeas makes for a deliciously tangy, refreshing bite.
Moist and Tender Cake: Using a box cake and a pudding mix ensures a tender and moist cake every time.
Easy to Make: With basic ingredients and easy steps, this cake comes together quickly.
A Versatile Dessert: This cake works beautifully no matter the occasion, from birthdays and winter holidays to a spread at brunch.
Beautiful Glaze: A lemon glaze makes for a lovely finish and an extra hit of flavor that kicks this cake up a notch.
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Key Ingredients:
Yellow Cake Mix
Base for Ease and Consistency: A boxed yellow cake mix delivers a dependable, tender base that’s simple to augment with extra flavor.
Flavor Boosts: The lemon pudding mix and zest will give the cake a homemade flavor and a burst of citrus.
Variation: If you want an extra lemony punch, you can use a lemon-flavored cake mix.
Instant Lemon Pudding Mix
Keeps the Cake Moist: Using pudding mix in the batter guarantees a tender, moist crumb.
Makes Lemon Flavor Even More Bright: On top of all that, it also brightens up the lemon flavor in the cake and makes it taste bright and fresh.
Tip: Use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve, because instant mixes more easily with the other ingredients.
Zest of a Lemon and Fresh Juice of a Lemon
Brightens Up: The lemon zest in the batter and lemon juice in the glaze give it a bright, tart flavor that only fresh lemon can provide.
Zesting Tip: Try to avoid the white pith that lies under the colored skin; it can be bitter. Grate the yellow zest, using a fine grater, or microplane, to get just that bright yellow zest.
Heavy Cream for the Glaze
Makes for a Silken Texture: Heavy cream gives the glaze some richness, and a dose of it helps set it with a smooth finish.
Substitutions: If you’d like, you can use milk instead, but a heavy cream will give a thicker, richer glaze.
Powdered Sugar for the Glaze
Perfectly Sweet: It dissolves easily, which gives you a smooth, pourable glaze.
Adjustment Variability: For a thinner glaze, drizzle in a little additional lemon juice; for a thicker glaze, sprinkle in extra powdered sugar.
Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Preheat: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease the Pan: Use oil or butter to grease a 9×13-inch baking pan so that the batter does not stick and is easily lifted out.
Step 2: Make the Batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, lemon pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, the vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
Mix: Gently combine the ingredients until just mixed, as overmixing leads to a tough cake.
Step 3: Bake the Cake
Add the Batter: Pour the prepared batter into the greased baking pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
Bake: Transfer your pan to the preheated oven and let it bake for 30-35 minutes. You will know the cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool: Let the cake cool a bit on a wire rack, so it can set and easier to glaze.
Step 4: Make the lemon glaze
Mix Ingredients: Whisk together powdered sugar with melted butter, heavy cream, lemon juice and lemon zest in a bowl until smooth. Add a little more lemon juice if necessary for a pourable glaze.
Step 5: Glaze and Serve
Glaze the cake: Pour the glaze over the warm cake, spreading it evenly. Allow the glaze to set a bit, then slice and serve.
Serving: Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions:
Serving ideas to elevate this Lemon Cake:
Serve with Fresh Berries: A spoonful of fresh raspberries or blueberries alongside brightens the color, and complements the citrusy hit.
Top It With Whipped Cream: A dollop of whipped cream makes for a creamy, light contrast to the tangy cake.
Pair With Ice Cream: Serve with a scoop of vanilla or lemon ice cream for an even more indulgent treat.
Powdered Sugar Dusting: If you want a little less glaze, dust the top with powdered sugar for an easy but elegant presentation.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips:
It’s a great make-ahead cake, and one that’s easy to store:
Room Temperature: Wrap the cake well and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Chill: If your planning on enjoying the cake over a longer time, store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Room temperature is best for flavor before serving.
Freezing: The (unglazed) cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and foil. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and apply fresh glaze before serving.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can bake the cake the day before, and glaze just before serving it for maximum freshness.
Variations to Try:
To help you make this Lemon Cake your own, change things up with these fun variations:
Blueberry Lemon Cake: Stir in a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries to the batter for a fruity twist.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake: Add 1-2 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the batter for a classic pairing.
Coconut Lemon Cake: Stir ½ cup shredded coconut into the batter for a tropical spin on this lemon cake.
Lemon Drizzle Cake: In place of a more assertive topping, you could forego the glaze altogether, instead drizzling the warm cake with a simple lemon syrup (lemon juice and sugar).
Conclusion:
This Lemon Cake To Die For is the best dessert for lemon lovers! Its softly moist crumb and bright lemon glaze make each bite sweetly tangy and delightful. Quick and easy and delicious, it’s sure to please at a gathering or at home. Each refreshing, citrus slice is a delight!
Lemon Cake To Die For
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix for the cake
- 1 box instant lemon pudding mix for the cake
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil for the cake
- 3 large eggs for the cake
- 2/3 cup water for the cake
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the cake
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest for the cake
- 2 cups powdered sugar for the glaze
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, for the glaze
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream for the glaze
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice for the glaze
- Pinch lemon zest for the glaze
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, lemon pudding mix, vegetable oil, eggs, water, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Stir until just combined to maintain a tender texture.
- Pour the prepared batter into the greased baking pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool slightly on a wire rack.
- In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, heavy cream, lemon juice, and a pinch of lemon zest until smooth. Adjust with more lemon juice if needed for a pourable glaze consistency.
- Pour the glaze over the warm cake, spreading it evenly. Let the glaze set slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.