Super moist lemon cake recipe that is made using box mix, orange juice and lemon pudding! This cake is made in an angel food cake and is poked with a toothpick to absorb the lemon glaze. Delicious!
There is something about lemon cake that is soooo refreshing! Also known as lemon drizzle cake, lemon poke cake and the moist lemon cake I can’t live without – this recipe is a favorite and it’s no surprise why!
I found this lemon ice pick cake recipe in my little recipe box from our wedding that I’ve had fun sorting through. Although I didn’t have an ice pick (as the original directions suggested to use), I did have a toothpick to make this lemon jello cake recipe. It’s so easy!
How To Make Moist Lemon Cake Recipe
Here’s what you need to make this easy lemon cake recipe:
- yellow cake mix
- vegetable oil
- orange juice
- instant lemon pudding
- eggs
- confectioner’s sugar
- butter
- lemon juice
You will also need an angel food cake pan to make this cake. Although, I think a 9×13 pan would work as well, you’ll just need to adjust the baking time. Make sure to butter and flour the angel food cake well.
Using a mixer, mix the yellow cake mix, oil, orange juice and instant pudding together.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg.
Place the batter into the angel food cake pan. Use a spatula to make sure it’s even. Bake at 350 degrees˚ for 50 minutes.
How Long Do You Cool The Cake Before Removing It From The Pan?
Once the cake is baked, let it cool on a cooling rack. I leave my cake in the pan for about 10-15 minutes and then remove it from the pan carefully. You want it to cool enough that the cake starts to separate from the pan, but not too long or the cake will start to become soggy.
What Icing Is Best For Lemon Cake?
For this recipe we will be making a lemon glaze as the icing. Because this cake is super moist and dense, a lighter glaze is the perfect compliment. I like how this lemon glaze gives a bit of a crunch to the cake and just enough lemon flavor to knock it out of the park.
Use a strainer when measuring the confectioner’s sugar so that it isn’t lumpy. A lumpy glaze isn’t a pretty glaze. You can see all the lumps in my confectioner’s sugar that I avoided by a simple strainer.
Mix the lemon juice and melted butter into the powdered sugar. It is a glaze so it will not be thick.
Using a toothpick, poke a generous amount of holes to the top of the cake. Then pour the glaze over the entire cake making sure to allow the holes you have poked to fill with the delicious lemon glaze.
Here’s a tip. To really maximize the glaze, put a cooling wrack over a cookie sheet and use it to collect the extra glaze. Doing it this way, I was able to pour the glaze over the cake three times to maximize the flavor.
That’s it! It’s so easy to make and it’s absolutely delicious. The lemon flavors are perfectly balanced with the sweet cake making this moist lemon cake a family favorite. Enjoy!
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Moist Lemon Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
Moist lemon cake mix made with yellow box mix, orange juice and lemon pudding. Poked with a toothpick and drowned in a lemon glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 package yellow cake mix
- 1/2 Cup vegetable oil
- 1 Cup orange juice
- 1 package instant lemon pudding
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 Cup confectioner’s sugar
- 2 TB butter
- 1/3 Cup lemon juice (need 1.5 lemons)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Butter and flour an angel food cake pan.
- Mix together yellow cake mix, oil, orange juice and instant pudding. Add 3 eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. Spread batter in angel food cake pan making sure that the batter is even on all sides.
- Bake in 350˚ F for 50 minutes. Let cake cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.
- To make the glaze, mix the confectioner’s sugar, melted butter and lemon juice.
- Poke holes in cake with toothpick and add glaze.
Notes
To make sure the lemon glaze is not lumpy, use a strainer to remove lumps from powdered sugar before mixing with butter and lemon.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: moist lemon cake, easy lemon cake, lemon cake, lemon cake recipe
Originally shared in 2014. Updated 2019.
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To dress it up a bit. I added 1T lemon zest to the glaze and immediately after glazing I sprinkled lightly with coconut.
Is the cake mix the new size down from 18.5 ounces?
The cake sounds wonderful and I can’t wait to try it.
I used a 15.25 oz box of cake mix with no problems. It was delicious!
What can you substitute for the orange juice?
I have never tried it with any other juice but you definitely can give it a try. Keep in mind that while the consistency will be the same, the flavor will change. If you don’t use another citrus based juice, you may want to change the type of pudding used in the recipe as well. Let me know what you decide and how it turns out.
We loved this moist lemon cake.
★★★★★
A cake cannot be called a made-from-scratch cake if you are using cake mix. It can be called a doctored up box cake. A scratch cake is made starting with flour, sugar, eggs, etc., and all ingredients for the recipe and combine them to make the batter.
Was that comment really necessary? Do you feel better stating the obvious? It sounds like a delicious recipe to me.
My first time to make this!! It is great!!! Have to do it again for my special cake!!!!
★★★★★
Hi i was reading the rexipe here i couldnt find the yellow cake mix but i found the lemon cake mix instead and also how do i use the lemon instant puding do i had the powder in tjer or do i make the puding first before i make the cake i need to know soon please. And thank you.
You can use lemon cake mix, but it’s going to be even more lemon-y. The yellow cake mix gives it a bit more balance, but go fit! Let me know how it turns out. You just mix the lemon pudding mix into the cake. You do not need to pre-make the pudding. 🙂
I made this cake using lemon Jell-O instead of lemon pudding it was awesome!
★★★★★
Great idea! I’ll have to try that the next time I make this lemon cake. Thanks for sharing!
Does this cake need to be refrigerated, not stated anywhere
Hi Wanda, like most cakes you can leave it on the counter if you’re going to eat it in the next 2 – 3 days. If not, I would put it in the refrigerator.
I will be making this cake for a church auction. How many days ahead of time may I keep in the refrigerator.
This recipe sounds soooo tasty.
If you’re making it more than one day ahead I would freeze it and then let it thaw about 12 hours before serving. Let me know how it turns out!
I live in Czech, and here we do not have anything like “package yellow cake mix”, but we gave things like flour or baking powder. is that it? and if, what is the weight of “package yellow cake mix”? in grams, ideally.
Hi Jana, most of our cake mixes are around 15 ounces here in the United States. The cake mix does include more than just flour and baking powder. To be honest, I’m not sure what exactly. In order to make the cake per the box instructions you typically only add oil, eggs and sometimes water.
I made this cake for Thanksgiving!! It is a winner melt in your mouth. I didn’t use the angle food cake pan. I tried the Bundt cake pan came out good. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I will make this one again.
★★★★★
Can I bake it in a bundt pan instead?
HI Kim, I don’t see why not. I’ve never tried it in a bundt pan so you may have to adjust baking time. Let me know how it goes!
I make it in a bundt pan every time and it works fine. I use to make an orange cake with the yellow cake mix, vanilla pudding mix and orange juice and then add OJ to the glaze instead of lemon. Also a few chopped pecans in the bottom of the bundt pan. We moved and I’ve lost my recipe so this one is as close as I can come to it. Kinda like the tart lemon taste better!
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s incredibly delicious. The butter added to the glaze makes it extra decadent. This weekend I will be making a frosted version for a graduation cake.
★★★★★
So glad you enjoy it Sarah!
Can I add mixed berries? How many cups would you suggest? Would I modify anything else in the recipe to accommodate them?
Hi Megan, it would probably depend on what kind of berry you added. Strawberries are very juicy and blueberries will do well on their own. Maybe a cup of berries? I’ve never tried it. Let me know if you do try it and how it turns out!
I make this cake but my recipe calls for lemon jello not pudding. And i make in a bundt pan. It is delicious!! The whole family loves it.
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Hey! I started dating my boyfriend last year and for his birthday (today) he said that his favorite cake is a lemon cake. I asked what kind and he said a moist one. I made him three different cakes that year. This, of course, was his favorite one. So it won and will be used year after year.
Thank you!
My cake is in the oven right now! I cannot wait to try it after reading the rave reviews. My only question is, do you leave the cake in the pan while you put glaze on or remove cake to a plate or rack and place glaze on? I think I’m going to remove it first, if I don’t hear back in time.
How did it go Linda?
I loved this cake so much I tried a variation: Chocolate mix, chocolate pudding, milk for the orange juice, poked holes and glazed with Hershey’s chocolate syrup. Amazing!
Oh wow! That sounds amazing!
I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it for a dinner party last night. It was amazing! Everyone raved, two people had second helpings (one is British and knows his tea cakes!) and all wanted the recipe. I was hesitant to share that it involved boxed cake mix and instant pudding. The texture of this cake is light and airy. It’s perfect. The taste is just the right amount of tart and sweet. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I did add very fine zest of one lemon right into the cake batter, too. Also I used a nonstick Angel Food Cake pan greased it with coconut oil spray (including the tube) and still lined the bottom with a circle of parchment. I was able to carefully remove the cake completely from the pan after the glaze soaked in and put it onto a cake plate and it remained intact. It was perfect. I will definitely make again.
So glad you liked it! It’s perfect for this time of year.
What are yellow cake and pudding mixes?
You’ll need a yellow cake mix. You can find it at your local grocery store. Is that what you’re asking?
Hi, This cake looks great! Just curious- I noticed the recipe calls for juice from an organge. Does that give the cake an organge flavor?
The orange flavor does not come through, I think it just gives it a citrusy taste. It really does taste lemony.
Hi,
Could this cake be made in a bundt pan? Sounds delicious.
Hi Char, Yes I definitely think a bundt pan would. You may need to adjust the baking time, depending on what size your pan is. Let me know how it turns out!
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what size package is used for pudding mix.. Small or large
Hi Elaine, it’s the regular small package of pudding.
i made these yesterday and they were perfect! i didnt do the glaze as i dont like it to be too sweet. i paired it with a marscapone frosting (heavy whipping cream, confectioner sugar, and marscapone cheese). Baked into cupcakes at 360 degrees for 19 minutes. They are so fluffy and summery, cant wait to make them again!
★★★★★
I can not wait to make this for my grandboys I am sure they will love, so simple. I think I will add some lemon zest to the warm glaze. Just a little extra zap. Thanks for sharing the receipt.
Hope you all enjoyed it!
I made this tonight! Super easy and SO DELISH! I did zest of and juice of about half a lemon in the cake itself and double the powdered sugar for the glaze (my lemons were extra tangy for some reason) and it was FANTASTIC!! Thank you for the recipe!!! It won’t let me give 5 stars, but this is a 5 star recipe for sure!!!
★★★★
Thanks Sarah! Glad you enjoyed it. I agree, it’s delicious!
Do you think I can use a bunds cake pan for this?
I used a regular cake pan and it worked just fine.
I posted on this cake early this morning and this is a follow up to that post .I have just returned from church where ,I served this cake .People all over were telling each other you have to try this cake. I, at that point took a taste of my husbands Second slice ..This cake was wonderfull,very most and great flavor. In fact it will now replace the recipe I have used for years .I was ask to make two more for the next 2 days of the conference…I have to honestly say ,I am not a sweet eater but this cake is impressive….P.S. I use wooden skewers to poke the holes ,the kind you to grill shrimp and chicken on ….
Hi Mary. I’m so glad you enjoyed the lemon cake! It is a real winner, and like you said so easy. Great idea on using the wooden skewers!
I just made this cake for a Ministers Conference at church.The smell of it baking brought my husband out from in front of his computer .Beautiful cake ..And simple to make ..l
★★★★★
I just made this cake to have for dessert after Easter dinner tomorrow…and it smells AWESOME….can’t wait!!!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it. Happy Easter!