Easy Lemon Bundt Cake
This Easy Lemon Bundt Cake is a delicious retro recipe from my childhood. We all need a few shortcuts this crazy time of year! Dense, moist, and irresistible, it’s just as appropriate for a summer pitch-in as it is for a holiday dessert!
This Lemon Cake Recipe starts with a yellow cake mix which is doctored up to the point you’d think it was made from scratch. When you’re short on time, but want an Easy Cake Recipe, I’ve got you covered!
Why You’ll Love this Lemon Pound Cake
- It’s one of the easiest cakes you’ll ever make!
- A box of instant lemon pudding adds a burst of citrus flavor without having to zest or squeeze any lemons.
- No one will ever guess this is made with a cake mix! It tastes like it’s made from scratch.
This lemon bundt cake was one of those recipes that my mom got from her bridge club friends. Back in the day, before the Internet, recipes made the rounds the old-fashioned way. The ladies would rotate between each others’ homes for a few hands of cards, snacks, and desserts. My mom had a stash of handwritten recipe cards from decades of these gatherings. Most were easy and almost all were a hit with my sisters and me.
This lemon bundt cake was dubbed “Mock Baba Cake,” possibly in homage to the Baba au Rhum cake, which is a yeast cake soaked in a liquor spiked syrup. Like many desserts from back in the 1970s, this one started with a cake mix. Doctored up, this lemon cake bore no resemblance to the uninspired yellow cake mix from which it originated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do You Add Pudding Mix to a Cake Recipe?
Besides a nice boost of flavor, the pudding mix also adds moisture and denseness to the cake.
What's the Best Way to Add Lemon Flavor to a Cake?
Lemon zest, with its aromatic essential oils, adds a more intense lemon flavor to a recipe than lemon juice. It’s a delicious way to boost the lemon intensity of any recipe.
Also, rubbing the lemon zest into any sugar called for in the recipe will help release the oils and flavor the sugar which will then flavor the cake
How to Make an Easy Lemon Cake
A box of cake mix, instant lemon pudding, eggs, and oil combine to make a sweet, dense pound cake. A unique glaze made with orange juice concentrate (yes, they still sell the stuff!!) doubled the citrus punch.
- I actually prefer a butter cake mix as it seems to have less of an artificial taste than the yellow cake, but truthfully, both that or a yellow cake mix works well.
- Just add the instant pudding, eggs, water, and oil to the cake mix and beat until well combined.
- Prep your Bundt pan with an oil and flour spray, like Baker’s Joy or Pam’s version, so the cake will release from the pan easily.
- Bake as directed and check doneness by poking a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, bake another 5 minutes and recheck.
- Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before releasing it from the pan. It needs some time to cool so it doesn’t fall apart when you flip it over onto the cooling rack. If you wait too long, the cake will stick. I like to give it a little shake back and forth to help loosen the cake from the walls of the pan, before inverting.
- Cool completely before glazing. Make sure to sift your powdered sugar if you want a smooth, lump-free glaze.
This lemon Bundt cake is easy peasy to make, yet tasty enough to serve to guests! Both picky palates in the house were thrilled with this cake. I think you will be, too.
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Easy Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe
A doctored up cake mix makes for an easy, delicious Bundt cake that will please even the pickiest eaters.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 box yellow or butter cake mix (15.25 ounces)
- 1 small box instant lemon pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, defrosted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour a standard Bundt pan (or spray with Baker's Joy). Set aside.
- Combine all cake ingredients in a bowl and beat until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- When the cake is almost finished baking, whisk together glaze ingredients until smooth.
- When cake is removed from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Then poke some holes over the surface of the cake with a long pronged fork. Drizzle part of the glaze over the cake.
- Invert cake onto a cake plate. Poke the top surface of the cake with the fork and drizzle the rest of the glaze over the cake.
- Let cool completely before serving.
Notes
¼ cup of rum can be substituted for ¼ cup of the water if you'd like a lemon rum cake.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 243Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 88mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 3g
40 Comments on “Easy Lemon Bundt Cake”
i love the recipe i have known some of the recipe of this kind i may be starting my blog site too so i’ll put those there i hope you’ll appreciate it because my inspiration is you to start it 🙂 thanks
Do you think you could add fresh blueberries and not affect the recipe?
Yes, I think that would work! Sometimes, I toss the blueberries in a bit of flour to keep them from sinking. Hope you enjoy!
If this is a lemon bundt cake, wouldn’t you want a lemon glaze on it? I wonder if you use frozen lemonade instead of the orange juice, how it would taste?
I bet that would be tasty, Linda! This is a retro recipe from my best friend’s mom, so I always make it just how she did. If you give it a try with lemonade, let me know what you think. Happy baking!
Lemon cake is my favorite, and this one is perfect!
This is truly the most amazing lemon bundt cake recipe. can’t wait for the weather to warm up and bake more of it.
This cake’s crumb is perfect and the lemon is just right!
I loved this lemon cake! Soft and smooth! So yummy!
I love this recipe year around! I look forward to it every time I make it.
I am not the best baker, but this cake is so easy that even I can make it! Seriously, this is so easy and it’s so delicious!
I made this. Using your recipe. Delicious.
simple and gorgeous flavor love this to serve with fruit thanks Liz!
Those sound like my kinda parties! We should definitely bring them back into style 🙂
I love this bundt cake and am sure it’s bursting with flavor! Perfect for any holiday 🙂
I do remember this cake! Frankly when you can manipulate a boxed cake mix in this way, well I say just go for it! So glad you did! Merry Christmas, Liz!
Looks fabulous! This time of year with citrus at its peak this is a wonderful way to use my meyer lemons.
Happy holidays.
Velva
Being crazy about lemon AND moist bundt cakes, this cake is a winner! Thanks Liz and many wishes for a most blessed and Buon Natale to you and your family (and Izzy too)!
Oh, this is one great cake, Liz! I’d take lemon over chocolate any day and this is a must try! Made good and easy with a box cake. Thanks for the recipe!
Your bundts always look so nice!