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 Must Make
- 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.
Ingredient Notes
- Box of Yellow Cake Mix – Both Yellow and Butter Flavors work. I prefer Butter. 15.25 ounce box.
- Small Box of Instant Lemon Pudding Mix – 3.4 oz box.
- Water
- Vegetable Oil – Canola oil works well. Avoid olive oil as you want a more neutral flavored oil.
- Eggs – At room temperature
- Powdered Sugar – Sift to remove lumps
- Butter – Melted
- Orange Juice Concentrate – Defrosted. Provides a deep citrus flavor to the glaze.
How to Make
- Mix cake batter.
- Pour into prepared Bundt pan and bake as directed.
- Make the glaze, then using a wooden skewer, poke holes on the under-surface of the cake, and drizzle with a quarter to a third of the glaze.
- Invert the cake onto a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Poke holes across the top of the cake, then brush the surface with the glaze. Cool completely, slice, and dig in!
Expert Tips
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 slightly 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Besides a nice boost of flavor, the pudding mix also adds moisture and density to the 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.
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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 of instant lemon pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ⅓ 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 the glaze ingredients until smooth.
- When the 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 the 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
43 Comments on “Easy Lemon Bundt Cake”
Oh my Goodness! Thank you Liz for yet another great recipe! WOWEE!! I made the cake exactly as directed and within 4 hours only 1/3 of the cake is left just between my hubby and I. My husband says it is THE BEST cake he has ever eaten! Thanks a “bundtch”😀This is a 5 star recipe!
Oh, I’m SO glad this was a hit!!! Isn’t it easy??? Thanks, Jennie, for letting me know.
Hi, Jennie! Isn’t it wonderful when a super easy recipe is a winner? Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
I can’t believe this recipe! My mom used to make something very much like this, and I used to LOVE it. The OJ concentrate was the secret. I can’t way to try it!
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!
Some of those old recipes are the best. Plus they bring back wonderful memories. I love that!
What a gorgeous bundt cake, Liz! This looks like a dose of sunshine!
Looks delicious Liz, never thought of doctoring up a cake mix like this, brilliant idea!
This cake looks yummy. I love desserts with lemon. I am sure that my family would love this one!
I’m a total sucker for a lemon steak. SO good and refreshing.
Pudding mix certainly does work magic with cake mixes. Memories of your mother with the old-fashioned exchange of recipes and bridge clubs tugged on my heart….Technology is terrific but sometimes simpler times were nice, too =)
Looks so pretty, anything citrus works for me!
This is my kind of dessert! It’s simple, elegant and brings back such memories. Thanks for sharing!!!!
This sounds so easy and looks so moist!
OK, I’m in. Not so sure it will beat your Kahlua Bundt Cake but I’ll give it a Go. Happy Holidays, Bergs.
This is perfect for Christmas time! This bundt cake is extra. I hope you will have a wonderful Christmas Liz. xoxo
Love that you added the lemon pudding to add flavor and moisture! This cake looks great!
I’m not always a fan of mixes, but you can’t deny they have a great ability to make some fantastic desserts with little effort. I still have lots of memories making and eating those cakes as a kid and nothing will ever match them in that nostalgic flavor. Merry Christmas, Liz xoxo
I wish my bundt cakes came out looking as pretty as yours! Happy Holidays!
Gorgeous…such pretty photos!
One of my favourite cakes was an orange cake my Dear Mom used to make, although it wasn’t from a mix, it had a glaze of orange juice and sugar that she would pour into it while it was hot out of the oven. It was such a delicious cake! I haven’t been able to find the recipe but have thought of it many times. Your beautiful bundt cake reminded me of her moist and delicious cake. I do have a bundt pan that I haven’t used in years, perhaps this is the time!
I still have a box of my mom, grandma’s, and great grandma’s recipes, and they are one of my most treasured things.
That golden brown crust and soft smooth crumb..a heavenly treat, Liz.
This past week I’ve heard so many things you can do with a box cake. Great idea …. this is something even I can make! hahah
It would be gone in minutes here:@)