Lemon is a popular flavor in sweets, though somewhat unusual. Many people like the freshness it brings to otherwise sweet dishes. A dessert with lemon is perfect for times when you find rich flavors like chocolate or caramel too overwhelming. Besides, the flavor of citrus on its own can be delicious too!
This lemon cake is great for lovers of the combination of sweet and fresh. It’s easy to make, as the recipe uses cake mix. The cake comes out soft, moist, and flavorful. Make this cake for dessert after a heavy meal, eat it for breakfast, or snuggle up in bed with a good book and a slice of lemon cake!
How to make Lemon Cake?
Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.
Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer.
To that bowl, add cake mix, pudding mix, water, and oil. Mix it all together.
Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake it for 30-35 minutes or until done.
For the syrup, combine melted butter, lemon juice, water, and powdered sugar in a bowl.
When the cake is out of the oven, poke holes in its surface using a skewer or fork. Pour the syrup over the cake.
Let the cake cool and then serve.
Can I use a smaller baking pan than 9 x 13?
Yes, you can use a smaller baking pan if that’s all you have! Bear in mind that when you use a bigger baking pan, the batter is more spread out, making the cake thinner. When the cake is thinner, it needs less time in the oven. Thus, if you’re going to use a smaller pan, the batter will be denser, needing more time to bake through.
Should I refrigerate lemon cake?
It is recommended to refrigerate lemon cake for an hour or two before serving to make it even tastier. If you’re going to refrigerate it, you should let it cool first after taking it out of the oven. When you plan to cool your cake before meal time, make sure to bake it way in advance. You can then store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How do I make the perfect lemon cake?
The secret to a perfect lemon cake is in the soaking syrup. Make the syrup before the cake is baked. Once it’s out of the oven, pour the soaking syrup over it right away, while the cake is still warm. That enhances the flavor and gives the cake an opportunity to soak it all in. Then, refrigerate the cake for an hour or two.
Ingredients
- For the cake
- 1 box of yellow cake mix (15.25 oz);
- 1 box of instant lemon pudding mix (3.4 oz);
- 3/4 cup water;
- 3/4 cup oil;
- 4 eggs
- For the soaking syrup
- 2 cups powdered sugar;
- 1/3 cup lemon juice;
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted;
- 2 tbsp water.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9x13 baking pan.
Beat eggs in a large bowl, using an electric mixer.
Add cake mix, pudding mix, water, and oil, and mix until well combined.
Pour the cake batter into a baking pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 mins, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, you can prepare a syrup.
To make soaking syrup: in a bowl, combine melted butter, lemon juice, water, and powdered sugar.
When the cake is done, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer (or a fork), then pour the soaking syrup over the warm cake.
Let it cool completely in a pan before serving.