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How to make my family’s favorite summer dessert, lemon cake. Easy recipe anyone can make for a moist, fluffy dessert covered in a citrus-y lemon glaze.

My mom and grandma must have both had the same lemon cake recipe, because growing up, I remember both of them making this cake. Lemon cake is a family favorite, as are lemon cupcakes, lime vanilla poke cake cupcakes, and lemon poke cake (without the pudding).

Easy means this is a cake mix recipe. Don't worry, though, because it's more than just a cake mix.

My favorite thing about this cake is the lemon glaze that creates a slightly crispy top and then soaks down into the cake. Just like my strawberry Jello cake, this is a poke cake too.

I'm going to show you how to make it, and then below you'll find the printable recipe so you can make it too. It's a very quick and easy summer dessert, my kind of recipe. Like my favorite yellow cake recipe, lemon cake is perfect for your next church potluck or outdoor cookout.

Gather your ingredients for a lemon cake recipe:

• lemon cake mix
• lemon instant pudding mix
• eggs
• water
• canola oil
• powdered sugar
• lemon juice (or frozen lemonade concentrate)

Tips for how to make lemon cake:

Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

First you'll mix the cake mix and the instant pudding mix together. Then add in the eggs and water, beating everything together for about 2 minutes.

Add the canola oil; then beat for another 2 minutes.

Pour the cake batter into a rectangular 13″x9″ cake pan, and smooth it out evenly in the pan with a spatula. Place it in the oven and bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

How to make a lemon glaze for your cake:

Meanwhile, mix up the lemon glaze.

• In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice, which will create a really thin glaze, creating a lemon drizzle cake.
• When the cake is done and while it's still hot, poke it all over with a fork.

• Then pour or spoon on the glaze and spread it evenly over the cake.

The glaze will soak down into the cake, creating a really moist texture to the cake and a slightly crunchy top layer. It's so good! 

Looking for more scrumptious cake recipes?

• Carrot Sheet Cake
• Southern Pineapple Cake
• 4th of July Jello Cake
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
• Pumpkin Pear Spice Cake
• Chocolate Cake
• Gooey Butter Cake

Kitchen tools you may need to make lemon pudding cake:

Mixer – I use my mixer just about every time I bake anything.

Cake Pan – You’ll need a 13″x9″ rectangular cake pan for this cake.

Spatula – Where would I be without my spatulas? I have a whole slew of them because we’re ALWAYS using them.

Cake Tester – Dan bought me a cake tester awhile back, and I’ll tell ya, it’s come in so handy! Although a toothpick works really well too.

Update Notes: This recipe was originally published on June 28, 2012, but was re-published with bigger photos and more details in June of 2018.