Let's make Grandma's favorite lemon poke cake with lemon glaze, using a cake mix. This easy recipe makes a fluffy cake with a simple lemony icing drizzled on top. It's a luscious lemony dessert everyone will love.
My mom and grandma must have both had the same lemon poke cake recipe, because growing up, I remember both of them making this lemon poke cake with glaze. Lemon cake is a family favorite, as are lemon cupcakes, lime vanilla poke cake cupcakes, and lemon poke cake without pudding.
I'm going to show you how to make it. Just like my strawberry Jello cake, this is a poke cake too.
Why You'll Love This Cake
- It's a quick and easy dessert you can make any time of year. I especially love it as a summer dessert, I think because of the lemon-y flavor.
- Easy means this is a cake mix recipe. Don't worry, though, because it's more than just a cake mix.
- Like my favorite yellow cake recipe, lemon cake is perfect for your next church potluck or outdoor cookout.
- My favorite thing about this cake is the lemon glaze that creates a slightly crispy top and then soaks down into the cake.
Ingredients and Substitutions Notes
Here are just a few notes on the ingredients you'll need to make this cake…
- Lemon Cake Mix – You can make this using a regular cake mix or a gluten-free cake mix.
- Lemon Instant Pudding Mix – Since you're adding this mix in with the cake mix to make the cake batter, you really need an instant pudding mix versus cook ‘n' serve. You're not actually making the pudding.
- Canola Oil – You can also use vegetable oil.
- Lemon Juice – While you can squeeze fresh juice from a lemon, I prefer to use Minute Maid lemon juice, which you can find in the freezer section of your grocery store. Or if you have it on hand, you can use frozen lemonade concentrate; my grandma used this quite a few times when making the glaze for this cake.
How to Make Lemon Poke Cake
Before getting started mixing up the batter, pre-heat your oven to 350° F and grease a 9×13 cake pan.
Mix up the Cake Batter…
- First mix together the cake mix and the instant pudding mix.
- 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 baking spatula.
- Place it in the oven and bake at 350° F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
Then Make the Lemon Glaze…
- In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice, which will create a really thin glaze.
- 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!
And at this point, it's ready to slice, serve, and satisfy those cravings for all the lemon flavor this cake has to offer.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ's
You'll just have an even more lemony cake. It will be really citrusy. I find that the cake mix is usually lemony enough without added juice.
If you're just pouring a thin glaze, as in the case of this cake, a fork is generally sufficient. Just use the fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake, and the glaze will drizzle down into the baked cake, making it really moist and delicious. However, if you're adding a thicker liquid, like pudding, you may want to use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke the holes; that allows more room for the pudding to soak down into the cake.
It should be fine on the counter for 2-3 days. It will keep longer, though, if stored in the refrigerator.
Yes, you can. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container so it doesn't get freezer burn. If freezing it in the cake pan, I'd add a layer of plastic wrap underneath the lid as an extra measure to guard against freezer burn. It should keep up to 3 months in the freezer.
More Easy Cake Recipes:
If you love this easy lemon cake, you'll love these cakes too…
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Lemon Poke Cake with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Cake:
- 15.25 ounce lemon cake mix
- 3.4 ounces lemon instant pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup canola oil
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice*
Instructions
Cake:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°.
- Mix together the cake mix and the instant pudding mix.
- 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° F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
Lemon Glaze:
- In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice, which will create a really thin glaze.
- 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!
- Now it's ready to serve and enjoy!
Notes
It should be fine on the counter for 2-3 days. It will keep longer, though, if stored in the refrigerator. Can I freeze it?
Yes, you can. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container so it doesn't get freezer burn. If freezing it in the cake pan, I'd add a layer of plastic wrap underneath the lid as an extra measure to guard against freezer burn. It should keep up to 3 months in the freezer.
I used a fork for the holes, it just didn’t absorb enough glaze to make it moist and as lemony as I was hoping. I even made extra glaze, but I should have tripled it to get the effect that your cake shows. Mine rose higher and is spongy, not dense and moist.
Kim, if it rose more than expected, it is definitely possible it needed more glaze. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out so well!
Absolutely Amazing. Tried it the first time and it was perfect! Thank You.
Yay, Nita! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing this on Waste Not Wednesday-Faeries and Fauna. I have always wanted to make a lemon cake, and this looks very doable and delicious!
Thank you, Kristine! It is very doable and definitely one of my family’s favorite desserts. It doesn’t last long.
We LOVE lemon desserts at my house. This cake looks perfectly moist and delicious!!
Michele, we do too! Lemon is definitely a favorite around here. It’s so moist and yummy. Thank you!
Oh Mel! Thank you so much for the recipe! My Mother and Grandmother always made this lemon cake. I’ve been searching for Mom’s recipe for a year now. We can’t find it! This is it! Thank you again! Your a life saver!
Oh Linda, I love this! Thank you so much for sharing… I’m so glad you found this recipe. I hope you enjoy!
I need a recipe that I can make and travel with, I will be driving on a 5 hour trip. Do you think this would be ok to make a day ahead and to take with me on a trip?
Kathy, I’ve actually made it a day ahead before. I’ve only traveled to church potluck or family dinner with it, but it seems to travel well. I do like to keep ours in the fridge or cooler; it just stays fresh that way.
I have been searching for this cake for two years until I tried your recipe and its been a success every since. Thank you for the perfect lemon crunch cake recipe. May God keep blessing your ideas.
Thank you so much, Margie! This is wonderful to hear. I’m so glad you enjoyed. I think it’s about time for me to make this again.:)
Just made this yummies
Tabitha, I hope you enjoy!:) It’s one of my favorites for sure.
What is salad oil?
Hellene, it’s a term my grandmother used. When a recipe calls for that, I use vegetable or canola oil.
i am so happy to have found this recipe. my mom made this all the time for my dad. and all of her recipes where lost after she passed, so i am slowly but surely rebuilding it. thank you so very much for sharing, i am off to look through the rest of your recipes to see if you have anything else i need.
Heather, thanks so much. You are so welcome. My mom and grandma both made this cake all the time, and it was one of my favorite desserts. I hope you enjoy!