This delightful lemon poke cake bursts with bright citrus flavor. It's an easy-to-follow recipe that transforms a classic lemon cake into a moist and refreshing treat, perfect for any occasion.
Lemon desserts are a favorite, and this lemon poke cake is sure to become a new go-to! This recipe is similar to our popular strawberry poke cake, but with a sunshiney lemon twist.
Table of contents
Why I Love This Dessert
- Easy and Impressive: Lemon poke cake delivers show-stopping flavor and visual appeal without requiring complicated techniques. It's perfect for impressing when you have little time. Bake the cake the night before and take just a few minutes the day of to put it together.
Whenever I served this at a BBQ for family and friend gathering it always got lots of ohhhhhs for the presenation and yumms for the taste from family and friends. - Delicious Lemon Flavor: Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest create a delightful citrus punch in both the cake and the glaze. The fresh squeezed lemon juice and the lemon zest is how I make this extra lemony or sometimes tone the lemon flavor down.
- Light and Refreshing: This cake is perfect for any season, especially spring and summer. It looks so sunny with the lemon slices as a garnish.
- Moist and Delicious: The lemon glaze soaks into the cake, creating a delightful flavor and texture.
Ingredients
We start with a lemon cake mix and lemon pudding mix. Using fresh squeezed lemon juice and freshly grated zest makes this delightfully lemony flavored.
For the Cake:
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box lemon cake mix (it's OK if it says pudding in the cake. We are still adding the box of lemon pudding!
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup water
- 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix - it's the smaller size. And, you want the instant creamy pudding, not the jello.
Substitution option - if you find you only have yellow cake mix, add ⅓ of a cup fresh squeezed lemon juice and reduce the amount of water by ⅓ cup when making the cake.
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Whipped Topping and Garnishes (Optional):
- 1 tub whipped topping or whipped cream
- Fresh lemon slices
- Additional lemon zest
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use nonstick spray in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Step 2
Combine Cake Mix and Pudding Mix and wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add all cake ingredients. Gently mix together the yellow cake mix and the instant lemon pudding mix then mix everything together including the vegetable oil, eggs, water, and lemon juice.
Step 3
Pour batter into prepared 9 x 13 baking dish. The lemon glaze will be made poured onto the cake after the cake is cooled.
Step 4
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 6
Let the Cake Cool Slightly: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
Poke the Cake: While the cake is still warm (not hot), use a fork or a straw to poke holes all over the top of the cake. The holes should go ½ way down the cake (you don't want to poke to the bottom of the cake) and spaced about 1 inch apart.
Step 7
Make and Pour the Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. If desired, add a teaspoon of lemon zest for an extra citrus punch. Slowly pour the glaze over the warm cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. You can use a spoon to spread the glaze evenly if needed.
Step 8
Chill and Serve: Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the glaze has set and the cake is chilled.
Top with whipped cream, fresh lemon slices, and additional lemon zest for a delightful presentation (optional).
If you are transporting the cake, leave it in the baking pan and then glaze the cake in the pan. You may find some extra glaze runs down the sides and pools at the bottom. I gently tip the pan and pour the glaze out and add it back to the top.
If you want to remove the cake from the pan prior to glazing, it is easier to do if you line pan with parchment prior to baking so that that it hangs over the pan and you can just lift it out.
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How to Store
Leave in pan and wrap with plastic wrap. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FAQs
You can substitute up to ⅓ of fresh squeezed lemon for the water. That will be deliciously lemony.
Here's what I would do. You can do some or all these things to have a less strong lemon flavor.
Use lemon cake but do not add the lemon pudding. Adjust the recipe and make the cake like the back of the box states (since you don't have the pudding, you need less of the other ingredients). Don't add the lemon garnishes.
If you are still concerned this might be too strongly lemon flavored, perhaps you would be more interested in a Strawberry Poke Cake?
Other Delicious Summer Desserts
Lemon Poke Cake - So Delicious!
Equipment
- 1 Baking Dish 9 x 13 inches
Ingredients
- 1 package lemon cake mix 15.25 oz Betty Crocker
- 1 3.4oz instant lemon pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
For the Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Toppings
- 8 oz whipped topping spread on top after cooled
- lemon slices as garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use nonstick spray in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, add all cake ingredients. Gently mix together the yellow cake mix and the instant lemon pudding mix, and the liquids including the vegetable oil, eggs, water, and lemon juice.
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9 x 13 baking dish. The lemon glaze will be poured onto the cake after it has been baked and cooled.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the Cake Cool Slightly: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes (In the pan).Poke the Cake: While the cake is still warm (not hot), use a fork or a straw to poke holes all over the top of the cake. The holes should go ½ way down the cake (you don't want to poke to the bottom of the cake) and spaced about 1 inch apart.
- Make and Pour the Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. If desired, add a teaspoon of lemon zest for an extra lemony punch. Slowly pour the glaze over the warm cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. If needed, use a spoon to spread the glaze evenly.**If the glaze runs off the cake and pools at the bottom, gently tip the pan, pour out the glaze and redistribute on the top.
- Chill and Serve: Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the glaze has set and the cake is chilled. Top with whipped cream, fresh lemon slices, and additional lemon zest for a delightful presentation (optional). The lemon slices do make this cake look beautiful!
Notes
Don't add the lemon pudding. Follow the directions on the back of the box to make the cake portion since you are adjusting this recipe by leaving out the lemon pudding.
Patricia Nicely
The lemon poke cake was delicious. Would you please also post the ingredients for the glaze. Thank you. Blessings from Hawaii
Susan Moncrieff
Thanks for the suggestion. I added the optional glaze I discussed in the post to the recipe card too!