Lemon Bundt Cake

This amazing Lemon Bundt Cake uses two secret ingredients (cake mix and instant pudding!) to make it the easiest, most delicious lemon cake you’ve ever had.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 367kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Equipment

Bundt Pan (I only use the Nordic Ware ones)

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 package lemon cake mix (see note 1)
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix (see note 2)
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil (see note 3)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (see note 4)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
4 large eggs

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fresh strawberries for serving, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat large Bundt pan with shortening or nonstick spray (if you don't grease the pan enough, the top of the cake pay stick and tear when you flip the pan to remove the cooled cake).
In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and pudding mix. Add water, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and eggs and whisk to combine.
Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with a few crumbs attached, about 40 minutes.
Cool 15 minutes in pan. Invert on to cooling rack set over a baking sheet and cool completely.

To make the glaze:

Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Drizzle over cooled cake and let glaze harden for at least 10 minutes.
Transfer to a serving platter and serve with fresh strawberries if desired.

Video

Notes

Lemon cake mix: This gives you a head-start on the cake and is the secret to ultra-lemony flavor. Yes, even restaurants use boxed lemon cake mixes. Since package sizes vary, look for a box that makes 13×9 or two 8-inch rounds.
Instant lemon pudding: Can't find lemon pudding? Vanilla tastes great too! Most of the lemon flavor comes from the cake mix, so you don't lose too much flavor with vanilla pudding. I tested this to make sure.
Vegetable oil: Readers have reported that substituting 1/2 cup applesauce for the 1/2 cup oil works perfectly. To quote Karen from the comments, "[I] saved over 800 calories per whole cake without any noticeable difference in taste or texture."
Lemon zest: Zest the lemons before you cut them in half for juice. To zest a lemon, hold a grater in one hand and the lemon in the other over a cutting board or clean work surface. Going in one direction, push the lemon away from you across the rough side of the grater, removing the colorful part of the fruit, exposing the pith. Gently rotate the lemon as you go.
Yield: This recipe makes 12 slices (or fewer bigger slices, depending on how you cut them).
Storage: Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Nutrition