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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.
I love from-scratch baking, but when it comes to lemon cake, I reach for a boxed mix every time. Why? Because the bright yellow color and lemony flavor are hard to match with actual lemons, no matter how ripe and juicy they are. I learned this trick in my pastry classes at culinary school, and your favorite restaurants, bakeries, and wedding cake makers are all doing the exact same thing. It’s one of those “industry secrets” that no one talks about, and now you can get on the fun.
Table of Contents
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe ingredients
- 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 ½ cup applesauce for the ½ 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.
How to make Lemon Bundt Cake with Cake Mix
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously coat a 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.
- 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.
Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe Variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 12 slices (or fewer bigger slices, depending on how you cut them).
- Bundt pan size: Any 12-cup bundt pan will work.
- Greasing the pan: Be very generous with your nonstick spray or shortening. Nothing ruins a bundt like a stuck cake!
- Blueberries: Fold 6 ounces fresh blueberries into the batter at the end of Step 2 (do not use more than 6 ounces). Bake as directed.
Storing Lemon Bundt Cake
Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Lemon Pudding Cake Recipe FAQs
Yes! A lot of readers have had success with this substitution. Just use ½ cup applesauce instead of the ½ cup oil in the recipe.
Vanilla pudding 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.
No, unfortunately not. There are other cakes in the world that use lemon Jello instead of lemon pudding. The amount of eggs, water, oil, etc. is different for cakes made with Jello. This recipe has only been tested with pudding.
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Lemon Bundt Cake
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 lemon juice
- 4 eggs
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fresh strawberries for serving, optional
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.
Recipe 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 ½ cup applesauce for the ½ 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.
I discovered your recipe a while back and I’m just now leaving a review. This is my favorite lemon cake recipe! My family expects this lemon cake on the dessert table for every holiday. This recipe has become a part of our holiday traditions. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Melissa! It’s wonderful that it’s become a family tradition! Thank you so much for taking the time to write a comment. Happy holidays!
This cake was perfect! I was afraid it would taste too lemony and it didn’t. It was extremely moist and had an amazing flavor! I will definitely use this recipe again!! Thank you! 😊
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks Amber! 🙂 -Meggan
Hi Meghan,
I tried this recipe for the first time on the weekend. It did not seem to rise up as much as I would have expected. It was baked inside and it tasted delicious. I made a blueberry sauce to serve with it. I am wondering if you could talk about how you add the wet ingredients. Do you add all at the same time? Or one at a time? Do you beat your eggs first? And lastly do you use an electric mixer or mix by hand?
Sorry for all the questions just trying to figure out why it didn’t rise up very much.
Jackie
Hi Jackie, I am not sure why the cake seemed flat to you. Happy that you still enjoyed it, sounds dreamy with a blueberry sauce! Maybe your bundt pan is more than 12 cups? I make this by hand, whisking together the dry ingredients first. Then I add all the wet ingredients, then whisk until it is combined. I hope this helps!
Hi, I want to use this one recipe to make twelve mini-Bundt cakes. I assume the only difference would be length of baking time. Can you confirm whether any modifications would be needed for bundtlets? How long should they cook? Or, how soon should start checking doneness with a toothpick? Any other recommendations? Thank you!!!
Hi Marcia! I actually made these in a mini bundt pan several years ago, and I never made a note of how long I baked them. I would do a 350-degree oven for something like 20 to 25 minutes. Just let your nose be your guide, if you start to smell them, they might be getting close to done. Then, test with toothpicks until they come out clean (possibly with a few dry crumbs attached). I know this recipe works in those pans. I just don’t remember the specifics. Thank you! Take care! – Meggan
So disappointed that you didn’t include the amounts of ingredients. They sound wonderful, but I can’t guess.
Hi Julie, you can scroll to the bottom of the page to see the ingredients and full instructions in the recipe card, or you can use the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top. Hope this helps! Sorry you are disappointed. Take care! – Meggan
Cake mix already says there’s pudding in it on the front of the box, should I still add instant pudding?
Hi AJ, I haven’t tried adding pudding to the boxed cake mix that already has pudding in it. I have, however, made this recipe with the pudding cake mix and not adding the pudding mix, and it was almost inedible! You could try making the cake as written on the box, just in a bundt pan, if they have baking instructions for bundt pans. I think that would probably work a lot better. Good luck! I hope I was able to save you from making a disappointing cake. Take care! – Meggan
Looks good! If I don’t have a Bundt pan could I use a regular round cake pan or a square brownie pan? TIA
Hi Krysta, yes! You’ll likely need to use two pans. Other readers have made this as cupcakes as well! – Meggan
What size cake mix did you use in the recipe. The amount of mix in a box has changed recently. It use to be 18 and now it is 15.25. I just want it to turn out right. Thanks!
Hi Stacy, either size works as long as the box makes a 13×9 or two 8-inch rounds. Take care! – Meggan
Love lemon cake just had one for my daughter-in-law’s birthday and my neighbor requested one for her daughter-in-law’s birthday. Really looking forward to trying this recipe for her. I was just wondering if you shouldn’t also flower the bundt pan?
Hi Donna, in this recipe I generously coat the Bundt pan with shortening or nonstick spray. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Is there any reason I can’t make your lemon bundt cake into cupcakes????
Hi ECD, nope! A couple of other readers have done this and loved them! – Meggan