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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.
Meghan, following your recipe but my cake mix calls for 1/3 vegetable oil. Can I leave that out? Extra calories I don’t need..
Hi Connie, yes! To make sure your cake doesn’t dry out like cardboard, are you willing to sub in 1/3 cup of applesauce? You won’t even miss the oil then… Thanks!
Hi Meggan. Can you use this recipe for cupcakes instead of a bundt pan? I have a church function and need to bring cupcakes.
Thanks;!
Hi Debbie, I’m sure you can! I just need to test it and make sure. When is your church function? I can test the cupcakes this weekend. Just let me know if that is too late. Thank you for your patience!
Hello Meggan, Did you ever try it out? I have made the bundt cake before but I was wondering if you had tried it? I need to do this today for a Saturday party. I have 5 other items to make for a graduation party and my son requested lemon cupcakes.
Hi Elaine, I’m making them today. Sorry for slacking off, I will advise in a couple of hours!!! I’m sure it will be fine but I just want to give you the info you need. So sorry again. I’ll be in touch. I’ll email you AND reply here with the info. Thanks!
Hi Elaine! I just finished. The recipe works GREAT for cupcakes (not that I had doubts about that). Here’s what you need to know.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees for a shiny muffin pan, or 350 degrees for a dark or nonstick muffin pan.
2. Line muffin pan with paper liners and coat them with nonstick spray (I do this to make sure nothing sticks, ever).
3. Prepare the batter as directed in the bundt cake.
4. Fill muffin tins about halfway, approximately 3 tablespoons of batter per muffin cup. I found it easiest to use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and not fill it all the way (or fill it all the way and let some stick to the bottom of the cup between scoops which happens naturally anyway).
5. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached. Make sure you rotate your pans halfway through baking time so the cupcakes all finish at the same time.
Anything else you need to know? They are great! I will send this to you in an email too. Thanks for your patience and good luck with the party!
Thank you Meggan! I am doing them today 😉 Last night I finished my reese’s cheesecake bits and cold pasta. Today I am working on Lemon cupcakes and deviled eggs. We have 70 people coming tomorrow. I am also thinking about doing Peanut butter captain crunch cupcakes. Our son live peanut butter captain crunch. I just trying to figure out cake mix to use for it 🤔 Any ideas on this one ? Thank for the help ❤
This website is completely awesome. I’ve search through these recipes a great deal and I view it that is good written, easy to understand.
Made this today with a light cream cheese frosting and used raspberries on top!
This cakes the bomb (5) stars!!
Wow this is delicious! I made it today and it was seriously the most delightful cake I’ve ever made. A definite keeper! I will say my glaze more so soaked into the cake rather than stayed on top as an icing, I’m not quite sure why but it was delicious and pretty either way.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I will be making it tomorrow. I was wondering is it possible to use this recipe with spring form pans instead of a bundt pan.
I don’t mind if you steal it😄😄. So glad you liked the idea. Happy Holidays
Can you make the cake the night before and refrigerate it, and then make and apply the glaze the next day before a party?
I am going to make this lemon cake for a Holiday party. I am using mint and maraschino cherries as holly around the bottom of the cake.
Hi Vickie, that is the most adorable idea ever! Do you mind if I steal it?? Thank you so much for stopping by and take care!
Question what was your answer for using sugar free pudding? I’m diabetic and any way I can cut the sugar super! Love 🍋 also can it be made as a regular cake?