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…
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Lemon Poke Cake with Lemon Glaze
How to make Grandma's lemon poke cake with lemon glaze, using a cake mix. Fluffy cake recipe with a simple lemony icing drizzled on top.
- Mixer
- 9×13 Cake Pan
- Baking Spatula
- Cake Tester
- Mixing Bowl
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*
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!
*You can substitute 4 ounces of frozen lemonade concentrate for the lemon juice.
How should I store lemon cake?
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.
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