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Incredibly Moist and Delicious Lemon Pudding Cake (The Best Lemon Cake EVER)

Stop looking for the best lemon cake recipe ever. You’ve found it! This incredibly moist and delicious lemon pudding cake with homemade lemon buttercream frosting is outrageously good and will easily become one of your family favorites!

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

This is seriously THE best lemon cake ever.

I know that’s a pretty bold claim to make, but I stand by it. You and everyone you make it for is going to LOVE IT!

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

I got this lemon pudding cake recipe from my Aunt Cheryl (the kitchen genius who inevitably passes on tons of recipes that become my favorite). She made it for Easter a couple of years ago, and I’m pretty sure after every bite I thought, “This is the best non-chocolate cake I have ever eaten.”

I’ve made it several times since then, and I will say, everyone who has eaten it has absolutely raved about it.

I bet they all go back and get another piece when no one is looking.

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Something about the pudding makes it incredibly moist and dense, and the fresh lemon juice and zest…gosh. So good.

Want to come hang out with me in my kitchen while I walk you through the simple steps of making this cake!

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

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How to Make the Best Ever Lemon Cake & Lemon Buttercream Frosting

We’ll get started with the basics of what you need on your kitchen counter to get started, and then I’ll walk you through some of the recipe steps. This is going to be fun!

Yay! Let’s get started! Here’s a basic walk-through of this yummy cake recipe.

Step 1: Make the cake batter & bake in round pans

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

It looks a little funny coming out of the oven, but the frosting pretties it right up!

 

Step 2: Whip up the lemon buttercream frosting and spread on top of cooled cakes

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

The cake is absolutely divine, but the icing.

Oh my.

It truly does “take the cake.” 

I know, I’m really talking up a big game with this cake. I can’t help it!

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

 

Step 3: Pipe the edges if you want to give it a little decorative flair

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

 

Step 4: Top it off with some lemons & lemon zest 

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

If you’re going to do this part, wait until just before you serve it so the lemons don’t get all runny on top of the cake!

 

Step 5: Go enjoy this with people!

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

This is a fantastic recipe for spring and summertime, but I’ve made it in the dead of winter, too! It’s just too darn good to relegate it to a season!

When life gives you lemons, REJOICE and go make this cake.

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Make this cake to serve to some company coming over or to bring to a fun gathering! Be prepared to get a lot of hugs that day from everyone who takes a bite of this!

If you love lemon desserts and are looking for a few other ideas, check out some of our other favorite easy homemade lemon dessert recipes!

The Best Ever Lemon Cake Made with Pudding and Lemon Buttercream Frosting

 

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The Best Lemon Cake Recipe made with pudding and cake mix, tastes like it was made completely from scratch! Super moist and delicious layered cake recipe! #lemoncake #dessert #lemonrecipes #dessertrecipes #puddingcake

The Best Lemon Cake Recipe made with pudding and cake mix, tastes like it was made completely from scratch! Super moist and delicious layered cake recipe! #lemoncake #dessert #lemonrecipes #dessertrecipes #puddingcake

The Best Lemon Cake Recipe made with pudding and cake mix, tastes like it was made completely from scratch! Super moist and delicious layered cake recipe! #lemoncake #dessert #lemonrecipes #dessertrecipes #puddingcake

 

Incredibly Moist and Delicious Lemon Pudding Cake (The Best Lemon Cake EVER)

4.56 from 25 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 -15 slices
Author: The American Patriette

Ingredients

  • CAKE:
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 5.1 oz box instant or Cook & Serve vanilla pudding
  • 1/2 c vegetable oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 c whole milk
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 6 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • ________________________________________
  • ICING:*
  • 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
  • 3 c powdered sugar
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • Zest from 1 lemon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Lightly grease 2 round baking pans.
  • Using a stand or a hand mixer, blend cake mix, pudding mix, and oil together.
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing between additions.
  • Pour in milk and continue to mix.
  • Add sour cream, lemon juice, and zest.
  • Mix until everything is thoroughly blended together, but DO NOT over mix.
  • Pour cake batter into baking pans and place in oven for 25-30 minutes (check with a toothpick after 25 minutes to see if cakes are done or if they need a little longer in the oven).
  • Remove cake from oven and set on cooling racks in the baking pans.
  • Remove cake from baking pans after about 10 minutes and allow to completely cool.
  • For the icing, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add lemon juice and zest.
  • Frost cake, top with lemon zest if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

*If you want to pipe some of the icing like you see in these photos, you may want to make a little more icing than what this recipe calls for. You'd probably be safe with making an additional half of the recipe in order to pipe enough frosting all around the top and at the base of the cake.

18 Comments

    1. You know, I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it would work just by adding on a few minutes in the oven. It’s so good as a tiered cake, so I’ve never really considered making it as a rectangle. But, I’m sure you could – I’d just add about 4-5 minutes of bake time, check with a toothpick, and then give it a little more bake time as needed until the toothpick comes out clean.

  1. Can I make his in a springform pan? I don’t have cake pans anymore and we shouldn’t go out now. Should I bake and slice horizontally to make two layers? I have a 9 inch springform

    1. I’ve never baked a cake in a spring form pan before, but I don’t see why not! I don’t know if I would make it all at once, though. If you do, you’ll definitely need to increase the bake time. I would probably just bake half the batter at a time.

  2. Has anyone tried making this using lemon cake mix and/or lemon pudding mix? Is the taste with the vanilla box and pudding lemony enough for a real lemon cake lover?

    1. It’s VERY lemony, especially with the lemon buttercream. You can certainly try it with lemon cake, though! But, if the only reason you’d use a lemon cake is because you’re concerned that the lemon will be more subtle, you should give this one a try – it’s got a great lemon flavor, and I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve gotten compliments on the cake every time I’ve made it!

    2. I made it with yellow cake mix and lemon pudding and it was AMAZING!!! I didn’t make the frosting, bought lemon canned frosting from the store, and it was so delicious! It all came together very well.

      1. Yay!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I make this cake often – it is just one of our absolute favorites!!

  3. Great lemon cake. Husband made it for Easter gathering. Reminded me of a pound cake as it is very moist.

    1. Yes! It’s definitely reminiscent of a pound cake…I should call this a “5 lb cake” because it’s so heavy! 🙂

  4. This was definitely an incredibly moist and delicious lemon pudding cake. What few slices were leftover, from our Easter celebration, were quickly called dibs on. The best lemon cake ever!

    1. I’m so thrilled y’all liked it! It really is the best lemon cake ever! So fun to share a great recipe that everyone seems to be enjoying!

      1. can you make this cake a day ahead?
        My email is [email protected]
        I need to know as some as possible I need to make it tomorrow for a birthday party Friday afternoon.
        I will have to travel about 4 hours in the car.

  5. The title says it all – incredibly moist and delicious! The lemon flavor was wonderful and the icing was amazing. Will definitely make again!

    1. I know, I lick that icing right off the spatula when I’m done frosting the cake! So good. 🙂

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