Lemon Bundt Cake {With Cake Mix}

The best classic, quick and easy lemon bundt cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix. Soft and moist with a tangy lemon glaze.

If you liked my Chocolate Bundt Cake and these Mini Bundt Cake Recipes, you are going to love today’s old-fashioned Summer cake. Now, you can make it from scratch but I love doctored cake mix recipes because they are so much quicker and convenient.

How to make lemon cake with cake mix?

1. Mix together eggs, cream cheese, lemon juice, extract, zest, milk, cake mix.
2. Pour batter in bundt pan.
3. Bake.
4. Let it cool.
5. Drizzle glaze on top and you are done.

How to make lemon glaze/ icing for bundt cake?

Mix together powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, melted butter until smooth and creamy. Drizzle it over a cooled cake.

Can you bake a regular cake in a bundt pan?

No, regular cakes are not as dense or firm as a bundt cake, making it difficult to remove it from the bundt pan without falling apart and breaking.

What is a substitute for lemon extract?

You can use emulsion oil, which is a bit expensive but very concentrated. You can also use fresh lemon zest to create a similar flavor profile.

How to grease bundt pans and keep cake from sticking?

• Grease the bundt pan very well- This is very important! Generously, grease the pan with melted shortening or butter with a pastry brush and get it into all the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle it with flour and toss it around until the entire pan is covered in a thin layer of grease and flour. Invert the pan over a sink and dump the excess flour. I do not recommend using oil spray because it has a tendency to slide down the sides and makes a pool at the bottom, which causes the cake to stick to the sides.
• Use simple nonstick bundt pan– Make sure it’s not old and worn out with scratches. Also, don’t use a bundt pan with fancy designs and patterns. That’s because that would cause the cake to stick to the pan and make it difficult to remove it, after making. Bundt cakes are very fragile and can break easily during removal from pan. Allow the cake to rest for 10-15 minutes right side up. Then, flip it over to a cooling rack and let it rest for another 5 minutes, before removing the pan. This process allows the cake to cool down a firm up a little.
• Don’t forget to grease the tube of the pan because the batter can stick to this and removal of cake becomes impossible without breaking.

Variations

• Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake- Mix in 2 tbsp poppy seeds in the cake batter.
• Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake– Stir in 1 cup floured fresh raspberries in the batter at the end.
• Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake– Stir in in 3/4 cup floured fresh blueberries in the batter at the end.

Tips and Techniques

• Use full fat ingredients- Such as whole milk and full fat cream cheese because that makes the cake rich and moist. No fat free or low fat ingredients!
• All ingredients should be at room temperature– That’s because they blend together smoothly and evenly.
• Don’t over-mix cake batter– Because this will yield a tough and it can also cause the cake to collapse/sink during baking.
• Brand of cake mixes– I have used these brands of cake mixes successfully: Pillsbury, Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker. I have not tried any other generic brands to know how it would affect this recipe.
• Yellow cake mix or Lemon cake mix? I prefer the yellow butter or vanilla cake mix because I can control the amount of lemon flavor in it and make sure it doesn’t become overwhelming. If you like a very strong zesty flavor, you can use lemon cake mix although it is not easily available in all grocery stores.
• Sour cream or cream cheese? I have tried both ingredients and they work well. However, I strongly believe that cream cheese gives the best soft and moist texture.
• Temperature is key– Do not pour the glaze over the cake before it has cooled down or else it will make a sticky, soggy mess.
• How much glaze to use? This is entirely a personal preference. I drizzle enough to coat the top of the cake and most of the sides.
• Try other citrus variations- Get creative with extracts and zests in the cake batter and glaze. Lime and orange are very popular.
• Decoration– Keep it simple and classic with glaze and perhaps some fresh lemon slices or lemon zest, if you like. You can also check out lots of these beautiful Bundt Cake Decorating Ideas.
• How to remove a cake stuck in the pan? Hey! Sometimes, it happens! loosen the edges of the cake by gently sliding a thin spatula down the sides of the pan and then turn it over, tap it gently on the top to release it.

Other doctored cake mix recipes

• Louisiana Crunch Cake With Cake Mix
• Snowball Cake (Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Cake)
• Easy Black Forest Cake With Cake Mix
• Orange Cookies With Cake Mix
• Oreo Cupcakes With Cake Mix
• Chocolate Molten Lava Cake (Crockpot)

Other Lemon Desserts

• Lemon Fudge (2 Ingredients)
• Easy Lemon Cookies
• Lemon Curd
• Sparkling Lemonade
• Lemon Blueberry Muffins
• Moist Lemon Cake

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Easy Lemon Bundt Cake (With Cake Mix)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 55 mins

Classic, quick and easy lemon bundt cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix. Soft and moist with a tangy lemon glaze.

Yield: 10 Slices

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 Eggs, Large
• 1/2 cup Cream cheese, E.g. 4 oz.
• 1 cup Whole milk
• 1 box Yellow cake mix
• 2 tbsp Lemon zest
• 1/4 cup Lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp Lemon extract

Lemon Glaze

• 1.5 cups Powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Butter, Melted
• 1/2 tsp Lemon extract
• 1.5 tsp Lemon zest

Instructions 

• In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, cream cheese milk and mix until smooth.
• Add cake mix, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon extract and mix until just combined. 
• Pour batter in a greased and floured bundt pan. Use a 10-12 cup bundt or tube pan. 
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean. 
• Allow the cake to cool down for 15 minutes. Then, flip it onto a cooling rack gently and remove the pan. 
• Allow it to cool down completely.
• While it’s cooling, prepare the glaze by mixing together powdered sugar, lemon juice, melted butter, lemon extract, zest until thick, smooth and creamy. 
• Drizzle glaze over the cooled cake. Enjoy!

Notes

• Read all my tips above.
• Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 488mg, Potassium: 116mg, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 450IU, Vitamin C: 5.4mg, Calcium: 166mg, Iron: 1.4mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 314

Author: Abeer Rizvi

Until next time, tata my lovelies!