This buttery, zesty dessert is incredibly delicious and easily prepared in just a few steps. Even your grandma will be asking for the recipe!
When you see a Bundt cake, you may immediately think of a 1960s housewife or recall a dessert you enjoyed at your grandparents’ house. But just like every trend, the lemon Bundt cake has come back around! Actually, the Bundt pan itself is making a comeback from the vintage scene. I attended a 5-year-old’s garden-themed tea party, and the mom used a Bundt pan filled with frozen fruit in the punch bowl. It looked gorgeous and kept the punch cold!
The term Bundt originates from the German word Bundkuchen, meaning “gathering cake.” The Bundt pan was invented in the 1950s with the goal of creating a pan that was neither too fragile nor too heavy, suitable for making coffee cakes and similar European pastries. The inventor of the pan, H. David Dalquist, famously placed second in a Pillsbury cake contest, which helped spark the Bundt pan craze in the U.S.
This lemon Bundt cake with cake mix recipe features fresh ingredients, such as lemons, eggs, and milk, along with convenient shortcuts like boxes of cake mix and instant pudding. This gives you a simple, moist, and sweet cake with a delightful zing. While this cake is pretty comparable to traditional recipes, you can make it in a snap with fewer ingredients and less measuring!
Is Lemon Bundt Cake With Cake Mix Healthy?
Tasty delights like this lemon Bundt cake with cake mix should be enjoyed in moderation as an occasional treat due to their high sugar content. However, making this cake at home, as opposed to buying a premade cake at the grocery store, allows you to use wholesome ingredients or make healthier substitutions. My daughter is allergic to eggs, so I have become accustomed to using chia eggs as an alternative. This small change can make your lemon Bundt cake a bit more nutritious by adding fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and even protein. This substitution works amazingly well with this recipe in particular, as the chia seeds remind me of poppy seeds, which are an everyday staple in other lemon desserts, like these Baked Donuts with Lemon and Poppy Seeds.
If you are replacing the eggs to make this cake vegan, you’ll need to sub in nondairy milk as well. Be sure to check the ingredients on your boxed cake mix and instant pudding. Most common store brands contain milk, but there are certainly options available that do not.
Why Add Pudding To The Mix?
I grew up with a family of bakers, so having several boxes of instant pudding in my pantry is normal. Not many people make and serve pudding like their parents did in the ’90s—and my kids, who are 2 and 5, do not appreciate it. However, if you have never used instant pudding in a cake recipe, you are in for a real treat with this lemon Bundt cake with a cake mix. Even though instant pudding is a dry ingredient, it adds moisture and richness to your cake like nothing else can. I also dislike the taste of fake lemon, but the pudding mix in this recipe enhances the tangy, fresh flavor!
How do I store leftovers?
At room temperature, your lemon Bundt cake made with a cake mix will last for a day or two. Alternatively, you can store your cake in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Be sure to keep your cake covered and, if possible, wait to add the glaze until you are ready to serve and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
The freshness of this lemon Bundt cake with cake mix reminds me of the brightness of sunny spring days. Set the outdoor table and serve this cake with fresh strawberries, the Perfect Mimosa, or a fancy coffee like this Homemade Caramel-Vanilla Iced Coffee.
You can also pack a picnic and bring a Mediterranean Salad, this creamy Pecan Chicken Salad, and this Delicious Lobster Roll Recipe for a perfect day. These recipes perfectly complement the citrus in your lemon Bundt cake.
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 box instant lemon pudding mix 3.4 ounces
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 4 large eggs
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice plus a little more, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a large Bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, milk, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, applesauce, and eggs. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon more lemon juice if needed to thin out the glaze.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then carefully invert it onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.
- Once it's cooled to room temp, drizzle the cake with the glaze. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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