Made with a boxed lemon cake mix, lemonade, and fresh lemon juice, this easy Lemonade Cake tastes like a big ol’ slice of sunshine! It’s tangy, tart, and super moist!
If y’all have been hanging around these parts for any length of time, you’ve probably seen my Pineapple Juice Cake. It’s one of my most popular recipes. It’s based on my mom’s Orange Juice Cake recipe from when I was a kid.
One of the questions I often get on that recipe is about using lemon juice in place of pineapple juice. And while using straight lemon juice probably isn’t the best idea, using some lemonade sure seemed smart. So, I went to baking and created this Lemonade Cake for y’all.
What is Lemonade Cake?
Lemonade Cake is a crazy easy, bundt-style, super moist lemon cake that is made with a lemon cake mix, eggs, oil, and lemonade. Then a glaze is made with powered sugar, lemonade, fresh lemon juice, and butter. The cake is then soaked in the glaze creating an amazingly moist cake that’s filled with tons of lemon flavor.
Why do you use a cake mix?
Every time I post a recipe that uses a boxed mix, I get complaints. Every time I post a recipe that’s from scratch, I get complaints. So, I try to offer a mix of both types of recipes. In this case, I decided to go with the cake mix. To all the cake mix haters, I say this…
A cake mix is nothing more than pre-measured ingredients. Cake mixes are more affordable, produce more consistent results, and make baking a whole lot easier for the average home cook. My goal here is to make cooking easy and approachable. If a cake mix does that for some folks, so be it.
Can I make this recipe from scratch? I’m sure you could. In fact, I’m willing to bet there are recipes out there to make a boxed cake mix from scratch. I’ve only ever made this recipe using a cake mix, so I can’t speak for how the recipe turns out if you make adjustments.
How to store:
Because of the fresh juice in this cake, I recommend storing it tightly covered in the fridge. It’s fine at room temperature if you’re going to eat it within a day or so, but any longer will require refrigeration.
You can even tightly wrap and freeze this cake for up to 3 months. I like to wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil for extra protection.
Ingredient FAQ
Lemon Cake Mix – I’ll admit that the lemon flavor in lemon cake mix isn’t always my favorite. Some brands just have a fake flavor that I don’t love. But, I tested this recipe with butter, yellow, and lemon flavored cake mixes and found the lemon mix did give the cake the best, most lemony flavor. The others were still delicious, they just didn’t have the strong lemon flavor I wanted for this recipe.
Vegetable Oil – Vegetable oil contributes to the super moist texture of this cake and is readily available in most kitchens. An equal amount of melted butter can be used as well.
Lemonade – Used in both the cake and the glaze, lemonade helps to add lemony flavor. I used bottled refrigerated lemonade right off the grocery shelf, but I’m sure homemade would work as well.
Eggs – Using room temperature eggs helps to get them all incorporated into the batter.
Powdered Sugar – I hate to disappoint you, but there’s nothing profound to say about powdered sugar here. If you don’t have powdered sugar, you can use regular granulated sugar, but it’s not a 1:1 swap. Typically you use about 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar for every 1 cup of granulated sugar, so… If my math is correct, you’ll need just a smidge over 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in this recipe.
Lemon Juice – For the freshest flavor, use fresh lemon juice. A large lemon should yield about 3 to 4 tablespoons of juice. Bottled lemon juice will certainly work. It just won’t have that fresh flavor.
Butter – It’s always advisable to use unsalted butter in baking so that you can control the salt content. Can you use salted butter? Sure! Knock yourself out.
Variations and Additions
Lemon Zest – If you want to add even more lemon flavor, you could include the zest of 1 lemon in the cake batter.
Lemon Extract/Flavoring – If you only have a butter or yellow cake mix, adding lemon flavoring or extract to the mix will help you get some extra lemon flavor. Heck, you could even add lemon extract or flavoring to a lemon cake mix if you’re feeling super, you know… lemony. If using a butter or yellow cake mix, I’d guess you’d need somewhere between 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.
Orange Juice Cake – The cake that started it all.
Pineapple Juice Cake – This one is probably my fav.
Recipe Card
Lemonade Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box lemon cake mix
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup lemonade
- 4 large eggs
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup lemonade
- 1 lemon, juiced ((3 to 4 tablespoons))
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan.
- Use an electric mixer to combine the cake mix, vegetable oil, lemonade, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake is just starting to pull away from the sides. Allow the cake to start to cool in the pan while you make the glaze.
- In a small sauce pan, combine the powdered sugar, lemonade, lemon juice, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter has melted, stirring frequently.
- Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes in the cake. Pour the warm glaze over the cake while it is still in the cake pan. It's going to seem like a lot of glaze, but just keep pouring. Allow to cool for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until the cake is nearly cool and most of the glaze has been absorbed, then invert the cake onto a serving platter. Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Marian Shelton
Can I make cupcakes using this recipe my family love it
Absolutely! You can definitely use this recipe to make cupcakes. Just adjust the baking time, usually around 18-20 minutes should do the trick.
Jayna Peters
Thank you for this delicious recipe! My husband and son love it and my son usually doesn’t care for cake. I just made another one to take to my family reunion and I am sure my relatives will feel the same as we do.
You’re so welcome, Jayna!
Brittani Cornett
Hello! Can I use lemon juice to replace the lemonade?
Hi Brittani! That is a lot of lemon juice. I’ve not tested it, so I can’t day for sure, but I worry it will be too tart with all lemon juice.
Jayna Peters
Great cake! My son doesn’t usually care for cake but this and the pineapple juice cake were both a hit for him.
Awesome! Love hearing that! So glad to hear he enjoyed them!
Annie
Stacie, As much as I would like to try this recipe I can’t due to food allergies. I can not find mixes that don’t have corn in then. So their are some of us that legit for not wanting a recipe with a mix. I use to use them until the corn of any type was a huge problem. I would love more scratch recipes.
Thanks for the note, Annie. I totally understand.
Eva
I’ve yet to make this, but in regards to your mentioning that you get flack for using cake box mix. My cake decorating instructor was given medals for cakes she made for presidents at the White House. But she too used cake mix, but doctored them. She found they were so helpful when doing cakes for large crowds. She had to have been in her 80’s 40 odd years ago. I was in her last cake decorating class she gave. It was a valuable lesson. You can do so much with a box of cake mix to make it your own.
Thank you for this recipe and genuine love of baking!
Thank YOU, Eva!
Ramona
I haven’t made this yet, but it sounds amazing!
Hope you’ll love it!
Marty
Can thawed frozen lemonade concentrate be substituted for the lemonade without diluting it?
Thanks
I think it might be too sour, but you can try it.
Sandra
I don’t have much success with Bundt cakes and so I decided to bake in a 13×9 pan. You don’t say that you can or can’t. It was not baked at 35 minutes so I would assume the same with a Bundt. It was waaaaay too wet . You must have omitted additional ingredients like extra flour or something. And I needed to take this to my pastor’s house.🤦🏻♀️
Hey, Sandra! Sounds like you just didn’t cook it long enough or measured something incorrectly. There is no need for additional flour.
Valarie
I love, love, love this cake! It’s exactly what I was expecting to taste! I can’t wait to try the orange juice cake and the pineapple juice cake recipes as well. Thank you, Stacey!
It’s beautiful, Valarie! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Trish
Best Lemon cake Ihave ever made. Added the lemon zest and lemon tract as you suggested for a stronger pop of lemon,Bam!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Trish!
Donna Dunning
I made this for my lemon-loving hubby. He liked it, but actually thought it was too much lemon flavor. As far as the cake, it looked perfectly beautiful from following the recipe, but if I make it for him again, I will use a yellow or butter cake mix instead of the Duncan Hines Supreme Lemon I used. If you are crazy for lemon, this is the cake for you! 😋
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Gbinder
Used orange cake mix, because that’s what I had on hand. Used peach lemonade. Came out great! Made this once before as written, very moist and very good. Love all of your recipes that I’ve made over the years. Thanks Stacy! 😊
That sounds great!!
DeeDee
I’m making this today for my daughters B-day. I used a 9×13 pan and will watch the timing as I’m sure it will bake a bit faster than my bundt pan. Looks and smells so good! I’ll frost it with my daughters favorite “cloud” frosting and it’ll be a hit!
Cloud frosting:
1qt heavy whipping cream
1/3c. Powdered sugar
1 3.4oz. Instant pudding (the flavor you chose depends on the cake you bake and your preference ofcourse)
Beat the cream just until it starts to thicken, add 1/2 pudding & 1/2 sugar, continue beating until combined then add the remaining pudding & sugar. Beat until thickened. So good!
Sounds great! Hope she loved it!
Deedee
She loved it Stacey! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Awesome!!
Annette Wyscarver
I loved the orange cake. I made it and it came out absolutely fantastic. In the orange recipe it called for a box of lemon pudding. The lemon recipe does not call for pudding. Is this correct
It is correct. I opted to leave the pudding out of subsequent recipes as I think it was causing some recipes to fail.
Dottie B
Every month at a church get together I do one of your cakes. Always a hit, never a slice left to take home matter of fact I have to hide a slice for myself to try for it goes so fast. They ask what kind are we getting tonight. I’ve done the orange juice, pineapple, lemonade, butter gooey, strawberry and this week will be the red velvet gooey. We love your recipes.. thanks so much!!! PS.. I’ve done some of your other recipes also. 💗them . Just keep on cooking and giving us the recipes.
Thanks so much, Dottie! I sure hope they enjoy the red velvet just as much!
Cindy
Dottie- I know it is not a cake, butter give the Pecan Chewies a try. They are phenomenal! I am sure they will be a big hit. They whenever I bring them anywhere.
Thanks, Cindy!!
Cecilia
I’m going as fast as I can tomorrow to get a lemon cake mix and lemonade! I love anything lemony. This sounds amazing.
Hope it turns out great for you!
Cathy Chandler
Love this recipe! Has anyone coated the Bundt pan in powdered lemonade mix before adding the batter? I usually try to have a matching flavor of something with sugar for just a little crunch on the outside of the cake, after I’ve applied my cake goop.
Cake Goop: I keep this in a sealed container to apply a coat on all pans: 1 cup each shortening/veg oil/flour. Use a silicone brush to apply a generous coat.
Thanks, Cathy! I’ve not tried coating the pan in the lemonade mix, but that sounds amazing! I do keep some of that cake goop in my fridge, too!
Gail Willis
Duncan Hines lemon
Thanks!
Gail Willis
Very good & moist—husband loved it! Not sure why it collapsed a little near the center but you can’t tell once it is turned out. Easy to make—looks like too much glaze but it all absorbed. I did add the zest of a lemon and just a drop of lemon extract which was good! Thanks for a good & easy recipe—I will make again!
Sounds great! Glad you enjoyed it! If you remember, what brand and flavor of cake mix did you use?
Gail Willis
Duncan Hines
pc reis
As I’ve not made it yet, I cannot rate this recipe. But I plan to ASAP, and I’m sure it will rate at least 5 stars since all your recipes are outstanding!
Thanks, PC! I really appreciate you saying that.
Margie sanders
Thank you for your Lemon cake, i can not wait to make this cake, i will rate it when i make it, can i use frozen lemonade?
I’m afraid the thawed lemonade straight out of the can might be too sweet since it’s concentrated. You could certainly try it. Or you could make the lemonade according to the instructions on the can and then use that.
JANE SMITH
I’ve carried the orange juice and pineapple juice cakes to church and they were very well received. I bet the lemonade would be as well. And as far as satisfying folks…my momma used to say “some people would complain if they were hung with a new rope.”
She said some of the darndest things. Miss her every day.
Thanks, Jane! So glad to hear it! Ha! She sounds like a hoot! I know you miss her.
J. C. Manuel
Hi Stacey! Your Lemonade Cake sounds delicious, & I will be trying it soon as my husband LOVES lemon cake. Thank you for including a cake mix as the base! This helps us busy cooks save time & steps in getting a delicious dessert on the table, without compromise!
You are so welcome! I hope y’all will enjoy this recipe!
Donna
Could I add fresh blueberries to this?
I certainly don’t see why not. Let me know how it turns out!
Louise
What brand lemon cake mix do you prefer for this cake , Stacy? I can’t wait to make it. I love lemon anything?
I tested with both Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker for this recipe.
Deanne
Which cake mix did you end up preferring? Thank you!
My favorite was the Duncan Hines lemon cake mix.
I used the Duncan Hines lemon cake mix.