This Vintage Lemon Apricot Nectar Cake is an old school recipe that starts with a cake mix but turns into a super moist, crazy flavorful dessert!
After I posted my Pineapple Juice Cake a few years back, I had tons of comments, messages, and emails from folks saying that it reminded them of an apricot nectar cake their mother/grandmother used to make. I mentioned it to my own mother who said she, in fact, remembered my grandmother making one. So, I set out to find this apricot nectar deliciousness in my collection of old cookbooks. And I found it!
I read a post on another site that said that Duncan Hines originally introduced the recipe when they launched lemon cake mix years ago, but I can’t verify that. The crazy thing about it is that when I tested this recipe with a Duncan Hines mix, the middle fell every single time, much like it does when folks use Duncan Hines cake mixes with that Pineapple Juice Cake recipe. So, as much as I love Duncan Hines mixes, I have to recommend another brand for this recipe. I’ve tested it extensively after folks reported problems with that recipe and it seems that the amount of oil in the recipe is the culprit.
The cake is made with a lemon cake mix, and much like my Pineapple Juice Cake, it’s mixed with eggs, vegetable oil, and apricot nectar (in place of the pineapple juice). I found 2 or 3 variations of the recipe and they were all pretty consistent. All of them called for the addition of some extra sugar that ranged between 1/4 to 1/2 cup. I was worried that the additional sugar might make the cake too sweet, but I found it quite pleasant. I think the lemon helps to offset the sweetness. I even made it without the extra sugar and much preferred the version with it.
Now the lemon is the real star in this recipe. I like the novelty of the apricot nectar, but didn’t really find it to have much apricot flavor. Regardless, it makes for a super moist lemon cake that everyone who’s tasted it just loved. With that being said, I think you could use other juices or nectars, if you so desired. My local grocery store had canned nectars that ranged from peach and apricot to coconut-pineapple, strawberry, even strawberry-banana. So there are tons of great options!
One thing that I noticed in my research is that the thing that varied the most from recipe to recipe was the glaze. Some recipes called for 1 cup of powdered sugar to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice for the glaze which made a thick, white drizzle that was beautiful on the top of the cake. It’s the one pictured here. A few other recipes called for more lemon juice – sometimes as much as 6 tablespoons – to 1 cup of powdered sugar which made a much more thin, translucent glaze of sorts that coated the outside of the cake. I made it both ways and found both delicious so I decided to give you the option to make it how you might remember it. Regardless, it’s going to be delicious!
Another thing that bears mentioning is that I did have some trouble with this cake sticking to the pan when turning it out. I tested it 4 times in the same pan that I always bake bundt cakes in here in the test kitchen and it stuck every. single. time. I tried everything from reducing the sugar amount in the cake to using varying grease and flour methods on the pan. I ended up bringing one of my old pans from home (it’s probably older than me) and it popped right out – first try. And I only used the baking spray with flour in it to coat the pan. That being said, I have found that the old-school grease and flour method is the most reliable. Just also be sure to pick a pan that you usually don’t have any trouble with it sticking.
Recipe Card
Vintage Lemon Apricot Nectar Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) lemon cake mix (I do not recommend Duncan Hines for this recipe.)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup apricot nectar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan.
- Use a mixer to combine the cake mix, sugar, apricot nectar, oil, and eggs. Combine on low then switch to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes then place a serving platter over the cake and invert it onto the platter.
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over warm cake.
Notes
Please note:
If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. 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.
Question- I have made the cake for years using DH mix. ( Just like your recipe, EXCEPT using 1 cup of oil (( I actually use less…more like 3/4)) They have reduced the box size to 15.25 OZ. since I have been making it. I have been adding some cake mix extender for these smaller box size mixes, but it still isn’t as good as it used to be. Why do you not like the DH mix? Is there a brand you like? The only lemon in my stores is DH. Thanks for your inpout!! Happy baking!!!
I actually LOVE Duncan Hines mixes. The problem is that a few years back, they changed something in the recipe and many recipes like these now fail. I’ve tested and it’s not a box size issue. I’m not sure what it is, but there have been lots of chatter about it on the internet, so I’m not the only one who found this to happen.
Thank you! I just made one and it was a bust! I wish there were other brands as this was my FAVORITE cake mix cake! I appreciate your information!
Happy to help!
Great easy cake. Looks Beautiful with the white confection sugar dribbled on. Great recipe!!
Thanks, Judy! So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
My late great aunt used to make this cake and none of my family knew the recipe. I’ve wanted this cake for a long time. So glad I found your recipe and can’t wait to try it!
Hope it’s just as delicious as you remember!
My grandmother, mother, aunts made this cake. It was at every family reunion and at Sunday dinner, if banana pudding wasn’t. I had their recipe, but lost it down through the years.
It is a real touch of comfort and sweetness. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! Love hearing that!
My wife used to cook this cake years ago. She couldn’t find her recipe so I looked it up. I found your recipe and she tried it. It flopped in the middle. She tried it again and it was perfect. The trick was she didn’t put sugar in it the second time and it was a Duncan Hines mix.
Thanks for the update, James! I’ve really had trouble with Duncan Hines cakes falling a lot lately.
My mom used to make this. Thanks for sharing this! Delicious!
Hope you’ll enjoy it!
My grandmother used to make this. This cake is even better than I remembered. My husband loves it!
My favorite cake of all time!
Always use the Kerns apricot nectar!
Jumex is just a drink and doesn’t have the same density or taste for the cake.
I have also had a problem finding the Kerns but you can order it on line.
My mother uses an orange cake mix with it and it makes a great cake too!
Great tip on the nectar! Thanks for sharing!
Having made this cake for over 30 years, I know how to make it well. Occasionally, a cake falls in the middle because of over mixing or beating at too high a speed. Duncan Hines pineapple or lemon cake mix is listed in the old recipe. It’s what I’ve always used. The amount of product in all cake mix boxes has decreased over time, as expected. Most people don’t realize this and can’t figure out what’s wrong. There was a reduction in weight from 18.25 ounces to 15.25 ounces. So any recipe that calls for cake mix is messed up from the time you open the box. I would be glad to share the recipe needed to add to a cake mix to increase it to 18.25oz.
Hi Karen! Do feel free to share your extender recipe.
I love the lemon supreme cake with apricot nectar however, I only have peach nectar can I have that instead of apricot and Willet make my cake taste ok.?
It should be ok but I have never tried that combination.
I’ve tried the peach nectar option, and it pairs well with the lemon! Peach is a good backup option if you don’t have apricot.
Thanks for sharing! Great info!
My mama made this back in the early 60’s, I have her recipe and it called for Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix and 3/4 cup “high grade” oil. The glaze was 1 1/2 confectioners sugar and juice from 1 1/2 lemon. I frequently make this and while delicious, it doesn’t seem to taste as good to me now. I don’t know if the cake mix has changed or if it’s simply my memories of how I loved my mama’s cake!
The apricot nectar can be ordered on Amazon. The brand is Kern’s. As I recall, Libby’s used to make it. I looked everywhere and could not find it. When ordering one must order six cans. I think that it is the same sized can,11.5 oz. I discovered that the amount of mix in the box was less and I used one less egg and reduced the oil to 1/2 cup. It was not the cake that I remembered. I had always used the Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix.
For the glaze. I used 1 cup of powdered sugar and the juice of 1 lemon. I remove the hot cake from the pan,
pierce it all over with a meat fork and pour the glaze over it. All of our mothers had their own ways of making the cake. I made it regularly for Easter until about 2002. The original recipe that I had was published in the newspaper and I still have that copy.
Thanks for all of the comments. I am going to try it again. I have many fond memories of meals ending with
this cake.
I’ve seen it start returning to the store, but in a larger carton rather than the cans.
Apricot Nectar can be found at Dollar Tree on the drink aisle. It’s in a blue soda can made by Jumex.
Great tip! Thanks!
Stacy, I made this recipe tonight using a Pillsbury Lemon Cake Mix. It was so easy and it came out so moist and delicious! My husband loved it. I’m gonna be trying some other recipes you have listed. Thanks for this one!
Pam
I’m so glad he loved it!
The Pillsbury Company introduced this recipe, not Duncan Hines. My husband worked for Pillsbury for 30+ years, and I used to bake sample cakes for him to take to grocery wholesale buyers. Pillsbury was a great company, but unfortunately it does not exist any more.
Thanks for the info!
Why does Pillsbury no longer exist and who is making the Pillsbury cake mixes I use on a regular basis?
The Pillsbury Company a family milling company was founded in 1869 in Minneapolis, MN. It was sold to Grand Metropolitan, a British company purchased it in 1990, General Mills bought part of it in 2000, and a lot of products were bought by other companies. Smuckers bought the cake mix and other products but sold them in 2018. I still have the Pillsbury ads for the original apricot nectar cake
I have made this cake for 50 years. It is my favorite cake of all times.
Box yellow cake mix
3 oz lemon jello (not pudding)
3/4 c apricot nectar
3/4 c oil
4 eggs (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
Glaze
1/4 c lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar
Apply with a pastry brush while warm. It takes many coats to use the glaze but well worth it.
Add cake mix, oil and apricot nectar and mix. Add jello to mixture. Add eggs one at a time beating in between. Add extract.
Butter and flour Bundt pan. Bake 325 degrees for 50-55 min. Cool 15 min and invert on plate. Glaze.
I haven’t had the cake fall in but extracting it from the pan can be tricky. More cooling time works better than less. 10 min isn’t enough. I have used peach nectar when the apricot was hard to find.
Stacey, I used to make this cake at least 2-3 times a year from my Grandmother’s recipe. I would call her and she would read it off to me. As she developed Alzheimer’s, she began to “re-write” her recipe cards. Bless her heart,
Most of them are not written correctly. I followed the recipe exactly as she told me, and my cakes began to fall, or have large holes in the middle. I gave up making this wonderful cake. I want make it for friends for Christmas,. So I looked it up and yours is the first one I found.
Thanks to you, the South will Rise again!!! Now that we know what the issue was with the failed cakes. I made the cake,, and it came out beautifully! The glaze is exactly what I remember. You have restored my confidence in my baking skills. You have restored our household. Our world within our home is whole again. Not hole. LOL!
Thank you for sharing this. 😊
Ha! I’m so glad you found my recipe and were able to enjoy this cake again, CeCe!
I have a question in regards to how I can early i can make this cake. I would like to make it for thanksgiving. Could I make it the day before and refrigerate it?
Absolutely!
How many days ahead can the cake be made and keep refrigerated?
Probably 2-3 days!
Thanks, I hd lost this recipe and is the same one I remember, gong to make it for my son for thanksgiving as he was asking me did I remember it.
Hope y’all enjoy it!
Stacy, my mother used to make this when I was little. She hasn’t made one in a few years. I made one with Best Choice lemon cake mix. It is 16 + oz. It turned out great. As I told you before, the Pineapple Juice cake was so good with Best Choice cake mix also. Thanks for sharing this great recipe. Perfect!
Awesome! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! And thanks for letting me know the Best Choice mix worked!
I am still having trouble finding the apricot nectar. Is anyone else having trouble? I want to make another one . I found pear nectar, peach nectar and apple nectar. Stacy, have you ever made an apple cake using the apple nectar? Just a thought of how I could use that in a cake.
I think any of those nectars will work in a pinch. I saw the apricot nectar just yesterday in my local store. It was in the Hispanic section right by canned coconut water.
This is the apricot nectar cake recipe I had in the 70s n 80s. I can’t find the apricot nectar either.
1 yellow Duncan Hinds cake mix
3/4 cup Wesson oil
3/4 cup apricots
4 eggs
GLAZE
1 1/2 cup powered sugar
2 oranges cut in very small pieces
Mix all. Pour into Bundt pan. Bake @350 until done. Mix glaze together and pour over cake while warm.
Thanks for sharing your version!
Stacey, Hi! There is such an easy solution for the difference in the weight of the Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake. Since the weight now is 15.25 ounces instead of 18.25, just purchase 2 boxes and add 3 ounces to the cake mix. The cake mix is just over a dollar in cost and the 2nd box can be used for cookies or saved for the next Lemon apricot nectar bundt cake. I read all the suggestions on your blog, and also looked at other websites. The old recipe my friend used called for Duncan Hines brand and also 3/4 cup oil. It also called for oven to be set at 350 degrees and baked between 40 to 50 mi uses (using toothpick to check for doneness). This was the first time I baked this bundt cake. My friend used to make it for my husband, and it’s his favorite. I needed this to turn out good!!! Here’s what I did: I purchased a heavy weight Nordic brand bundt pan (it was at least double the weight of my original inexpensive bundt pan.) I ordered Yoga apricot nectar from Amazon. It comes in glass jar which I liked better than aluminum can. Her recipe was pretty much like yours except for 3/4 cup of oil. I added the 3 ounces of extra cake mix to equal 18.25 ounces. I used Bakers Joy Spray on inside of bundt pan. Oven was 350 degrees and bundt cake was baked 45 minutes. *** my friend’s old recipe said to turn cake over onto plate as soon as it was taken out of the oven*** this worried me since all other recips said to cool first. I instantly from oven flipped it over onto a plate and it came out perfectly! The Nordic bundt pan I used was the “Cut Crystal” pattern. Even with all the angles, the cake came right out. I hope this information can help others. Thank you so much for your recipe and I wish to thank you for letting others leave their suggestions. I will upload a picture if possible. Sorry, I don’t see a place to upload picture.
Thanks so much for sharing your method and tips, Valerie! I’m glad to hear your cake came out perfectly!
I used a Betty Crocker cake mix for this recipe and it still sunk in the middle. Bummer. I’ll have to try some of the original recipes posted on the site.
Sinking cakes stink! Did it sink in the oven or after you took it out?
My grandmother made this cake, but she used the rest of the apricot nectar in the drizzle instead of the lemon juice.
Sounds great!
Tastes great but fell even after adding the extra cake extender that was suggested. So….. I made Lemon Supreme Trifle.
What brand and flavor of cake mix did you use?
Thanks for this recipe and all the research you did. I didn’t think I would ever find it again. It was the only cake my late mother liked and I always wanted to make it for my family. Brought tears to my eyes.
Sweet memories! Sure hope you’ll enjoy it, Martha!
I have been making this cake for years but lately it dies not rise and bake properly. Never realized the cake mix was reduced in ozs from years ago. Maybe that is the issue. Maybe using three eggs instead of four will help it?
As mentioned in the post, I find the brand of cake mix can have an effect as well.
I got this recipe from my mother’s friend in 1961. I calls for lemon Jell-O mix, and 1 tsp each vanilla and lemon extract. Here’s the recipe…I’ve made it many times and it never sinks down:
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 (3 oz) pkg lemon Jell-O mix
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
¾ cup Apricot Nectar juice For the Glaze:
1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon extract 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Put cake mix and Jell-O in bowl and mix well.
Add oil and eggs and mix. Then add apricot nectar and both extracts; mixing well.
Pour batter into greased and floured Bundt pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes; test with toothpick.
Remove from oven and invert pan on plate.
Glaze with 1 cup powdered sugar mixed well with 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Makes a light and elegant dessert cake.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Carol!
I have this recipe in a cookbook from Arlington Hospital in Arlington, Virginia in 1973–the nursing staff on the OB unit collected recipes from many people in the hospital and put the cookbook together. They sold it for $3 a copy and the money was donated to the hospital building fund to help with the cost of the new hospital they were building. I was a new employee and a young bride so of course I bought a copy! My recipe also says Duncan Hines yellow cake mix, but it also uses 4 teaspoons of lemon extract in the cake, no additional sugar, less apricot nectar and more oil and it was to be baked in a tube pan–but I think I baked it in a bundt pan because I don’t believe I owned a tube pan at the time! I haven’t made it in years, mostly because I haven’t been able to find apricot nectar! I plan to look again because I really liked this cake! And since I’ve heard from many sources about the lack of success with Duncan Hines mixes, I’ll use a different brand. Thanks for giving me the nudge I needed to look up my old recipe!
Those kinds of cookbooks are my favorites! Sure hope it tastes as good as you remember!
I started making this cake when I was a young teenager in the early 1970s when it was printed in either Tiger Beat Magazine or 16 Magazine as Donny’s Favorite Lemon Jello Cake. Bet you can guess who Donny was :). It didn’t call for the extra sugar, it called for a 3 oz. box of lemon Jello instead. My parents loved for me to make this cake, and I made it often. Back then I didn’t use a Bundt pan, but instead it was made in a 9×13 and holes were poked into the cake for the glaze to soak down into. It was the best lemon cake ever!
I love hearing about all the variations of this cake! Thanks for sharing! And something tells me that particular Donny’s last name started with an “O”! ????
Stacey, It was so good to see this. This recipe has been in my family for over 70 years. My grandfather made it for his friends and family and it made everyone happy to receive one. My grandfather’s recipes calls for Duncan Hines yellow cake mix. Obviously Duncan Hines did not make a lemon cake mix at the time so my recipe calls for a package of lemon jello pudding. It also calls for separating the eggs and adding the not beaten egg yolks. Beat the cake mix, 3/4 cup apricot nectar, pudding and egg yolks for 2 minutes. Then add 3/4 cup Wesson oil and 1 teaspoon lemon extract and beat 2 more minutes and fold in the beaten egg whites. No added sugar.
I have not been able to find Apricot nectar so I have been using Mango Nectar. Everyone still loves this cake! Hope this might clear up some of the problems people have had making this cake.
I love that! And thanks for sharing those details! I know they will be helpful for some folks who remember the cake differently.
Apricot nectar, my Wal Mart in Alabama carries it in 11 oz cans.
Thanks for the tip!
I have found apricot nectar in the organic food section of my supermarket.
I have had trouble finding the apricot nectar. There was an apricot drink but very thin, not like the nectar. Have been making this for 50 years and I would put in 9×13 pan and put glaze over top. I also used fresh squeezed orange juice in glaze.
Definitely a favorite cake my mama made and I make as well. The recipe is spot on of the one I have. No idea where mama got it from! My directions say to mix together in this order…cake mix, eggs,veg. Oil, sugar then the apricot nectar. Not sure why it says that but only way I’ve made it. Always a favorite!!
Thanks, Kathy!!
My cousin would make this cake 60 years ago and I have searched for the recipe. This is the one I remember. Thanks for the suggestion to not use Duncan Hines as that is my favorite. I am very happy to have recovered this recips. Thanks.
Duncan Hines is usually my go-to cake mix, but it just doesn’t work in this recipe. Sure hope it’s just as delicious as you remember!
Could it possibly be that the original recipe called for an 18.25 oz cake mix and the difference is that the present day Duncan Hines are 15.25 oz? My mother always used Duncan Hines for this cake. When I make cakes from earlier recipes I use a cake mix extender recipe that I found on Pinterest:
1 1/2 cup AP four ( I used cake flour), 1 c sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda. Mix it all up and store in a sealed jar. Add 6 Tbsp of this to your 15.25 cake mix to make 18.25.
I don’t remember who posted it but it works beautifully.
Back when I was troubleshooting the Pineapple Juice Cake issue, that thought crossed my mind. The thing is, though, all the other brands were once larger as well, but despite them also having been reduced in size, they still work. So, honestly, I’m not exactly sure what it is. I’m told that a few years back, there was a change made to the Duncan Hines recipe and that old recipes started failing then, but I can’t find any concrete info on that. Regardless, having that cake extender recipe could be really helpful to folks so thanks for sharing!
That is exactly what is was!!! My mother said the same thing. The mix in the box is less!!! Such a great cake originally too!!
I haven’t made this since the 70s when I was preteen and my great Aunt Zella would pay me a couple times a month just to come make this cake for her and my great Uncle Joe. I did not keep or know where the recipe went, but I will try it again w Dun Hinns Cake mix and the added mix.
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing, Melody!