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Easy Lemonade Cake

Lemonade Cake is an easy and delicious dessert that is bursting with bright & tart lemon flavor that tastes like sunshine in your mouth!

square of lemonade cake on a blue plate with mint garnish. other cake slices in the background.

Do you LOVE lemon as much as I do? Lemon always reminds me of summer with lemonade stands and bright sunshine.

When the temperature starts to rise, cool down with a glass of fresh lemon ade and a piece of this moist lemonade cake. You will feel like a kid again!

What is a Lemonade Cake

Lemonade cake is a sheet cake from a cake mix, called a poke cake, that is topped with a light a fluffy frosting.

Once the cake is baked, the cake is literally “poked” with a fork or a wooden spoon handle to create tiny holes in it. A smooth glaze, made from powdered sugar and lemonade is poured over the warm cake.

This allows the glaze to seep into all the holes of the cake, infusing it with a sweet lemony citrus flavor. The fluffy frosting sweetens it up on top.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy here.
overhead picture of lemonade cake ingredients with labels

Ingredients Needed

  • lemon cake mix
  • lemon pudding (instant)
  • eggs
  • vegetable oil
  • water
  • lemonade concentrate
  • powdered sugar

Lemonade Cake Frosting

  • whipped topping
  • marshmallow creme
  • powdered sugar 
  • lemon zest 

How to make Lemonade Cake

First: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
Second: Combine cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil, and water in a bowl until well mixed. Pour into prepared pan.
Third: Bake for 25-30 mins or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on rack. Cool for 15 minutes. Make glaze by combining lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar until no lumps remains.
Fourth: – Poke holes in cake using a wooden spoon or large fork every 1/2 inch. Pour glaze evenly over the cake. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For the full recipe and detailed baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

Looking for more leftover worthy dishes? Follow LTB on Pinterest and pin to a board!

yellow cake with two pieces cut and placed on small blue plates with bowl of blueberries next to it

How to make lemonade cake frosting

  • Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, marshmallow creme, whipped topping, and zest. Mix until combined. If you want thicker frosting, add the rest of the powdered sugar.
  • Spread frosting over the cake.
  • Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Can this be a bundt cake?

If you want something a little fancier than a 9×13 sheet cake, serve it as a bundt cake. Just remove the cake from the bundt pan before poking and glazing.

Works great as cupcakes and layer cakes too!

side angle of cake with two pieces cut and placed on small blue plates with bowl of blueberries next to it

Can I make it ahead of time?

You can make this cake up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. In my opinion this is better because it allows the lemon flavors to deepen and you can serve the cake chilled.

Perfect for a hot summer day!

How long does it last?

This cake will last up to a week if stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze it?

You can freeze the cake for up to 2 months but I wouldn’t make or add the top frosting until you are ready to serve. The whipped topping and marshmallow cream will break down when thawed.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!

picture of lemonade cake for Pinterest with text "lemonade cake super easy"

This lemonade cake recipe is the perfect solution to summer birthday parties or winter events when you need to wake up your taste buds.

More Summer Desserts

two pieces of lemonade cake on two small blue plates with two forks and a few scattered blueberries

Lemonade Cake

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Lemonade Cake is an easy and delicious dessert that is bursting with BRIGHT & TART bright tart lemon flavor that tastes like SUNSHINE in your mouth!

Ingredients

Lemonade Cake

  • 1 box (15.25 oz) lemon cake mix
  • 1 small box (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate (from 12 oz can, thawed)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Frosting

  • 1 (8 oz) container whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 (7 oz) container marshmallow creme
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 1-2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Lemonade Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Lightly coat a 13x9 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix and pudding.
  4. Beat in the eggs, oil and water until well combined.
  5. Pour into prepared baking pan.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and place on wire rack.
  8. Cool for 15 minutes.
  9. In a small bowl, whisk together lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar until smooth.
  10. Using a wooden skewer or large fork, poke holes into cake about every 1/2 inch.
  11. Pour lemonade mixture over cake.
  12. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Frosting

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, starting with 1 cup powdered sugar and mix until fluffy.
  2. You may need to add more powdered sugar depending on how thick you want the frosting.
  3. Spread over cake.
  4. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
  5. Store leftovers in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.

Notes

*If you like this recipe, please leave me a comment and rate it 5 stars. Thank you!

Recommended Products

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy here.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 424Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 371mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 1gSugar: 53gProtein: 4g

This nutrition information was generated via a third party, Nutritionix, and can not be held liable for any discrepancies in the information provided.

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MICHAELA KENKEL

Tuesday 16th of June 2020

I have never met a lemon I didn't love! This cake recipe came in so handy this past weekend. I needed something QUICK to take to a family friend, and this was PERFECT! I am making it again today!

Paige

Monday 15th of June 2020

I LOVE lemon and this cake! So easy to make too, but most of all just delicious!

Kathleen Pope

Sunday 14th of June 2020

I cannot wait to make this cake! I love anything lemon and this looks incredible!

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