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The Best Lemon Pound Cake You Will Ever Bake {Recipe}

You can make the best Lemon Pound Cake very easily using our favorite box cake mix with lemon pudding!  This dessert is light, moist, and full of so much lemon flavor, which makes it my go-to bundt cake recipe when I need something quick and delicious. Serve with glaze or frosting, or without- it's delicious either way!

I love making citrus-flavored recipes like our Orange Crush soda cake and Orange Lemonade. The pop of tart lemon is so tasty, especially this super moist lemon pound cake with cake mix. 

Lemon pound cake starts with boxed cake and pudding mix to create a luscious, light treat to enjoy for dessert.

My husband's grandmother (Nana) was a phenomenal cook and baker. She made everything by hand; bread, pasta, cookies, and the most amazing meringue pies I have ever tasted. 

She has been gone for over 20 years, but to this day, I can still taste her cooking.  

I miss her.

Every now and then, my mother-in-law will pull out Nana's recipes and go through them while we are visiting, looking for family favorites.

Lemon pound cake with Duncan Hines cake mix

This particular lemon cake recipe was cut from the side of a Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix box and was tucked in the pages of her recipe book.

Nana could spy a good recipe and even though this isn't from scratch, she made & saved it because it was so good.

My husband said this was a special dessert he remembered growing up. It was a favorite of his grandfather's and Nana had it readily available for dessert on a pretty cake plate.

Once I made it, I could see why! It really is the perfect cake.

cake and lemon slices make up the perfect lemon pound cake to enjoy any time for a treat.

Ingredients for lemon pound cake

  • Box cake mix lemon flavor– I really like baking with Duncan Hines cake mixesCakes always come out super moist and fluffy.  
  • Instant pudding mix– Take your bundt cake up a notch and add Jello instant lemon pudding mix to the batter. Using this ingredient creates a deliciously soft and flavorful crumb for any cake flavor you choose.

Pound cake options using cake mix and pudding 

Lemon pound cake with cake mix is my favorite way to make a quick sweet treat. The lemon tastes so fresh with every bite and the pudding makes the cake so soft and pillowy! You can also try these pudding and cake combinations:

Vanilla– add to any cake mix for a flavor boost. 

Chocolate– goes well with chocolate cake.

Orange – try French Vanilla or Cheesecake flavored pudding mix

Lemon– lemon pudding mix is perfect. 

Pumpkin -This pumpkin pound cake tastes great with vanilla instant pudding! 

How to make Lemon Pound Cake

  • Preheat the oven and prepare your baking pan: Use directions on the cake mix package for proper baking temperature and baking time. 
  • Prepare cake batter: In a large bowl prepare cake mix as per directions using a hand mixer, or a stand mixer like this one that is currently on sale on Amazon for a great price!  Add dry lemon pudding mix and blend thoroughly. 
  • Fill cake pans: Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan and bake until a toothpick test shows a clean toothpick. 
  • Cool completely: Make sure you cool cake completely on a cooling rack. Once cooled, turn cake onto a serving plate. 

Additional lemon bundt cake topping ideas

What makes this lemon pound cake recipe so darn good is the simplicity. No icing is required and no need for powdered sugar to be sprinkled on top.

Now, that is not to say we haven't enjoyed it with fixings! Some of our favorite serving suggestions: 

  1. Place a scoop of ice cream on top.
  2. Put a big dollop of whipped cream Dream Whip or Cool Whip.
  3. Add blueberries, strawberries or raspberries. 

Our favorite way to enjoy this cake is to simply slice and serve!

lemon pound cake on plate

Favorite tools to use when baking a lemon cake

  • Large mixing bowl is perfect if mixing this moist lemon pound cake with a hand mixer, otherwise, the bowl on a stand mixer will work just fine.
  •  Wooden Spoon – every kitchen has a wooden spoon! If not, grab one. They are great for baking and cooking!
  • Bowl Scraper I use this kitchen tool all the time! It's great for cutting brownies too!
  • Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer Use this for mixing cakes or a hand mixer will work too.
  • Bundt Pan A fluted bundt pan is great for this lemon bundt cake recipe! Serving is very easy when using a bundt pan.
  • Cooling Rack helps to cool baked goods quickly, including this cake!
  • Pretty Cake Stand I love serving baked goods, especially cakes on a pretty cake stand because it makes everything the star of the show!

Lemon Pound Cake slice and cake

FAQ

What pan can I use to bake a pound cake?

I like to bake this lemon pound cake in a bundt pan, and this is the one I use from Nordic Ware.

I have other fancy bundt pans that I am waiting to try with this cake, but for now, I'll stick to the plain and simple.

I like using a bundt pan because it is easy to serve a crowd, but you can also use a loaf pan as we did for our Clementine Pound Cake.

How long does a bundt cake take to bake?

Bundt cakes in general only take 35-40 minutes to bake making them one of my favorite ways to enjoy a cake. However, this particular lemon bundt cake recipe will take 50-55 minutes because of the additional eggs and pudding. Well worth the wait! 

Can you freeze lemon pound cake?

A question that comes up a lot regarding baked goods is can I freeze this? Honestly, most baked items can freeze well. 

Yes! This cake freezes super well because it is made with pudding mix

Many times I will cut this cake in half, wrap half in saran wrap, and place in a Zip-Lock Freezer bag. 

Frozen pound cake will stay fresh for 3-6 months. 

If you're looking for a more traditional cake recipe with lemon then try this delicious deliciously easy lemon sheet cake

Slice of Lemon Pound Cake Pin Image

Ready to have your cake and eat it too? A printable recipe is below:

Yield: 12

Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon pound cake starts with boxed cake and pudding mix to create a luscious, light treat to enjoy for dessert.

Lemon Pound Cake is simple and delicious using cake mix and instant pudding to create a moist lemon pound cake recipe! Serve with fresh whipped cream or just plain!

Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 package Duncan Hines Lemon Cake mix
  • 1 3.4oz package of instant lemon pudding & pie filling
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
  3. Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer and beat on medium speed (with paddle attachment) for 2 minutes.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  5. Bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick tests clean from center of cake.
  6. Cool on rack for 20 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack and allow to cool completely.

Notes

*adapted from Duncan Hines Cake Mix

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 274Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 385mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 4g

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original post: 2/4/19

updated post 3/4/20, 6/12/20, 2/15/24

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Linda

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Made it last night for my husband. Haven’t tried it yet but it smells delicious. Thank you for this quick recipe.

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