21 Delightful Lemon Cake Mix Recipes

There is nothing better than a lemon dessert on a hot summer’s day. It’s a sugary treat that is also refreshing and tart. With lemon cake mixes existing, making lemon cake has never been easier.

However, lemon cake mix doesn’t just make cakes. You are able to bake a variety of desserts with no baking skills at all. The cake mix does half the work and you can make fantastic dishes with minimal effort.

Below we have curated a list of some of the best and most unique lemon cake mix recipes we can find. There are still some lemon cakes on this list, but they are anything but plain.

1. Enhanced Lemon Cake 

This is not just your standard cake made from cake mix. The inclusion of instant pudding mix makes the cake wonderfully spongey. This recipe also uses fresh lemon so the taste is strong and pleasant.

The entire cake is soaked in delicious lemon syrup, this makes the cake super moist. The syrup is so good that you can literally put it on anything.

This cake is best left in the fridge overnight so that the syrup is fully incorporated into the cake and the flavors develop.

2. Strawberry Lemonade Cake 

This cake is so bright and colorful, it is perfect for summer picnics. Enjoy this sweet and tart dessert with a glass of strawberry lemonade for the ultimate taste experience.

Since this is a poke cake, the cake is better the next day once the flavors have been incorporated. The liquid involved in the poke cake uses lemonade concentrate, so the lemon taste is very strong in this cake.

The whole cake is made so much better by the layer of whipped topping which makes it light and creamy.

3. Skinny Lemon Cake 

Sometimes you just want a simple sweet treat that won’t completely destroy your diet. Lucky for you, the only sugar in this dessert is what is in the cake mix.

In total, this lemon cake only has 3 ingredients, and one of them is water! The inclusion of greek yogurt makes the cake super soft and spongey.

The yogurt also brings a distinctive tartness to it which works perfectly with the lemon.

4. Raspberry Lemon Poke Cake 

As you might be able to tell, we love poke cakes. They are so moist and work incredibly well with cake mix. 

This one involves sweetened condensed milk being soaked into the lemon cake. This makes it super sweet which works well with the raspberry layer on top of it.

This stark red color is very pretty and is hidden in the cake until you cut into it. 

This is because the whole cake is topped with a creamy lemon mousse.

5. Lemon Bundt Cake 

It wouldn’t be a cake recipe list without the classic bundt cake. This cake is infamous for its ring shape and fluffy texture, and this lemon cake is no exception.

This fluffiness is helped by the inclusion of instant pudding in the recipe, it also gives it a vibrant yellow color. This makes the cake look fantastic when served with fresh fruit.

While the recipe is simple, it is very easy to customize. We recommend mixing your favorite fruit or nuts into the batter before baking.

6. Key Lime Cake 

There is no better pairing than lemon and lime. They taste like summer and are tart and citrusy.

This recipe uses key limes which are slightly smaller and more tart than regular limes. You can still use regular limes if you can’t find key limes.

While the cake mix is lemon flavored, this inclusion of lime jello and frosting really helps to balance the flavors.

7. Lemon Pistachio Cake 

This whole cake just tastes like summer, you get the tartness of the lemon with the nutty flavor of the pistachios blending perfectly in a sweet cake.

Instead of the yellow color typically found on this list, this cake is green from the pistachio pudding in the batter. This color looks amazing when it is next to the bright white whipped cream topping.

The whole cake is topped with a sprinkling of crushed pistachios for texture.

8. Lemon Jell-O Cake 

Don’t worry, the inclusion of jello doesn’t make the cake set firm. In fact, it makes it super moist instead and packed full of lemon flavor.

The whole cake is topped with a wonderful glaze which will leave a delicious crisp on the top.

9. Lemon Cake Trifle 

This trifle is layers of lemon cake, berry compote, and mascarpone whipped cream. It looks just as good as it tastes. You can use any fruits that you like, some recommendations are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cherries.

The cake in this recipe is baked with the addition of mayonnaise, but it’s not as weird as it sounds. Mayonnaise makes the cake super moist, after all, it is just made from oil and eggs which frequently appear in cakes.

10. Lemon Velvet Cream Cake 

This recipe is by one of the giants in cake mixes, Betty Crocker, so you know it is a good recipe.

This cake is layers of moist lemon cake and silky lemon frosting. It is so rich and smooth it will taste as if you bought it from a bakery.

11. Lemon Cake Mix Donuts 

Yes, you can make donuts out of cake mix. They are super fluffy and will become your new go-to snack. 

These donuts are topped with a lemon glaze and lemon zest for extra flavor, and because it looks good.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a donut pan, you are able to put balls on aluminum foil in a muffin tray to replicate the shape.

12. Lemon Cake Truffles 

Truffles are the perfect bite-size treat. You get the soft cake inside, and a sweet coating of white chocolate.

You will need to back the cake first by the packet’s instructions, but after that, you get to have fun crumbling it into tiny pieces to make the truffles.

13. Lemon Cool Whip Cookies 

These sweet cookies are very soft and extremely moreish. You just have to blink and the whole batch will be gone.

They have a lovely crinkle pattern on them which is created when the dough balls are rolled in powdered sugar before baking.

14. Lemon Bars 

When you think of lemon desserts, lemon bars are probably one of the first to come to mind. They are classic for their strong flavor and soft consistency. They are also super easy to make with cake mix.

The best part of this recipe is the topping, it is creamy and the addition of coconut gives the bars a tropical taste.

15. Strawberry Cheesecake Lemon Bars 

These lemon bars look like a whole birthday party condensed onto one plate.

The bright yellow lemon bar with the swirled cheesecake layer would look stunning by itself, but the bars are improved by a generous amount of rainbow sprinkles on top.

The lemon bars are made out of lemonade which pairs beautifully with the sweet creamy strawberry cheesecake middle layer.

16. Lemon Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse Cake 

This recipe combines all the right flavors of white chocolate, raspberry, and lemon. Despite it being 4 layers tall, the cake is super light and moist.

Although it has summer flavors, the red and white decorations of the cake make it look very festive. So you can make this cake any time of year and it will be appropriate.

It is very decadent and surprisingly easy to make.

17. Lemon Cake Fudge 

When you think of cake mix recipes, fudge is probably the last thing you will think of making. But trust us when we say it works brilliantly.

You get the rich sweetness of the white chocolate, with the tart lemon flavor coming through.

The best part about fudge is that they are bite-sized, so you don’t need to get a bowl or fork to enjoy these.

For a summer treat, you can freeze your fudge before eating it. It makes the fudge chewy and will help to cool you down on a hot day.

18. Lemon Dump Cake 

Just when you thought cake mix couldn’t get easier, dump cakes became a thing. This dessert has no mixing involved, as per its name you just dump the ingredients into a dish one by one and then bake it.

Despite the dumping method, you still get wonderful layers in this cake. The bottom layer is a tart lemon pie filling, the middle layer is a smooth cream cheese filling, and the top layer is the beloved lemon cake mix.

19. Lemon Zucchini Cake 

Being able to hide vegetables in dessert is a valuable skill, it’s even better when the vegetables can enhance the dish. The zucchini brings moisture to the cake and somehow enhances the lemon flavor.

The inclusion of lemon pudding makes the cake super fluffy and delicious. Despite this inclusion, It is not too sweet overall which makes it ideal to serve after a heavy meal.

So next time your family is hosting a potluck, offer to bring dessert.

20. Lemon Cake Mix Cookies 

These cookies are so soft they will literally melt in your mouth. The recipe is simple to make and can be done in under 30 minutes.

Each cookie is topped with sweet lemon icing to really bring the flavors together.

We recommend slightly underbaking these cookies as they will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. You can store these cookies for up to 5 days, but we doubt they will last that long.

21. Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls 

Blueberry and lemon are a fantastic combination of flavors. Each tastes super fresh and the tartness of the lemon works fantastically with the sweetness of the blueberries.

They both come together in this summer twist on a cinnamon roll.

While it may sound tricky with the inclusion of yeast, it is still super easy. The swirled pattern is very visually appealing and the bright colors really make it stand out as a dessert

Conclusion

As you can see, cake mixes are not just for making the recipe on the box. They are extremely versatile and can be used to make a plethora of desserts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can You Buy Cake Mix?

You will be able to find cake mixes in the grocery aisle of most supermarkets. They come in a variety of flavors, if you can’t find the one you are looking for they are available for purchase online.

How Do You Store Cake Mix?

The cake mix can be stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container. It will stay good from 6 months to a year.