This super popular cake was born by accident. A couple of months ago, I was at the zoo with my kids and friends when I got a phone call from a new client. I can’t even remember who she said referred her. But that’s not important.
She asked me to make a lemon cake for her adult daughter’s birthday. Her daughter loved lemons and lemon cake – and it would be a small family gathering so she didn’t need a large cake. I was given the freedom to decorate the cake however I liked (I love cake orders like that!). Her only request was that it be pretty.
So, the following weekend I made this cake:
Then I shared the Candied Lemon Cake on Facebook and over the past two months, I’ve made almost a dozen of them. I almost never do that many copycat cakes, but this one has been on fire! 🔥🔥🔥
So… if you’re looking for a cake to add to your menu this spring, give this one a try!! The cake was mostly based on this Lemon Icebox Cake I shared years ago. With a few updates and additions that I’ll share below.
For the cake:
- 1 Lemon Cake Mix (15.25 oz)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Instant Lemon Pudding Mix (3.4 oz)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 8 oz. sour cream
4 cups Vanilla Buttercream
½ cup Lemon Curd
½ cup Vanilla Drip
Candied Lemons
INSTRUCTIONS
-
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, dry pudding mix, flour, eggs, oil, water, and sour cream. Mix until well incorporated.
- Divide into two 7-inch (or 8-inch) pans.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Place one layer on a cake board (or cake stand), top-down, and pipe a stiff dam of frosting around the edge.
- Spread the lemon curd on the layer of cake, then fill the dam of frosting with vanilla buttercream.
- Top with the second layer of cake.
- Frost the outside of the cake with vanilla buttercream and smooth it. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
- Add the yellow drip to the chilled cake and chill again until it’s set.
- Decorate with more buttercream, chocolate brushes, and candied lemons.
- Enjoy!