Moist Lemon Cake with Cake Mix

I made this easy lemon cake with a boxed mix, but doctored it up with a few extra ingredients to make it ultra moist! By infusing the cake batter with sour cream, buttermilk, and fresh lemon, I turned standard crumbly cake layers into a zesty, velvety, succulent summer dessert!

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Moist Lemon Cake (Doctored Cake Mix Recipe)

This extra moist lemon cake recipe starts with a simple box mix but tastes completely homemade thanks to the addition of sour cream and buttermilk. Topped with a zesty, whipped lemon buttercream, it’s a foolproof, tangy citrus dessert perfect for any celebration.

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 23 minutes mins

Cool/Chill Time: 4 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 hours hrs 33 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Kitchen Scale (optional)
• 3 8-inch Round Cake Pan(s)
• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
• Piping Tip Set (optional)

Serves 12 slices

1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• ▢ 15.25 ounces lemon cake mix (1 box)*
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1½ cups buttermilk room temperature**
• ▢ 1 cup full-fat sour cream room temperature***
• ▢ 3 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

For the Frosting:

• ▢ 6 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1½ cup unsalted butter slightly melted (3 sticks)
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
• ▢ Gel food coloring yellow (optional)****
• ▢ Sprinkles optional

US Customary | Metric

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Instructions

For the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line the inside bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  
• In a large bowl, stir the lemon cake mix, flour, and granulated sugar together. Set aside.
  15.25 ounces lemon cake mix, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• In a separate medium bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, and lemon zest together on low speed until well mixed, about 2 minutes.
  1½ cups buttermilk, 1 cup full-fat sour cream, 3 large eggs, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  
• Pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and beat on low speed until well mixed, about 1 minute.
  
• Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (about 508 grams per pan).
  
• Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
  
• Remove the cakes from the oven, and them let cool in their pans for 15 minutes before unmolding and letting cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
• Once cooled, wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

For the Frosting:

• In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the powdered sugar, butter, and lemon juice on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  6 cups powdered sugar, 1½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  

For Assembly:

• Remove the cakes from fridge, unwrap, and use a large serrated knife to cut the dome tops off all cake layers so they are level.
• Place a thin layer of frosting (about 2 tablespoons) in the middle of a cake board or cake plate then place one cake (cut side facing up) on top of that frosting.
  
• Add a generous layer of frosting on top of that first layer, smooth it out evenly, then place the second layer (cut side facing up) on top of the first layer.
  
• Add a generous layer of frosting on top of that second layer, smooth it out evenly, then place the third layer (bottom side facing up) on top of that frosted second layer.
  
• Crumb-coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting. Use a cake scraper to smooth it out.
  
• Place the crumb-coated cake in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.
• While the cake chills, optionally color the remaining frosting yellow with gel food coloring.
  Gel food coloring
• Remove the chilled cake from the freezer to apply the final layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper tool to smooth out the frosting.
• Gently press sprinkles onto the bottom border of the cake, if desired. Use a piping bag fitted with a small star tip to pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake, and top with more sprinkles, if desired.
  Sprinkles
  

Notes

*You can also use vanilla or yellow cake mix in this recipe.

**If you don’t have buttermilk, you can measure out 1½ cups of milk, remove 1½ tablespoons, and add 1½ tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice. Mix well and let stand for 5 minutes before using.

***In place of the sour cream, you can use plain Greek yogurt.

****For this bright color, I used the brand Chefmaster Liqua-gel in the color Lemon Yellow.

Becky’s Top Tips:

• Bring all ingredients to room temperature for the best results.
• For a pure white cake, swap the 3 eggs for 5 egg yolks.
• Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method to avoid a dry cake.
• Do not overmix the batter; otherwise, your cakes may come out tough.
• Chill the cakes thoroughly for the most even frosting application.
• If the frosting is too stiff after 5 minutes of whipping, add 1 tbsp of heavy cream to soften.
• Add a layer of lemon curd between the layers for even more lemon flavor. Simply pipe a dam of buttercream around the edges, then fill with curd before stacking on the next layer.
• Crumb-coat the cake before frosting to catch any crumbs for a smoother appearance.

Make-Ahead: You can bake the cakes up to 1 day ahead and store them in the fridge until ready to frost.

Storage: Store lemon cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Facts

Moist Lemon Cake (Doctored Cake Mix Recipe)

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 748 Calories from Fat 270

% Daily Value*

Fat 30g46%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 122mg41%

Sodium 322mg14%

Potassium 127mg4%

Carbohydrates 117g39%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 93g103%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 946IU19%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 147mg15%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Becky Hardin

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

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How to Make Lemon Cake Step-by-Step

Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this easy lemon layer cake recipe, and bring them to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°F; spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray; and line the inside bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together 15.25 ounces (1 box) of lemon cake mix, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, and 1 cup of granulated sugar. Set aside.

Beat the Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat 1½ cups of room-temperature buttermilk, 1 cup of room-temperature full-fat sour cream, 3 large room-temperature eggs, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest together on low speed until well mixed, about 2 minutes.

Combine the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients and beat on low speed until well mixed, about 1 minute.

Portion the Cakes: Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (about 508 grams per pan). Try to get the same amount in each pan so that they bake at the same speed and bake up the same size (height).

Bake and Cool the Cakes: Bake your lemon cake layers in the preheated oven for 23-25 minutes; or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven, and let them cool in their pans for 15 minutes. Then remove them from the pans, and let them cool completely on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Once cooled, wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. This step is important because you’ll want the cakes to be firm before frosting. If they are too soft when you start frosting, the cakes may crumble and break apart during the decorating process.

Make the Lemon Buttercream: In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat 6 cups of powdered sugar, 1½ cup of room-temperature unsalted butter, and ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The frosting should be firm enough to hold its shape while piping with an icing tip but soft enough that it can be frosted onto the cake smoothly. If it’s too firm, stir in a tablespoon of heavy cream.

Level and Secure the Cakes: Remove the cakes from the fridge, unwrap, and use a large serrated knife to cut the dome tops off all cake layers so they are level. Place a thin layer of frosting (about 2 tablespoons) in the middle of a cake board or cake plate then place one cake (cut side facing up) on top of that frosting. This is meant to secure the cake to the cake board or cake plate so it doesn’t slide around during decorating.

Stack the Cakes: Add a generous layer of frosting on top of that first layer, smooth it out evenly, then place the second layer (cut side facing up) on top of the first layer.

Continue Stacking: Add a generous layer of frosting on top of that second layer, smooth it out evenly, then place the third layer (bottom side facing up) on top of that frosted second layer.

Crumb-Coat the Cake: Frost a thin layer of frosting around the top and sides of cake. This first thin layer of frosting (called a crumb coat) is meant to secure all the crumbs to the cake so you don’t get crumbs into the final layer of frosting. To get the layers of frosting smooth, use a tool like a cake scraper to smooth the icing out. Place the lightly frosted (crumb coated) cake in the freezer for 10 minutes so the crumb coat hardens up a bit before frosting the next layer.

Decorate the Cake: While the cake chills, optionally color the remaining frosting yellow with gel food coloring. Remove the cake from the freezer to apply the final layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper tool to smooth out the frosting. Gently press sprinkles onto the bottom border of the cake, if desired. Use a piping bag fitted with a small star icing tip to add swirls around the top edge of the cake, and top with more sprinkles, if desired.

How to Store and Freeze

Store leftover lemon cake in an airtight container or cake dome at room temperature for up to 2 days; in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; or in the freezer tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying cold or at room temperature.