Lemon Sheet Cake is a tender, moist dessert that’s made with a doctored-up boxed yellow cake mix and covered with a 3-ingredient lemon glaze! Ready to enjoy in just 35 minutes!
Lemon cakes in the summer are the perfect picnic or cookout dessert! Making my Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle Cake or Sansa’s Lemon Cakes another great option!
Make your Spring and Summer a little brighter with this Lemon Sheet Cake! Its refreshing citrus flavor and tender crumb make for an out-of-this-world dessert!
The shocking part may be that something this delicious is actually quite simple and quick to make, which makes picnic and BBQ prep that much easier!
Just grab a boxed yellow cake mix, lemon juice, and lemon pudding mix! Then pair them with a few ingredients you likely already have on hand.
Ingredient Notes
Begin making this recipe by combining a boxed yellow cake mix with instant lemon pudding, lemon juice, eggs, and melted salted butter.
Once the cake has been baked it’s drizzled with the 3 ingredient lemon glaze. This is made with powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Squeezing lemons for their juice may sound like a pain but I promise it’s SO worth it for this cake! The citrus flavor is brighter and much better tasting than using bottled juice.
For a delicious variation, you could even skip the lemon glaze layer and instead cover it with cream cheese frosting! Regardless of the topping, dress the slices of cake up with berries or even Candied Lemon Slices!
How To Make Lemon Texas Sheet Cake
- Mix the cake mix, dry pudding mix, lemon juice, eggs, and melted butter in a bowl of a stand mixer.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing out the batter with a spatula.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Afterward, remove it and allow it to cool in the pan.
- Stir the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and a portion of lemon juice together. Once the cake has cooled pour this icing over it in the pan.
- Top individual pieces of cake with lemon slices and serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
What If My Icing Is Too Runny?
Not to worry, you can easily fix that! Just add more powdered sugar until you reach the right consistency. I prefer a thicker glaze so it holds up well yet still drizzles a bit on the side.
However, feel free to make it very thin and runny like a Texas Sheet Cake if that’s your preference.
How Can I Tone The Lemon Flavor Down A Bit In This Recipe?
You can swap lemon juice out for milk in the icing and leave out the zest.
Can I Remove The Cake From The Pan Before Icing It?
Yes, to do that I’d recommend lining the pan with parchment paper before putting the batter in it. That way it removes easily without breaking!
Then place a wire rack onto parchment paper and place the cake on the wire rack. Pour the lemon glaze over the cake, allowing it to drip onto the parchment paper.
Once it has finished dripping you simply toss the sticky parchment paper away. Saving you a mess to clean up!
Is It Ok To Use Bottled Lemon Juice In This Lemon Sheet Cake Recipe?
Fresh lemon juice is best since it has a brighter, fresher flavor. However, if you don’t want to squeeze that many lemons for fresh juice you could do bottled lemon juice for the cake.
But then I’d encourage you to use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the icing. The difference is very noticeable in the icing.
Can I Make This Lemon Cake In A 12×18-inch Sheet Pan?
Yes, that will work. The cake will just be a bit thinner so you’ll want to adjust the baking time. I’d suggest starting to check the cake at 15 minutes since it will cook a bit faster.
What’s The Best Way To Store The Cake?
Cover the cake tightly using foil, plastic wrap, or a cake pan lid. Then store it at room temperature and enjoy it for up to a week.
You could also freeze the cake by wrapping it in cellophane and placing it in a freezer-safe bag. In the freezer, it will last up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy a leftover slice I suggest quickly warming a slice up in the microwave. Heat it for 15 seconds, just long enough to soften the icing.
Making a statement at picnics is easy to do with this Lemon Sheet Cake! Grab another crowd-pleasing lemon dessert that friends and family will love just as much!
- Lemon Meringue Slab Pie – Includes tips to make the perfect light and billowy meringue!
- Easy Lemon Basil Shortbread Cookies – Melt in your mouth cookies that are ready in 30 minutes!
- Pink Lemonade Sorbet – Cool down on hot days with this no-churn frozen treat!
- Perfect Lemon Bars – The right balance of sweet yet tart!
- Lemon Butter Cake – Dense pound cake covered in a 4 ingredient butter glaze!
Let’s Connect!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!
Don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges!
Lemon Sheet Cake
Equipment
- 9×13-inch cake pan
- Microplane or zester
- Mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Citrus juicer
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 (15.25oz.) box yellow cake mix
- ¼ cup instant lemon pudding dry
- ¾ cup lemon juice fresh is best
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup salted butter melted
Icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice fresh is best
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch cake pan using a nonstick spray or you may line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, dry pudding mix, lemon juice, eggs, and melted butter using a stand or handheld mixer. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate the dry ingredients.1 (15.25oz.) box yellow cake mix, ¼ cup instant lemon pudding, ¾ cup lemon juice, 4 large eggs, ⅓ cup salted butter
- The batter will be fluffy and a bit thick. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and use a spatula to smooth and even out the batter. Make sure the batter is even throughout, because of its density, it won’t automatically level out.
- Bake for 20 minutes and check for doneness using a toothpick. If the toothpick doesn’t come out clean, bake for 3 to 5 minutes more or until set. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan.
- While the cake is cooling, make the icing glaze. In a large bowl add the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Use a stiff whisk or mixer to blend together and add the last tablespoon of lemon juice if needed. You want a spreadable icing that is thick but will still pour. If the icing becomes too thin and runs easily, add more powdered sugar until you achieve the right consistency.4 cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- Once the cake has cooled, you can pour the icing glaze over it in the pan and cut it. Or you can remove the cake from the pan, place it on a serving tray, cut it, then pour it on and lightly spread the icing.
- Top with lemon slices and serve.
Notes
- What If My Icing Is Too Runny? Not to worry, you can easily fix that! Just add more powdered sugar until you reach the right consistency. I prefer a thicker glaze so it holds up well yet still drizzles a bit on the side. However, feel free to make it very thin and runny like a Texas Sheet Cake if that’s your preference.
- How Can I Tone The Lemon Flavor Down A Bit In This Recipe? You can swap lemon juice out for milk in the icing and leave out the zest.
- Can I Remove The Cake From The Pan Before Icing It? Yes, to do that I’d recommend lining the pan with parchment paper before putting the batter in it. That way it removes easily without breaking! Then place a wire rack onto parchment paper and place the cake on the wire rack. Pour the lemon glaze over the cake, allowing it to drip onto the parchment paper. Once it has finished dripping you simply toss the sticky parchment paper away. Saving you a mess to clean up!
- Is It Ok To Use Bottled Lemon Juice In This Lemon Sheet Cake Recipe? Fresh lemon juice is best since it has a brighter, fresher flavor. However, if you don’t want to squeeze that many lemons for fresh juice you could do bottled lemon juice for the cake. But then I’d encourage you to use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the icing. The difference is very noticeable in the icing.
- Can I Make This Lemon Cake In A 12×18-inch Sheet Pan? Yes, that will work. The cake will just be a bit thinner so you’ll want to adjust the baking time. I’d suggest starting to check the cake at 15 minutes since it will cook a bit faster.
- What’s The Best Way To Store The Cake? Cover the cake tightly using foil, plastic wrap, or a cake pan lid. Then store it at room temperature and enjoy it for up to a week. You could also freeze the cake by wrapping it in cellophane and placing it in a freezer-safe bag. In the freezer, it will last up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy a leftover slice I suggest quickly warming a slice up in the microwave. Heat it for 15 seconds, just long enough to soften the icing.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Amy Smith says
So easy to throw together – I doubled it for a crowd and I love the lemon smell! The cake is so moist and bursting with lemon! I love these quick recipes!!!