Lemon Jello Cake
Lemon Jello Cake is seeping with all the lemony flavor you could ever want! The lemon jello absorbs in to the lemon cake and then is topped with a delicious lemon glaze. To all of my lemon lovers, this is the cake for you!
Try some more delicious lemon cakes like my Lemon Bar Cake or my Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.
Why This Recipe Works
- Jello seeps into the cake. A lot of lemon jello cakes are made with the jello or pudding mix baked into the cake. Not this cake! This cake has the jello liquid poured into holes in the baked cake so it really moistens up the cake and gives it that delicious lemon flavor!
- Super moist cake. This lemon jello poke cake is super moist thanks to 👆🏻 this I mentioned above. Adding the lemon jello into holes in the cake helps that liquid permeate the lemon cake, keeping it really moist.
- Punchy lemon flavor. The lemon flavor really comes through in this cake because you have the lemon cake, lemon jello and lemon juice in the glaze on top!
Ingredient Notes
- Lemon Cake Mix: and ingredients needed on back of the box to make the cake.
- Lemon Jell-O: Make sure it’s the lemon Jell-O and not the lemon instant pudding mix.
- Boiling Water: The boiling water is important because it blooms (activates) the gelatin in the Jell-O mix. Without the hot water, the gelatin won’t be activated to set correctly.
- Lemon Juice: The lemon juice is added to the glaze. This gives a nice and sharp lemon flavor right on top of the cake.
- Milk: Add enough milk to get the right glaze-like texture.
- Melted Butter: Unsalted or salted butter works fine based on your preference.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Bake the lemon cake. Follow the directions on the cake box to make the cake. Bake it in a 13×9-inch pan. Let the cake cool.
- Pierce the cake with a fork. Poke holes over the entire cake. You want lots of little holes so that the Jell-O mixture can seep through.
- Make the lemon jello mixture. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine 1 cup of boiling water and the lemon Jell-O. Stir until the Jell-O powder has fully dissolved. Pour the Jell-O over the cake.
- Chill the cake. Let the Jell-O set in the fridge (about 1-2 hours).
- Make the glaze. Whisk the lemon juice, powdered sugar, milk, and butter.
- Cover with glaze and chill. Pour the glaze over the chilled cake and put back in the fridge for the glaze to set. Serve the cake cold or at room temperature.
Recipe Tips
You can serve it soon after glazing the cake, but I suggest you chill the cake for at least 30 minutes after drizzling the lemon glaze overtop so that the glaze isn’t as runny.
Add the zest of one lemon to the cake mix to enhance the lemon flavor in the cake even more.
Serve topped with slices of fresh lemon!
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Store the lemon jello cake with glaze in the fridge covered for 3-5 days. The cake must be refrigerated due to the jello.
To freeze, chill the cake until the glaze is set and cover completely in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 week. For longer, freeze with an additional layer of aluminum foil.
FAQs
Yes you. If you want to make this in circular cake pans and layer them, I would recommend using two 6-inch circular cake pans for the cake and follow the directions exactly. At the end, I would then stack one cake layer on top of the other.
No it isn’t. This is a doctored cake recipe, which means we use a boxed cake mix and add some extra delicious ingredients to make the flavor stronger and the texture more moist!
Yes you can! I would use something different than a fork to poke the holes in through because you’ll want the holes to go deeper into the cake. A chopstick or straw would work.
More Amazing Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Crumb Topping
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Lemon Jello Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Lemon cake mix - and the ingredients needed on back of the box to make the cake
- 1 3 oz box lemon Jell-O
- 1 cup boiling water
Lemon Glaze
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Equipment
Instructions
- Bake the lemon cake as directed on the cake box (I make it into a 13×9 inch cake). Let the cake cool. Once cool poke the surface of the cake with a fork. You want lots of little holes so that the Jell-O can seep through.
- In a large liquid measuring cup combine 1 cup of boiling water and the lemon jell-o. Stir until the Jell-O powder has fully dissolved.
- Pour the Jell-O over the cake. Chill cake in the fridge to let the Jell-O set.
Lemon Glaze
- Make the glaze: In a medium bowl whisk the lemon juice, powdered sugar, milk, and butter. Add more milk or more powdered sugar to get the glaze to a medium consistency, but not runny. The glaze should be white.
- Pour the glaze over the chilled cake, doing your best to get it drizzled over the cake evenly.
- Place back in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes or until the glaze has partially or fully set.
- Serve cold or close to room temperature.
Notes
This recipe was originally published on April 27, 2020. It was republished on Feb. 18, 2022, to include additional information and photos.
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3 Comments on “Lemon Jello Cake”
Loved this a teen and then a new bride. Such memories! Will it work with sugar free jello now that we are old and Diabetic?????? Thank you!
My mom used to make this when I was a kid and it has always been one of my favorite cakes. She was an amazing cook and baker and made many things that were fancier and harder but this cake won me over every time. Sometimes less is more.
This lemon jello cake is so yummy! I was looking for a quick cake recipe that could spruce up a box cake and this was perfect. The jello soak and the glaze make it moist and give an extra lemony punch. Definitely recommend!