Lemon Bundt Cake with Cake Mix (Easy Glazed Recipe)

Name: Lemon Bundt Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 13.25-ounce boxes lemon cake mix; 1 3.4-ounce box lemon instant pudding mix; 1 cup sour cream; 6 large eggs; 1 cup water; 1 cup vegetable oil; 3 cups powdered sugar; 6 tablespoons milk; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; lemon zest

Pinterest Facebook Flipboard

This Lemon Bundt Cake is a tall, golden dessert with a soft, tender crumb and big lemon flavor. It looks like a bakery cake and takes about ten minutes to put together.

Lemon cake mix baked tall with sour cream and instant lemon pudding, finished with a sweet vanilla glaze and fresh lemon zest.

Cut Lemon Bundt Cake showing its yellow crumb under a white glaze.

Table of Contents

I make this one when dessert has to travel. The trimmed cake sits flat on any plate, and the glaze sets firm for the drive.

Recipe Highlights

Six pantry ingredients plus a simple glaze
One bowl and ten minutes of prep
Sixteen bakery-style slices from one cake
No frosting skills, just drizzle and zest
Travels well for potlucks and bake sales

Ingredient Notes

Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.

Ingredients needed to make Lemon Bundt Cake.

LEMON CAKE MIX – Buy two 13.25-ounce boxes; Betty Crocker comes in exactly that size. The bigger 15.25-ounce boxes make too much batter for the pan, so check the front of the box.

Cake Mix	Box Size	Use It Here?
Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Lemon (this recipe)	13.25 ounces	Yes, as written
Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme	15.25 ounces	No, makes too much batter
Other 15.25-ounce lemon mixes	15.25 ounces	No, makes too much batter

INSTANT LEMON PUDDING – Use the dry mix straight from the box. Grab instant, never cook-and-serve, or the batter won’t set up right.

SOUR CREAM – Set it out with the eggs so everything mixes at room temperature. The batter comes together smoother that way.

MILK – Whole and 2 percent both make a smooth glaze. A splash more thins it, and a spoonful of powdered sugar thickens it back up.

LEMON – One lemon covers the zest on top. Zest it first, then cut the rest into wedges for serving.

How To Make Lemon Bundt Cake

Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Smooth lemon cake batter ready in a large glass bowl.

Thick batter flowing from the bowl into a gold bundt pan.

Domed Lemon Bundt Cake fresh from the oven, still in the pan.

Serrated knife cutting the baked dome even with the pan edge.

Level Lemon Bundt Cake in the pan after trimming.

Fluted golden cake released onto a wooden stand before glazing.

White glaze mixed smooth with a spatula in a glass bowl.

Vanilla glaze pouring from a spoon onto the fluted cake.

Beat the cake mixes, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, water, and oil together.
Pour the thick batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.
Bake until a skewer comes out clean, then cool briefly in the pan.
Trim the domed top level, flip the cake out, cool, and glaze.

Lemon zest scattered over the glazed top of a Lemon Bundt Cake.

Leftovers and Storage

STORE – The glazed cake keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. A cake dome or an upside-down bowl over the plate works too.

FREEZE – This cake freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled, unglazed cake or single slices tightly in plastic and foil. Thaw at room temperature and glaze fresh.

REHEAT – This cake shines at room temperature, so there’s nothing to reheat. Ten seconds in the microwave makes a slice taste warm from the oven.

MAKE AHEAD – Bake, trim, and cool the cake a day ahead, then store it covered. Glaze the day you serve so the drizzle sets clean and white.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

Serving Suggestions

SUNDAY DINNER – This cake ends a big family meal the right way. Serve it after a cozy main like my Olive Garden Chicken Pasta and dessert is handled before dinner even starts.

POTLUCK – The trimmed base sits flat, so it rides safely to any gathering. It belongs on the table next to my Amish Macaroni Salad.

AFTERNOON COFFEE – The German in me insists cake belongs with a 3 o’clock coffee. A thin slice with a hot cup is my favorite way to test a new bake.

SUMMER COOKOUT – Lemon keeps things fresh after burgers and grilled chicken. Round out the spread with my Oma’s German Cucumber Salad.

Overhead view of a Lemon Bundt Cake drizzled with glaze and ringed with lemon slices.

Recipe Success Tips

❗️PAN SIZE❗️- A 12-cup bundt pan gives this two-box batter room to rise tall. Nordic Ware’s bundt guide says to fill any pan only ⅔ to ¾ full, and this recipe lands right there. My recommendation for the specific bundt cake pan is in the recipe card.

GOLDEN TOP – The cake bakes up a deep golden brown. If the top darkens ahead of the middle, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan around the 40-minute mark.

SKEWER TEST – A long wooden skewer beats a toothpick on a cake this tall. Slide it in near the center tube, and when it comes out clean, the cake is done.

CLEAN RELEASE – Give the cake exactly 10 minutes in the pan, then invert it onto the rack. That window lets it firm up while the sides still slip free easily.

EXPERT TIP – Bundt cakes bake upside down, so the domed top becomes the base. Saw the dome off level with a serrated knife, flip the cake, and it sits flat on the stand. The trimmings belong to the baker.

Fork cutting into the glazed top of a Lemon Bundt Cake slice.

Commonly Asked Questions

Can I Bake This in a 10-Cup Bundt Pan?

A Lemon Bundt Cake this size needs a 12-cup pan. Two boxes of mix make about 8 cups of batter, and a smaller pan will overflow in the oven. If a 10-cup pan is all you have, hold back 2 cups of batter. King Arthur’s bundt guide suggests baking the extra as cupcakes.

Can I Use Greek Yogurt Instead of Sour Cream?

Yes, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt swaps in cup for cup. The cake bakes up just as rich and tender with it. Skip the fat-free kind, which can leave the crumb a little dry. Use whatever is already in the fridge and carry on.

Why Is My Batter So Thick?

Thick batter is exactly right for this cake. Two cake mixes and a box of pudding soak up the liquid, so it falls from the beater in heavy ribbons. That thickness bakes into a tall cake with a soft, pound-cake crumb, so keep going.

Can I Use Lemon Juice in the Glaze?

Yes, swap the milk for fresh lemon juice, tablespoon for tablespoon. Leave out the vanilla and the glaze turns sweet-tart instead of sweet and mellow. The lemon you zest for the garnish gives you plenty of juice.

More Lemon Desserts

More lemon desserts for the citrus lovers at your table.

Glazed Lemon Sheet Cake – A one-pan lemon cake with the same sunny flavor and even less fuss.

Lemon Bars – Buttery shortbread under a sweet-tart lemon filling, cut into squares.

Lemon Lush – A no-bake layered dessert with a Golden Oreo crust and creamy lemon pudding.

Lemon Icebox Cake – Graham crackers and lemon filling turn into soft, cool layers overnight.

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake – Five ingredients and the refrigerator do all the work.

Lemon Dump Cake – Another lemon cake mix shortcut, this time with just four ingredients.

Glazed Lemon Bundt Cake with fresh lemons on a wooden board.

Maike Corbett

Maike Corbett grew up in German kitchens learning to cook and bake alongside her Omas before spending over a decade running full-service restaurants in the US. She founded Cheerful Cook in 2017 to share practical, tested comfort food recipes that actually work on busy weeknights, drawing on both her American restaurant experience and her German home-cooking roots. Her work has been featured on MSN, Yahoo, the Associated Press, and other major media outlets.