Lemon Poke Cake (No Jello!_
This lemon poke cake skips the Jello for a homemade lemon glaze that soaks into every bite — bright, moist, and topped with billowy whipped cream. Made with a doctored cake mix, fresh lemon juice, and sour cream for a summer dessert that feeds a crowd and disappears fast.
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 1 16 oz. package yellow or white cake mix
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour + additional for preparing the cake pan
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup whole or 2% milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons whole milk
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Bake the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray or butter and flour.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the eggs, melted butter, milk, sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 38–40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make the Lemon Glaze
- While the cake bakes, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and milk until smooth.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Immediately poke holes every inch across the surface with a chopstick or wooden skewer, going about ¾ of the way down.
- Pour the warm glaze over the hot cake, spreading evenly. Let cool completely to room temperature.
Make the Whipped Cream
- Beat the cold heavy cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 1–2 minutes.
- Spread over the cooled cake. Refrigerate at least 1–2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Poke while hot — Poke the cake immediately out of the oven and pour the glaze while both are warm for maximum absorption.
- Cool before topping — The cake must be fully cooled to room temperature before adding whipped cream, or it will melt.
- Make ahead — Bake, poke, and glaze up to 24 hours ahead. Add whipped cream just before serving.
- Cool Whip — Substitutes 1:1 for the homemade whipped cream.
- Sour cream sub — Full-fat Greek yogurt works 1:1.
- Gluten-free — Use a GF cake mix (equivalent to 16 oz.) and a 1:1 GF flour blend. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes before baking.
- Storage — Refrigerate covered 3–4 days. Freeze without whipped cream for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 76gProtein: 5.5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 135mgPotassium: 115mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 630IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
