Lemon Pound Cake (Doctored Cake Mix)

If you love a delicious lemon pound cake but you’re in a hurry and don’t want to make one from scratch, I’ve got you covered! In this post I’m going to show you how to make an easy and quick lemon pound cake that starts with a box of cake mix. 

Doctored Cake Mix Recipes

If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know that I love to doctor up boxed cake mix. I’ve done so more times than I can count. I usually use them to add different flavors and textures to cakes, but lately I’ve been on a roll turning boxed cake into pound cake. (This is such a simple and fun method that I dedicated a whole post to it.) 

We’re experiencing some cold weather here in Texas and I’ve been in the house for days on end. Yesterday was my birthday but I didn’t make a cake. I was too busy working on a book deadline! So, today I decided I wanted to honor the day (albeit a day late) with a lemon pound cake. 

I actually thought I had a box of lemon cake mix in the pantry. I figured it would be simple enough to convert it to a pound cake. But, alas, I did not. What I did have was a lot of white cake, left over from a wedding cake I made last weekend for a friend. (Check out the picture below! This one was wintry and super fun!) 

How to Convert White Cake to Lemon

It’s a simple enough process, to convert a box of white or yellow cake mix to lemon. Just add lemon juice, zest, or extract. I happened to have a big bottle of lemon juice and a couple of lemons in the fridge, so I knew I had what it would take. (My taste buds are zinging, just thinking about this delicious cake!) 

I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself with the story of how it all came together. Instead, let’s just jump to the ingredients you will need. 

Lemon Pound Cake Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need to make this cake. These are simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry or refrigerator. 

• 1 box white or yellow cake mix (oz)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup room temperature butter (salted or unsalted, your choice)
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Zest and juice of one large lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup powdered sugar

That’s it! Just a few simple ingredients! 

How to Make Doctored Cake Mix Lemon Pound Cake

This comes together so easily! You’re going to want to make this one again and again. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prepare a bundt pan with non-stick baking spray. (I use Baker’s Joy.) 

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until it comes together. 

You’ll have a super thick and rich batter, just what you would expect from a pound cake. 

Place in preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cake should spring back to the touch and a toothpick should come out clean. 

Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack to cool. 

After about 10 - 15 minutes turn the cake out of the pan. 

Continue to cool. 

Make the glaze by combining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with some powdered sugar. You can start with a cup of powdered sugar but can adjust the amount, depending on how thick you want your glaze. I was going for thin but you do you!

Once cake has cooled, pour on the glaze. 

Slice and serve. 

I happened to have some of my homemade lemon curd  on hand so I added a dollop of curd and some berries to my slice. Can we just say. . .delicious! 

Store this cake in an airtight container. It’s fine at room temperature but I love my lemon cake cold, so I refrigerate mine. You can also freeze this cake to eat later, if you like. 

What to Expect from this Recipe

I knew the moment I saw the batter that I would love this cake. I don’t know about you, but when I see a luscious, creamy batter, I just want to stick my finger in it. (I might’ve sampled a little from the beaters before washing them.)

This cake is so yummy, y’all. I would say that the lemon flavor is subtle, so if you want to increase that punch of citrus add the zest of a second lemon. I didn’t mind because I had the lemon glaze and lemon curd with mine.

The texture is dreamy, by the way. This cake feels good in the mouth, (if that makes sense). All in all, I’d have to say it was the perfect birthday cake. Happy birthday to me! And, while I’m mentioning that, I happen to be featuring birthday cakes all month here on my blog. Check out my Best Birthday Cake Recipes post!

Questions People are Asking about Lemon Pound Cake

Can I use lemon extract instead of fresh lemon juice?
Absolutely! You can substitute lemon extract for fresh lemon juice. Use about 1 teaspoon of lemon extract for a concentrated flavor, but adding fresh zest can enhance the taste. (I really prefer zest and having a great zester is key. I found an amazing one on amazon: )

What’s the best glaze for lemon pound cake?
A simple lemon glaze made with powdered sugar and lemon juice is perfect. Mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled cake. But if you want to do something different you could try a berry compote in place of glaze. Strawberry or raspberry compote would be divine. Actually any kind of berry would work! I have instructions for how to make a LKJKLJ as part of my LKJKlj recipe. 

Can I add poppy seeds to lemon pound cake?
You bet! Stir in 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds into the batter for a delightful texture and flavor variation. This combination is a classic favorite. My Poppyseed Cake with Orange Glaze was a huge hit with my daughter:

Why is my lemon pound cake white and not yellow?
If you start with a yellow cake mix it will be yellow. I started with white but thought about adding a dot of two of yellow food coloring to mine. In the end I decided to omit it but feel free to add a dot or two! 

How do I store lemon pound cake?
Store lemon pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

What can I serve with lemon pound cake?
Lemon pound cake pairs beautifully with whipped cream, fresh berries, or a dollop of my homemade lemon curd. A scoop of vanilla ice cream also makes a delicious addition. If you’re serving this to kids they might enjoy my Marshmallow Fluff frosting. It’s delicious. 

Other Pound Cakes from Out of the Box Baking

• Chocolate Pound Cake with Sour Cream
• Cinnamon Sugar Pound Cake
• Old-Fashioned Pound Cake
• Coconut Pecan Pound Cake
• Sweet Potato Pound Cake
• Orange Raspberry Pound Cake
• German Chocolate Pound Cake

My friend Julie over at Back to my Southern Roots has a Brown Sugar Pound Cake that looks divine. Why not check it out? 

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

If you make this recipe and love it, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.