The best lemon cake I’ve ever had in my life. That’s all I have to say…
Actually, I do have more to say (shocker). This recipe is a Hatfield Family staple; one of the two favorite cakes that my Grammy kept on a healthy rotation. The other is Strawberry and that’s for a different day. This cake though… This cake recipe is old- as- sh*t, yall. My Great-Grandma Hatfield got it out of a magazine! For perspective, we just made this cake to celebrate my Grandy's 90th birthday.. I’m really bad at math, but I know this recipe is at least 30 years old.
My Dad jokes that Grammy wasn’t a great cook. I must’ve been totally enamored with the few things that my grandmother did cook well because her specialties are my soul food: sweet molasses baked beans & this lemon cake.
My grandmother’s name was Retha, but that’s not what Grandy called her. He called her Pete. Jim & Pete; if that isn’t the cutest sounding pair I’ve ever heard then I don’t even know. If you write down this recipe and tuck it in your recipe box, do me a favor and label it ‘Pete’s Lemon Cake’.
This lemon cake is different because it’s made with lemon Jello! You start by taking one cup of boiling hot water and pour it over the Jello mix, stirring until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix a box of yellow cake mix and ¾ cups vegetable oil. Once combined well, crack in 3 eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
Now, you can mix your Jello mixture into your cake batter, also adding 1 teaspoon of lemon extract.
Bake your cake on 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. [My mom has a convection oven and this cake takes exactly 28 minutes in her oven].
Here is the real secret sauce to this cake: the lemon glaze icing. Mix 3 cups of powdered sugar and the fresh squeezed juice of 2 lemons. You may need a little more or less of each, so add them slowly into a bowl, mixing well until you get to a thick, liquidy consistency that makes your mouth water.
Hot out of the oven, poke holes in the cake and pour the icing over the top. The heat from the cake turns the icing into a liquid glaze and makes this cake unbelievably sweet and moist. Let cool all the way, and serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for optimum #dessertgoals
Easy Lemon Cake
Cake ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 pkg lemon jello
1 c. boiling water
¾ c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. lemon extract
Lemon Glaze:
3 c. powdered sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Directions:
1. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the Jello packet and dissolve completely.
2. In a separate bowl, add ¾ cups oil to yellow cake mix, blend well.
3. Crack in 3 eggs one at a time, letting each incorporate into the mixture well.
4. Stir the Jello mixture into the cake mixture, and then stir in 1 tsp. lemon extract.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. [approx. 28 minutes in convection oven]
6. Poke holes in cake and pour lemon glaze frosting over top of cake.
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