Glazed Lemon Cake
My mother baked this light moist treat when I was a child. I loved it as much then as my children do now. Boxed cake and pudding mixes make this delightful dessert simple, and at a mere 22 cents a piece, it's frugal as well.
My mother baked this light moist treat when I was a child. I loved it as much then as my children do now. Boxed cake and pudding mixes make this delightful dessert simple, and at a mere 22 cents a piece, it's frugal as well.
- Carbohydrate 51.5463729704139 g
- Cholesterol 46.53 mg
- Fat 19.6900666785552 g
- Fiber 0.383083323409881 g
- Protein 3.27862916668033 g
- Saturated Fat 2.0657833342157 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (87g)
- Sodium 294.479375000572 mg
- Sugar 51.163289647004 g
- Trans Fat 0.593196666809628 g
- Calories 391 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, oil and eggs; beat on low speed or 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Gradually beat in soda just until blended.
- Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth; carefully spread over warm cake. Cool on a wire rack.
Operating under a strict budget constraint often leads bakers toward convenience items like boxed mixes and instant pudding. Skepticism runs high when evaluating recipes that rely entirely on commercially manufactured shortcuts, particularly regarding artificial versus authentic citrus profiles. Substituting bottled lemon juice for freshly squeezed fruit changes the acid balance and dulls the aromatic compounds that define proper citrus desserts. Fresh juice provides sharper malic and citric acid, which reacts differently with the confectioners' sugar glaze than pasteurized alternatives. Carbonated beverages serve a specific chemical purpose here, introducing dissolved carbon dioxide that expands existing leaveners within the dry cake mix during the initial stages of baking. Low-speed mixing for thirty seconds hydrates the flour without developing excessive gluten strands, while the subsequent two-minute medium-speed beat incorporates enough air to prevent a dense crumb structure. Pouring the batter into a greased thirteen-by-nine-inch pan creates a shallow depth that cooks evenly within forty to forty-five minutes. Applying the glaze while the baked product remains warm allows the liquid sugar to penetrate the top millimeter rather than merely sitting as a hard crust on the surface. Cooling the finished dessert on a wire rack prevents bottom condensation from softening the crumb. Storing the pan loosely covered at room temperature maintains the moisture balance for up to forty-eight hours without requiring refrigeration.
