Lemon Drop Cake is easy to make but is for serious lemon lovers! Lemon cake mix poked with lemon sauce and topped with whipped lemon frosting.
DELICIOUS LEMON DROP CAKE
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
for the cake:
lemon cake mix
lemon Jell-O
eggs
water
oil
for the glaze:
powdered sugar
lemon juice
for the frosting:
whipped topping (COOL WHIP)
lemon frosting
HOW TO MAKE LEMON DROP CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Combine cake ingredients (cake mix, lemon Jell-O, eggs, water, oil) until combined.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake at 350F degrees for about 30 minutes. 
Oven times vary but cake should spring back to the touch when finished and if you stick a toothpick in the middle of the cake, it should come out clean. While cake is baking, prepare glaze. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
When cake is done, poke cake with a fork. Just poke all over the cake to make lots of holes.
Then pour glaze onto the cake. Spread the glaze out so that it seeps down into the holes.
The cake needs to cool completely before adding the frosting. The cake is super delicious at this point but if you want to really take the lemon to the next level, then add the frosting. In a medium bowl combine whipped topping and lemon frosting. Stir well until completely combined.
Frost the cooled cake.
Cook's Note: This cake needs to be kept refrigerated (because of whipped topping) and covered. Also, I think it tastes best after it has been in the fridge for a few hours (or even overnight.)
Originally published: April 2013
Updated & republished: June 2019
LEMON DROP CAKE
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz) box lemon Jell-O
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup oil
For the glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
- for the frosting:
- 1 8 oz tub frozen whipped topping (COOL WHIP) thawed
- 1 tub lemon frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees
- Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine cake ingredients (cake mix, lemon Jell-O, eggs, water, oil) until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake at 350F degrees for about 30 minutes.
- Oven times vary but cake should spring back to the touch when finished and if you stick a toothpick in the middle of the cake, it should come out clean.
- While cake is baking, prepare glaze.
- Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
- When cake is done, poke cake with a fork. Just poke all over the cake to make lots of holes.
- Then pour glaze onto the cake. Spread the glaze out so that it seeps down into the holes.
- The cake needs to cool completely before adding the frosting.
- In a medium bowl combine whipped topping and lemon frosting. Stir well until completely combined.
- Then frost cooled cake.
Video
Notes
This cake tastes best after it has been in the fridge for a few hours (or even overnight)
Nutrition
CRAVING MORE LEMON RECIPES? YOU MUST CHECK THESE OUT!
LEMON DREAM CAKE
WARM LEMON PUDDING CAKE
3-INGREDIENT LEMON CRUMBLE BARS
oh my goodness, just had to pin this one!!
I am so excited and happy I found your blog!! I can't wait to start trying your recipes. Beginning with them one!!
whoa. Must make for my dad! He will love this for Father's Day!!!!
I am literally drooling here. I love lemon. Making this TOMORROW!
That looks like a plate full of sunshine. I am so loving lemon right now, I wish I could have this for dessert tonight!
Looks fantastic, whether the lemon is "fresh" or not. @@
Love your recipes.
Oh YUM! I have pinned this because I am a big 'ol lemon lover too!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE all the Lemon!!!
I've been on a lemon kick lately so this sounds absolutely yummy!
Oh Boy~ This sounds like a real winner! After the long winter months, I always look forward to lemony desserts:) This is one I will definitely need to try~Lynn
Looks and sounds absolutely L-L-Luscious! Oh my! Pinning!
I do enjoy my lemon treats so this one will be made to help make me happier! 🙂
I plan on making this lemon cake for a friends weekend get together.
Thanks for another sweet treat!
Brandie, I am a lemon lover! This cake is calling out to me... and that light, fluffy icing! BABY!
I made this yesterday and it's the best lemon cake I've ever had. This one is a keeper. I substituted applesauce in place of most of the oil in the recipe, and omitted the eggs, Cake came out very moist, very lemony.
Can't wait to make this!!
What size Jell-o do you use?
Thanks a bunch....
when I magnified the picture above it shows a 3oz box of Jello. I am sure that's all you would want for a small cake or it would get too soggy. I think I will replace the oil with applesauce and the eggs for egg whites (heart health).
Good gracious this looks intense!!!
What size jello do you use..need to know making this Saturday for Fathers Day.
Thanks
I just found your blog and can't wait to try this cake and several other recipes!
Every recipe I have tried from your blog has been wonderful,keep up the good work! Will be making this one soon as we all love LEMON! Thanks again.Ginny
I made this cake yesterday for my son's birthday. It was a big hit. I used fresh squeezed lemon juice in the glaze. Yum! The glaze was more of a clear color than white like in the picture. I'm not sure if that is because I used the fresh juice. It tasted great though, no matter what color the glaze was. I'm definitely saving this recipe to use again & again! Thanks for the recipe.
It was the fresh lemon
Hey, I look to your blog for definitive country cookin' and have yet to be disappointed. This cake looks so good and lemony it makes my cheeks just want to pucker.....going to the kitchen right now to get the ingredients together....yummy!
I'm making this for my Granddaughter's birthday tomorrow. This is my second time making it, and I can't thank you enough for the recipe as it was a HUGE hit the first time around!
I made this cake on 1/12/14. It is indeed a lemon lover's cake to make! It was very easy to make, and the taste was lemony delicious. To me, it seemed to taste even better when I ate it the next day.
I have just made this Lemon cake. I also used lemon zest and fresh squeezed juice in the glaze. Made it to take to church eating...can't wait to try it and also hear what everyone else thinks,
I will start by saying that I love your blog and most of the recipes that I've tried. I enjoy the comment section when people review the recipe after they've made it. That being said I made this cake for Easter and I hate to leave a less than rave review but for me it just didn't hit the mark. I followed the recipe to the letter other than using fresh lemon juice in place of squeeze lemon. Most of my family members loved the cake so here is my issue. I think the gelatin along with the glaze changed the texture of the cake and If I try it again I would either only do the glaze or gelatin, not both. As for the frosting, I know it's just me as I am not a fan of buttercream. So if I decide to try this cake again I would try the whipped topping/pudding frosting. It is definitely worth another try. Thanks for the wonderful recipe blog, Brandie. You do a great job!
i made this earlier this week for a work snack day. It got rave reviews. i actually made the cake one day earlier and finished it the next day. I baked about 10 mins longer than the 30 mins in the recipe. I have passed the recipe to co-workers and will make this again!