Lemon Lava Cake
This Easy Lemon Lava Cake recipe has a layer of warm pudding on the bottom and moist lemon cake on top. All sprinkled with powdered sugar!
A JAZZED UP CAKE MIX RECIPE
This Lemon Lava Cake recipe is pretty cool. The pudding layer starts at the top and ends up on the bottom. I never thought I would love warm pudding this much. It transforms the whole taste of the cake. It doesn’t taste like a boxed cake mix at all when it’s all done. If you enjoy my Lemon Poke Cake then you are sure to love this one too!
CAN I USE OTHER CAKE MIX AND PUDDING FLAVORS?
This cake could not be any easier or any tastier to make and eat. And the bonus? It can be done with just about any flavor cake mix/pudding combination you can think of. Lemon is my personal favorite but we’ve also made it with chocolate and a chocolate/vanilla combination and both were amazing!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- lemon cake mix
- (ingredients listed on back of box; eggs, oil and water)
- instant lemon pudding
- sugar
- cold milk
- water
- powdered sugar
HOW TO MAKE LEMON LAVA CAKE
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into baking dish.
In a separate bowl, combine dry pudding mixes with sugar, milk and water.
Whisk briskly for 2 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Spoon pudding mixture over cake mix batter. You could pour it on but I found I got it on there more evenly by spooning it on.
Once it is on there, it is hard to spread out since it kind just ends up sinking into the batter. Oh, I almost forgot. Put a large baking sheet underneath the baking dish before sliding it in the oven. You’ll want that underneath there while baking to catch any bubbling over of the pudding.
Bake for about 55 minutes to one hour. It’s a bit tricky to tell when it is done because the pudding layer in it always stays a bit jiggly. So, what you want to do is take a toothpick and insert it into the middle of the cake. If it only comes out with pudding – you are good. If you still see gooey cake batter on it, then you need to bake it for a bit longer.
Allow it to cool for about 20 minutes. This will allow that pudding layer to thicken up a bit more. Then serve with a bit of sprinkled powdered sugar on top.
CRAVING MORE LEMON RECIPES?
- Iced Lemon Snack Cake
- Lemon Layer Cake
- Lemon Crumble Bars
- Creamy Lemon Squares
- Lemon Poke Cake (+Video)
- Starbucks Lemon Loaf
- Lemon Magic Cake
- Classic Lemon Bars
Originally published: January 2013
Updated photos & republished: July 2019
Lemon Lava Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box lemon cake mix
- (ingredients listed on back of box; eggs, oil and water)
- 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant lemon pudding
- ⅓ cup sugar optional
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 ¼ cup water
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
- Pour prepared cake batter into baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine dry pudding mixes with sugar, milk and water.
- Whisk briskly for 2 minutes until it begins to thicken.
- Spoon pudding mixture over cake mix batter. Once it is on there, it is hard to spread out since it kind just ends up sinking into the batter.
- Put a large baking sheet underneath your baking dish before sliding it in the oven.
- Bake for about 55 minutes to one hour.
- It's a bit tricky to tell when it is done because the pudding layer in it always stays a bit jiggly. So, what you want to do is take a toothpick and insert it into the middle of the cake. If it only comes out with pudding – you are good. If you still see gooey cake batter on it, then you need to bake it for a bit longer.
- When it’s finished baking, allow it to cool for about 20 minutes. This will allow that pudding layer to thicken up a bit more.
- Then serve with a bit of sprinkled powdered sugar on top.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Can not find lemon pudding mix in Australia maybe I’m looking in the wrong place. We do have this dessert in a box though.
I’m having a dinner party and would like to make this ahead of time. Is this something that you can serve at room temperature and have it be as good.
Thanks.
Holly – absolutely! Hope your guests LOVE it!
We love this cake. It's so easy and delicious. We liked it better cold. Lemon is probably the best but we tried chocolate pudding with yellow cake and it was wonderful. Maybe I'll try butterscotch pudding someday. Thanks for the recipe. It's a keeper!
I have long looked for a recipe for this cake. When I was a girl, there was a pudding cake mix. You made the batter, then it had a dry mix you put on top and poured hot water over it. It baked like yours. I can't wait to try this!
Question: could this be made with almond milk? When I was using soy milk, pudding would not set up, but haven't tried it with almond milk. Has anyone else?
Thanks!
Hi Terri! Nope, I don't flip it out after it bakes. I serve it straight out of the pan. I suppose you could flip it over but I've never done that. Hope that helps! 🙂
Just a quick question…..do you flip this out of the pan after cooling or serve from the pan??? My friend says to invert onto platter……PLEASE HELP!! I'm ready to bake it & need answers! Thank you….Terri
You serve it from the pan. It shows in the video that she did NOT invert it, she sprinkled powdered sugar on it while it was still IN the pan. (I guess the pudding sinks.) :o)
I have a question what size boxes are you using for the pudding because the recipe calls for 2 ( 3-4 oz) boxes so I am confused large or small box?
Trying to figure out how to cook in crock pot? Any ideas
I used to get this in a box mix and can not find it anymore
looks great love lemon
This is my first visit, and I can't stop printing your recipes! I will be back, but first need to try out the recipes from this visit. Thanks so much for sharing!
Yay! I am so happy to hear that! I hope you love all the recipes you try! 🙂
I made this last night. It was delicious. It was a little messy and we waited over 30 minutes for it to cool. But it was very good. I will be making this again, but just with 3 cups of milk and no water. I think the water in the pudding makes it too thin. I used Betty Crocker mix and it did not overflow. Thanks for the recipe. It was delightful.
these are absolutey the best recipes ever. they are easy and well written with terrific pictures you have done an excellent job on the site. i love it a little bit of everything thank you
I am making this tonight with butterscotch pudding and just a yellow cake mix – my store didnt have lemon pudding. I hope it works 🙂
Hi, Brandie. When I was a kid, Betty Crocker put out this cake mix. Then, for some unknown reason, they stopped. I tried for years to duplicate this and finally got it right. My recipe is almost the same as Mandy's, but I can't figure out why she needs sugar and water. I use 3 cups of milk for the pudding and add grated lemon peel to the cake mix. Powdered sugar is a nice topping, but I like to top it with strawberries and whipped cream. I either thaw frozen strawberries or macerate fresh ones. Thanks for listening. Congrats to Mandy. I've always found the sound of a happy child to be the greatest thing there is.
Hi. Years and years ago, I use to buy the Betty Crocker Lemon pudding cake mix. It was wonderful!! You use 3 cups of milk for the 2 boxes(3.4 oz.each) of pudding? Not, the 2 cups of milk, Mandy said? The box of pudding say's, 2 cups of milk per box of pudding. Thanks for your time.
Brandie, I made this and it was delicious! Thanks for all your yummy, down home recipes! I've pinned a lot of them, and have made a few of them too! My family loved this warm lemon pudding cake especially! My only suggestion to others would be to not add the extra sugar to the lemon pudding. Next time I make this I'll leave it more tart, and may even add a touch of lemon juice for added "tang"! Of course, that's a personal preference because we like tart lemony flavor! 🙂 My boys and hubby ate this for dessert, then for breakfast, and then…empty dish! LOL! It's a winner in our house if all the "men" like it! Thanks again, and keep up the great work!! (I've got you on FB AND Pinterest so I don't miss a thing)!
Pudding cakes take me back to my childhood; there gonna have to make a comeback into my adulthood. Yum!
This cake looks amazing! I'm drooling thinking of it. If only it was a real shower and we could have all eaten it!
This looks fantastic!! I love the nice lemony layer of pudding right on the bottom. I bet it's awesome warmed up!
This cake is so delicious looking!!!
Tried it and loved it!
OMG, I live for lemon desserts and this pudding cake looks SO decadent and delicious! Swooning over here!
You are so awesome, Bran!
I love lemon as well and this turned out perfect!
This cake was excellent. Very easy to make and everyone loved it!
Thank you so much Amy! I appreciate you letting me know! Yay!!
Years ago Betty crocker had 3 pudding cake mixes out. Chocolate, Lemon & Caramel. They were all good.
Janet,
I remember the Betty Crocker lemon pudding cake, my mom made it all the time, that was in the 60’s. I looked all over for it in the stores with no luck. I was so happy to find this recipe, it is delicious!
I made this recently – thought it would never work, and could not believe how well it did – the lemon pudding ends up on the bottom, with a perfect layer of cake on top. It’s a keeper! It’s also delicious served cold….A dollop of whipped cream doesn’t hurt, either.
Everything is better with whipped cream – ha! So happy you loved it!!