This easy lemon poke cake recipe makes a moist lemon sheet cake filled with bright lemon curd filling and topped with creamy whipped topping. This simple poke cake is so bright and refreshing!
This easy lemon poke cake is the perfect dessert when you’re craving a bite of spring. It’s a light and refreshing lemon sheet cake filled with tangy lemon curd and topped with sweet, creamy whipped topping.
The cake is so simple to make; you’ll just need a few basic ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep. It’s also a great make-ahead dessert choice, so you can make it the day before your celebration and finish it off just before serving.
One of the great things about this recipe is that you can make as much or as little of it from scratch as you’d like, and I’ve included notes below to help you with that.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Lemon cake mix: Feel free to use your favorite brand of lemon cake mix. Or you can make a homemade lemon sheet cake and then continue with the recipe as-written.
- Lemon curd: Lemon curd is surprisingly easy to make. You can also use store bought lemon curd if you prefer.
- Whipped topping: You can use Cool Whip, TruWhip, or another brand of frozen whipped topping. You could also spread the cake with homemade whipped cream if you’re serving and consuming the cake right away.
How to make lemon poke cake
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including instructions, is given below.
Step 1: Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang.
Step 2: Make cake and pour batter into the prepared 9×13 inch baking pan, preparing according to the instructions on the back of the box.
Step 3: After baking and while cake is still warm, use a thick skewer or handle of a wooden spoon to evenly poke holes in the cake.
Step 4: Allow cake to cool completely.
Step 5: Remove cake from the pan and place on a large serving platter.
Step 6: Pour lemon curd over top, and gently spread it into the holes.
Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour to let the lemon curd set up.
Step 8: When ready to serve the cake, top with whipped topping.
Step 9: Garnish with fresh lemon slices.
Recipe Tips!
- Lemon flavor: For even more lemon flavor, swirl a little bit of lemon curd into the whipped topping or grate a little fresh zest along with the lemon slices.
- Make ahead: If you’d like the make the cake a day ahead of time, leave it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. Then, frost and serve.
Storage
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
More poke cake recipes!
If you’ve tried this easy lemon poke cake recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for even more delicious food.
Easy Lemon Poke Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
Ingredients
- 13.25 ounce boxed lemon cake mix
- Ingredients needed to make cake like eggs, water, and vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups lemon curd homemade or store bought
- 8 ounce container frozen whipped topping like Cool Whip, defrosted
- Lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang.
- Make cake and pour batter into the prepared 9×13 inch baking pan, preparing according to the instructions on the back of the box.13.25 ounce boxed lemon cake mix, Ingredients needed to make cake
- After baking and while cake is still warm, use a thick skewer or handle of a wooden spoon to evenly poke holes in the cake.
- Allow cake to cool completely.
- Remove cake from the pan and place on a large serving platter.
- Pour lemon curd over top, and gently spread it into the holes.1 ½ cups lemon curd
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour to let the lemon curd set up.
- When ready to serve the cake, top with whipped topping.8 ounce container frozen whipped topping
- Garnish with fresh lemon slices.
Notes
- Lemon cake mix: Feel free to use your favorite brand of lemon cake mix. Or you can make a homemade lemon sheet cake and then continue with the recipe as-written.
- Lemon curd: Lemon curd is surprisingly easy to make. You can also use store bought lemon curd if you prefer.
- Whipped topping: You can use Cool Whip, TruWhip, or another brand of frozen whipped topping. You could also spread the cake with homemade whipped cream if you’re serving and consuming the cake right away.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!
Reader Interactions
Leave A Reply!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Love this recipe?
Share your thoughts below and let’s chat! Make sure to connect with me on your favorite social platform below and show me what you made!