This Homemade Lemon Cake Mix can be thrown together in no time! Use the mix right away or make it in advance and simply store it in your refrigerator until you’re ready to bake a 2-layer cake or 24 cupcakes.
I can’t tell you the last time I bought cake mix.
Making my own Cake Mix has turned into one of my favorite hobbies. It might not be as fast as opening up a box, but it’s pretty close. Not to mention the ingredient list is much shorter and without any additives and preservatives!
Since starting this blog, I’ve grown quite the collection of homemade cake mixes! There’s chocolate, white, yellow and funfetti, and all are linked above the recipe printable down towards the end of the post.
Today, I’m sharing my favorite flavor of all… lemon.
Simple ingredients with specks of lemon zest, as it should be.
To Make This Homemade Lemon Cake Mix You Will Need:
- sugar
- lemon zest
- cake flour
- baking powder
- fine salt (sea or Himalayan)
- unsalted butter (softened)
Zest 2 lemons and add that to a bowl with 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar.
Use your fingers to massage the zest and the sugar together.
It should resemble coarse, wet sand.
In a large mixing bowl, add the lemon sugar, 2-3/4 cups cake flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1 teaspoon fine salt.
Whisk well to incorporate.
Drop in 4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter.
Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Keep going until the butter is in very small pieces and nearly undetectable in the dry ingredients.
Use it immediately to make a lemon cake or store in an air-tight jar or container and refrigerate until ready to use!
Give Homemade Cake Mix As A Gift:
If you want to give homemade chocolate cake mix as a gift, omit the butter and store all the dry ingredients in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Write out the remaining ingredients (include the butter!) and then recipe instructions (start by creaming the butter, vanilla, eggs and adding the dry ingredients, water, oil etc.) out onto a note card and tie it around the jar with string.
Make The Cake:
The recipe for making the cake is below, however if you want to see a step-by-step for the cake and frosting, click here!
Other Homemade Cake Mixes:
Chocolate Cake Mix
Funfetti Cake Mix
Yellow Cake Mix
White Cake Mix
Homemade Lemon Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 medium lemons zested
- 2¾ cup cake flour see notes
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt sea or Himalayan
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Instructions
- Combine sugar and lemon zest in a bowl. Use your fingers to massage the sugar and zest together until it resembles coarse wet sand.
- In a large mixing bowl, measure and add flour, lemon sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Use a pastry cutter (or a couple of knives or a fork will do) and cut the butter into the flour. Keep going until the butter is no longer detectable in the dry ingredients and it’s a super fine crumb.
- Store this cake mix in a air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- If refrigerated, remove and let come up to room temperature for about 30 mintues before using.
Notes
Can you Substitute cake flour for all-purpose?
Yes! If using all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, you will only need 2½ cups all-purpose flour. However the cakes crumb/texture will be different. Nutritional Value Is for the Entire Cake Mix. Click Here To Use This Lemon Cake Mix!Nutrition
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- USA Pan (1200MF) Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan, 12 Well, Nonstick & Quick Release Coating, Made in the USA from Aluminized Steel
- Wilton SS-DAR-WI2105-7908 Aluminum Performance Pans Set of 2 9-Inch Round Cake Set, 9"
Ingredients
FOR THE LEMON CUPCAKES (OR CAKE):
- 1 recipe lemon cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup grapeseed oil or other neutral tasting oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
FOR THE LEMON BUTTERCREAM:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
