The combination of lemon and strawberries makes this a wonderful summer delight. The added instant pudding to the regular cake mix gives this cake the texture of a chiffon cake made from scratch.
My very awesome roommate actually made this cake (twice!), so the technical comments are based on her experiences. But I can definitely say that this cake tastes wonderful. It's very moist, but light, and not too sweet. The first time my roommate made it though, it looked really gloopy -- the icing was sliding off, and the juice from the strawberries made smears on the cake. Here's what she did the second time: she used less milk in the pudding mix (for the icing) to make it firmer. She handled the pudding/Cool Whip mixture as little as possible -- just enough to fold it all in, but no more. Finally, she drained the strawberries AFTER slicing them (leaving them in a papertowel-lined bowl in the fridge overnight), and blotted the slices w/ a paper towel before putting them on the ice cake. With these modifications, the cake held up much better, and looked as fantastic as it tasted!
Read MoreI made this cake for a work bake-off competition and won first place for best cake presentation. However, I missed the best taste prize because the taste wasn't as raving as I expected. Firstly, don't tweak the recipe like I did. I followed some reviewer's suggestions and added lemon pudding to the white cake mix instead of the vanilla pudding. So I had 2 layers of white/lemon cake. I shouldn't have listened to that suggestion. I think the cake would have won first place in tasting if I did not do that one little tweak. The cake turned out to be much more lemony than I wanted. That, coupled with the lemon frosting - I did not like. Ended up that the lemon overwhelmed the cake instead of being a light, refreshing cake. Instead, stick to the vanilla pudding added to the white cake. You could really do without the lemon pudding filling and substitute with a cream cheese whipped frosting with strawberries instead. That's what I used to frost the outsides and I decorated the cake top and base with sliced strawberries. I don't think I would make it again because I wasn't so thrilled with the lemon filling, but I'll give it 3 stars because it wasn't entirely bad and the mistake was mine for not following the original instructions.
Read MoreMy very awesome roommate actually made this cake (twice!), so the technical comments are based on her experiences. But I can definitely say that this cake tastes wonderful. It's very moist, but light, and not too sweet. The first time my roommate made it though, it looked really gloopy -- the icing was sliding off, and the juice from the strawberries made smears on the cake. Here's what she did the second time: she used less milk in the pudding mix (for the icing) to make it firmer. She handled the pudding/Cool Whip mixture as little as possible -- just enough to fold it all in, but no more. Finally, she drained the strawberries AFTER slicing them (leaving them in a papertowel-lined bowl in the fridge overnight), and blotted the slices w/ a paper towel before putting them on the ice cake. With these modifications, the cake held up much better, and looked as fantastic as it tasted!
The taste is what saved this cake for me. 1st, make sure you read ALL the steps (i didn't read ahead, just followed the steps in order), my first mistake was mixing both boxes of pudding in with the cake mix (I used lemon cake, mayo). When I got to the 2nd step for the filling, I was like what pudding? Anyways I went to the store and got another box of lemon pudding for the whipped topping filling. So the cake wound up having an extra box of pudding in it. The filling was so runny that it would not set up and the cakes were sliding around. It wound up looking like an avalanche. But it was delicious. If I were to make it again I would fill it differently, maybe use real whipped cream instead of whipped topping or a whipped cream/cream cheese combo with the lemon pudding. But the lemon/strawberry combo is very good and the actual cake itself was dense and moist and really good.
I used a lemon cake mix instead of white, I wanted a more lemony flavor. I also used mayonnaise instead oil. Turned out perfectly! Nice, refreshing summertime dessert.
this cake is simply amazing. I made it for a memorial day bbq. I originally thought it may have been too much since there were only 6 people there but everyone had seconds and there was only one piece left for me to take home. I am debating on making it again today....just because! its so tasty...i loved it!! also many reviewers complained about the frosting not being firm enough. i refridgerated the pudding and them when i mixed in the whipped cream topping and put it in the freezer to thicken it up some. turned out perfect!!! review edit: I made this cake again with jello brand pudding...BIG mistake. the "frosting" was so runny and i couldnt get it firm. i made another one the same day with generic lemon pudding...it turned out amazing!!! so i HIGHLY recommend using the generic pudding...its cheaper, it taste better, and it looks better....not to mention its easier to work with!!!
I made this cake last night & used some of the suggestions from the past reviews. For the cake I used a lemon cake mix & vanilla instant pudding. I made the filling as the recipe reads, but used the Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from this site to frost the sides instead of just whipped topping. This is one of the best cakes I have ever made. I was hesitant about using mayo in the cake instead of oil, but it was outstanding! This cake was super-moist & I will make it again for sure!
I found this recipe when my daughter wanted a lemon cake for her birthday. Huge hit! I've since made it for co-workers and both of my kids who have June birthdays are asking for it, too. I've made a small change simply be accident, because my husband picked up MY*T*Fine brand lemon pie filling instead of instant lemon pudding. I decided to try to work with it, mixing with 1/2 c sugar and 1c water, then cooking until thick. It made a very simple mock lemon curd, which worked wonderfully mixed with the whipped topping. The second time I made it I used the instant lemon pudding and it wasn't nearly as good or as thick and easy to work with. The error was a wonderful success and I won't do it any other way now. This is one of the best summer cakes I've ever had.
I made this for a co-worker's birthday and it was gone in minutes! I used a lemon cake mix and used half of the vanilla pudding mix. I also made fresh whipped cream and added lemon pudding mix (generic brand) and used 1/2 of this mix to put it in between cakes. For the outer frosting, I made fresh whipped cream and added a table spoon of lemon juice and 1/2 cream cheese so it will hold. Very tasty!!
I made this for a comany Easter Party. It looked great,and tasted better than I had hoped. Everyone loved it. I used a French Vanilla cake mix, light mayo, and Fat Free Cool Whip, and it just turned out great. It wasn't to gooey like I had read in the other reviews. Oh I also added a teaspoon of lemon extract to the cake batter for a hint of lemon. I do recommend drying strawberries before use.
Wonderful recipe! I like tall cakes, so I made a 3 layer cake (2 white layers & 1 lemon layer in the middle.) Adding whole strawberry on top was a nice touch. I will definitely make this one again!
The first time I made this cake, the frosting was too viscous; I might have misread the amounts for ingredients. The second time I made the cake, everything was perfect. Instead of using 16 oz. of whip cream, I just used the mixture of pudding, milk, and 8 oz. whip cream to frost the 2 9" layers and the sides of the cake. I also used lemon cake instead of white. Delicious.
Delicious. I only needed 8 oz of cool whip rather than 16oz. So good, I would definitely make it again.
I brought this cake to a party at work and everyone loved it! I made it as a sheet cake so it would be easier to cut and share with a large group. I also did add about a table spoon of sour cream into the cake batter to make it even moister. Great recipe and easy to make!
Love this recipe. I like to use a lemon cake mix with the vanilla pudding and mayonnaise in lieu of oil. I also use less milk for the filling and just mix the filling and whipped cream together and use this for both the filling and frosting. The tips to dry the strawberries first is a lifesaver!
After reading other people's reviews, I decided to use lemon pudding instead of vanilla pudding. I also added about 1/2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lime juice (I actually wanted to add some lemon juice, but, I didn't have one at that time.) I think adding some lime (lemon) juice was helpful to increase some citrus flavor. The cake was moist and tasty. My husband liked it.
Delicious! I used lemon pudding mix for both the cake and the filling and definitely only needed the 8 ounces of cool whip for the filling, top, and sides. It was a hit at our BBQ and no one knew it was so easy to make! Thanks for sharing.
I made the recipe exactly as it was given, but made sure to let the cake cool completely and dried the strawberries out. The cake was delicious, easy, and beautiful.
What a heavenly recipe. I made this with low-fat mayo in place of the oil for the cake mix and used egg whites in order to lower the fat content. I also used skim milk and fat-free whipped topping and decided not to "frost" the sides. It was absolutely delicious. Everybody loved it.
This cake was the talk of the weekend graduation party...delicious, moist and light. I added a layer of homemade cream cheese frosting and strawberries to the bottom layer.
Very tasty! I made this for a friend's birthday, who doesn't like anything too sweet. She loved it. The only things I did different was to use less milk with the lemon pudding (to make the filling more firm) and I added some lemon zest to the sides, after frosting. That gave it a little extra zing and made it look really pretty.
Just some tips - use half-n-half instead of milk and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before frosting. This will give the pudding mixture time to firm up.
These was really light, refreshing, and tasty. I used a lemon cake, with vanilla pudding and used mayo in place of oil like suggested. I mixed the lemon pudding with the whipped topping and put it in the fridge for an hour before frosting. It was a great cake, and got many compliments. But I was hoping for it to be a little more moist. It was really moist, but I was kind of hoping with the mayo and pudding it was going to be almost as moist at a tres leches cake. I think I had too high of expectations. I MAY try applesauce in place of oil next time.
This cake was amazing! It slid around a bit getting it to the party, but a few minutes in the freezer firmed the 'icing' back up. Was asked several times for the recipe!
This was a good and easy cake. It tastes wonderful chilled on a hot day. I only used half of the whipped topping and it was a very generous amount.
This cake was a big hit at my dad's bday party. Even my husband (who only wants dessert if it's chocolate) admitted it was good!
Made this for Mothers Day .....REALLY nice recipe !! I used Lemon Pudding mix in the frosting as well and will try different fruit over time but the strawberries were very good. The texture of the the frosting is truly divine. Thanks for sharing .
This cake was a huge hit at our mother's day party. Everyone raved about it and the entire cake was consumed with guests looking for more
Made a delicious birthday cake for my boyfriend. Used light mayo substitute, all sugar-free vanilla puddings, lite whipped topping, and fresh strawberries. Turned out great. Guests wanted seconds.
The first time I made this cake was for a baby shower. It turned out great and I received many compliments. I actually mixed the lemon pudding mix with the cake mix and used the Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from this site to frost it (not a big fan of whipped topping). I'm usually a chocolate cake person, but this was very good.
Was a great Easter dessert. The family loved it and had seconds. I made it just as it reads, with the mayo instead of oil. Yummy cake!
This cake was delicious - very light and fresh and perfect for celebrating spring. I made 3 different cakes for my dad's birthday, and this one was everyone's favorite. It's great served chilled right out of the refrigerator. Be sure your strawberries aren't too wet; the ones I used on the top weeped and made red streaks in the icing. It still tasted great though! I would definitely make this one again!
I made this cake for a work bake-off competition and won first place for best cake presentation. However, I missed the best taste prize because the taste wasn't as raving as I expected. Firstly, don't tweak the recipe like I did. I followed some reviewer's suggestions and added lemon pudding to the white cake mix instead of the vanilla pudding. So I had 2 layers of white/lemon cake. I shouldn't have listened to that suggestion. I think the cake would have won first place in tasting if I did not do that one little tweak. The cake turned out to be much more lemony than I wanted. That, coupled with the lemon frosting - I did not like. Ended up that the lemon overwhelmed the cake instead of being a light, refreshing cake. Instead, stick to the vanilla pudding added to the white cake. You could really do without the lemon pudding filling and substitute with a cream cheese whipped frosting with strawberries instead. That's what I used to frost the outsides and I decorated the cake top and base with sliced strawberries. I don't think I would make it again because I wasn't so thrilled with the lemon filling, but I'll give it 3 stars because it wasn't entirely bad and the mistake was mine for not following the original instructions.
My only concern with this cake was the layers sliding, especially when cutting into it. But letting it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours made the cake stable enough to cut into it without any problems. The cake was wonderful looking, and the family enjoyed it. This one is best eaten the day it is made. In the days following, it became a little soggy, as the strawberries were weeping.
This cake is delicious, light, and VERY easy to make! The fresh strawberries on top really tie the cake together. I will definitely make this again very soon!
Oh My! This was AMAZING! Definately the best cake I've ever tasted! I accidently picked up frozen strawberries instead of fresh, but simply drain them well and they worked just as good. I am definately putting this into my permanent recipe file.
I made this for Easter and got rave reviews. Definitely a recipe I will keep and make over and over again. I used light mayo (even though I was skeptical of putting mayo in my cake), it turned out really moist. The lemony whipped topping provided for a very light and refreshing taste.
I love lemon desserts! For special cakes that call for added instant pudding or Jello, I always use Duncan hines cake mixes with NO pudding in the mix. Such as Blackberry Wine cake that calls for white cake mix. The results are always better. Thanks for sharing recipe!
Made this cake for mothers day this year and the family loved it, I didn't find it overly lemony but it was good. I did a few things different, one was instead of using whipped topping which I am not a fan of I used whipping cream and it turned out great. The other was I used a lemon cake using mayo in it instead of the white cake, and I only iced the top not the sides
5 Stars! This holds a permanent place in my recipe file! I've made it several times, it's perfect for baby & bridal showers. Thanks!
More of a question. Can't rate it yet 'cause it's in the oven! Re pudding mix, add it dry to the cake mix, or mix it with milk first? Thanks!
It was fantastic! I made this for a coworker‘s birthday and everyone absolutely loved it! Will definitely make this one again.
VERY good and easy recipe. Was the perfect finish to a grilling-out meal of cheeseburgers and corn on the cob. I made it according to the recipe, but next time I will incorporate all of the whipped topping into the pudding mixture. It tasted delicious, but looked a little funny with the lemon colored filling on top of the cake, and the plain white whipped topping on the sides...
This is a very moist cake. I substituted strawberry cake mix for the white and a white chocolate pudding mix for the lemon. It was wonderful!
You should have said in the first step that the lemon pudding mix went in one part and the vanilla pudding mix went into another
Not a bad cake, but my family wasn't 'overwhelmed' by it. I didn't have quite enough frosting so if I make this cake again I'll definitely double the frosting. I really liked the 'pudding in the mix' part. It made for a very moist cake. I think I'll try that with all of my cakes from now on.
This tasted really similar to lemon cake mix except lighter on the lemon. I enjoyed the strawberry/lemon combo and followed others' suggestions of using all lemon pudding. Lemon zest in the frosting would be a nice touch for next time.
This was absolutely wonderful. I spent a long while combing recipes to find a dessert for the one son who doesn't like chocolate and finally picked this one bc it seemed simple enough. And I'm certainly glad I did! He chose to rate it a ten. Even knowing the scale was out of five! :) The only thing I changed was I didn't use the extra 8 oz of cool whip for the sides. I just used the lemon mixture as the filling and for the tops and sides. And I think that was plenty. Will definitely be making this again and again. And the strawberries do add so much to the presentation!
This recipe was just the thing for a show-stopping birthday cake that had both looks and flavor without being decadently chocolate. I followed the recipe hints of using lemon cake mix with vanilla pudding, and needed only 8 oz. of whipped topping as well, stirring in the milk only until reaching the desired consistency. The perfect cake for a summer party!
