by RetroRuth | Aug 1, 2012 | , , Contests, Desserts, Hello Jell-O, The BEST | 39 comments
I have to tell you something. I am completely pea- green with envy over Martha K.’s recipe collection. Not only did she send us this really easy and really good submission for the Glistening and Jiggly Contest, but she also sent us this recipe for a really good lamb cake. And all of these wonderful recipes came out of her mother’s recipe box!
I have another confession. I have made her lamb cake recipe several times already for non-lamb cake things, such as my niece’s first birthday and some cookies and cream cupcakes. They were amazing, and I am pretty sure this recipe is also one that is going to get made at our house quite often.
Martha writes:
Dear Ruth, Here is my recipe for the Jello Contest. This recipe came from my mother’s box, as well. There is also a similar cake she used to make that used Jello Pudding mix instead of Jello Gelatin.
Best Wishes, Martha K.
How can you not love this recipe??
Easy?
Check!
Covered with glaze???
Check!
The best use of lemon gelatin in the ENTIRE contest?
That would be a big check!
The only thing not quite perfect about this recipe was that I baked it in the wrong pan. I thought it would be cute as a bundt, but my regular bundt pan was dirty so I used my smaller one. It was far, far too small and when the cake was baked it ended up looking a bit like it was tottering on a little pedestal. AND it got a little browned. But those were both my errors. So, learn from my mistakes, people! This cake will double in size, so make sure to use the right-sized pan!
Also,I forgot to prick the cake with a toothpick, so my glaze sort of ran off my cake. Once again, my bad. It would have probably been better if I would havejustmade this cake in a 13×9 pan. In my defense, I was tired. Also, I made about 25 other gelatin dishes before this. Also, I wanted to eat it right away.
A close-up, so you can see the cake texture.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a smile!
From the tasting notes:
Super lemon-y. Dense, but also light. Moist. Not too shabby.
The Verdict: Very good!
This cake was even more surprising because other people who tasted this cake couldn’t even tell it was from a box! It’s true. They were shocked when I told them. The glaze especially got high praise, which was wonderful because the stuff was SO EASY to make!
And, one of the neighbors who I shared the cake with sent me this photo from New York recently, where she was visiting her daughters:
A cake the girls bought at the local bakery! A real layer of lemon jell-o over cake and lemon custard. Topped with cake!
Check it out, Martha, your recipe is trendy! Congratulations on the win and thanks for sending this recipe in! Keep the submissions from your mom’s recipe collection coming. They are wonderful!
Lemon Jell-O Cake
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Lemon Cake Mix
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup salad oil
- 1 – 3 oz (small) pkg lemon Jell-O, dissolved in 3/4 cup boiling water
- For glaze:
- 2 c. confectioners sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix all of the above ingredients, except glaze ingredients, for four minutes.
- Bake in a well-greased pan for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
- When done, pierce top with toothpick. Pour glaze over the top.
Notes
Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake Mix is good.[br] Bake in Bundt pan.[br] Use fresh squeezed lemon juice!
veg-o-maticon August 1, 2012 at 8:06 am
Such a strange and wonderful experience to see a smile like that.
Especially on *this* blog 😉
Janet Richardsonon August 1, 2012 at 12:21 pm
I haven’t made this yet but I know it will be delicious. I’ve made something similar in the past but not lemom. Lemon happens to be my favorite flavor next to chocolate. Thank you for posting the printable recipe. It will fit perfectlly into my recipe box. Now I can’t wait to make this cake!!
Nerissaon August 1, 2012 at 12:37 pm
So nice to see a smile. I’m a fan of anything lemony. I know I’d be smiling, too. May just have to try this out some time soon.
Michelleon August 1, 2012 at 12:38 pm
A lady at work brings something similar to this to all potlucks, it is SO YUMMY!
Sara In AZon August 1, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Awwwww, so nice to see Tom with a smile! 🙂
You know, Mike’s Dad is just crazy-nuts for lemon anything, I might just make this for him one of these days!
Martha K.on August 1, 2012 at 12:48 pm
I know my mama is smiling today ….. and probably getting ready to bake a lemon cake…
RetroRuthon August 1, 2012 at 2:44 pm
It was just that good! 🙂
RetroRuthon August 1, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Hi Nerissa! If you do make it, make sure to send me a pic! 🙂
RetroRuthon August 1, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Yes! Make it! It is really good!!!
RetroRuthon August 1, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Awesome! Now you know her secret, Michelle. 🙂
RetroRuthon August 1, 2012 at 3:13 pm
I am so happy that you sent us your recipe, Martha! Your mom was a wonderful cook! 🙂
Andreaon August 2, 2012 at 12:43 am
Wow, you can even tell in the picture that it is a nice and moist cake. Looks so good!
Maureenon August 2, 2012 at 3:14 pm
I absolutely love lemon! I will be making this cake for the weekend, I just have to find my bundt pan 🙂
Kelly Beduhnon August 2, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Yes! I am making this tonight! Looks delicious.
SusieQTon August 3, 2012 at 6:48 am
That looks so good! I have a recipe for a lemon pound cake with a glaze like that. But it is so complicated I rarely make it- maybe this one can substitute from now on.
P'Gellon August 5, 2012 at 6:18 pm
I really wish I had some lemon jello in the house. This looks lovely! I want to make it now.
Maureenon August 12, 2012 at 7:01 pm
I have this in the oven right now! My bundt pan was AWOL, I FINALLY found it today. I knew it had to be around here somewhere 🙂 Cannot wait to try this!
Lorion August 17, 2012 at 4:06 pm
That is my grandma’s lemon cake recipe! I grew up on this cake. It made me love anything sweet and lemon. Ours was written on a index card and the card was very dirty and stained, i.e. much-used and loved!
Angelaon August 22, 2012 at 2:31 pm
I totally, completely LOVED this cake. I also totally screwed up while making it but it still came out delicious! I was not paying complete attention when I read the instructions and ended up just tossing the dry jello straight into my cake batter before realizing I was supposed to dissolve it in water. I decided to go ahead and just pour the water in after and see what happened. I also realized I didn’t have any vegetable oil to speak of, so I ended up using 3/4 cup of melted butter instead. The cake was still so fluffy and delicious even though I wrecked the instructions! I’m ashamed to admit I ate all but 3 slices of it over a week’s time.
Brianon March 8, 2013 at 3:14 pm
Looks good and I’d like to make it but one question:
“When done, pierce top with toothpick. Pour glaze over the top.”
Immediately when I remove it from the oven? Or after it cools?
RetroRuthon March 8, 2013 at 4:27 pm
Hi Brian –
You add the glaze while it is still warm! Hope you like the cake!
Brianon March 15, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Loved it. Very moist. I took it on a visit to my sister’s the next afternoon and between the between the 5 adults and 3 children it was gone before the night was over.
The recipe seems very adaptable to other flavor combos, too. So right now in the oven is my experiment substituting chocolate cake mix and orange jello plus orange zest (for extra orange kick and since I have to juice oranges for the glaze, anyway). Wish me luck!
RetroRuthon March 18, 2013 at 4:43 pm
Brian –
Did the experiment turn out?? I would love to know!
Brianon April 11, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Yes, it was good but the chocolate was more “powerful” than the orange flavor. And the orange juice glaze turned out thinner than the lemon. When I do it again I will use more orange zest in the cake and less orange juice in the glaze..
But my next version is going to be raspberry jello with chocolate cake mix. I just need to figure out the glaze…
Rachelon May 5, 2013 at 8:00 pm
My mother made this a few hours ago and she could NOT get it out of the pan she has used for ~35 years, even though she greased it with PAM until it was GLISTENING. I think that, since we don’t silicone pans like what you happened to have on hand, or springform pans like you use for sponge or cheese cake, we’re going to try the black magic tomato chocolate cake. We saw metal pans in those pictures.
However, Dad and I will have to make it because Mom can’t deal with anything that smells disgusting.
Rachelon May 15, 2013 at 10:53 pm
The Black Magic Chocolate Cake was delicious. Because we used a different brand of tomato soup, the batter didn’t stink. It was so shiny and the slices were impossibly smooth.
Sue-on-the-farmon July 7, 2013 at 12:12 am
For Brian – an idea for a raspberry glaze. Use some frozen raspberries. Doesn’t matter, healthy flash-frozen just-the-berries kind or steeped in syrup glommy but oh-so-good comes in a metal rimmed box kind.
Simmer raspberries [add a little water to the just the berries]. Smush it through a sieve to get out the seeds. Use the liquid goodness for your glaze. Freeze the rest. In an ice cube tray to add to a smoothie or as is to thaw and use as another dessert topping. My sister makes this every year for me as a topping to her lemon cheesecake. I’ve been known to eat the frozen left-overs with cool whip, or angel food cake, and yes, I admit it. As is. Raspberries Rock.
Cristinaon July 20, 2013 at 11:11 pm
Sounds delicious I think I’m making this for tomorrow nights dessert! Wish me luck
bhashon February 20, 2014 at 10:45 am
Hi this sounds great but I’m puzzled. Is it a 4 serving size lemon jello or a six serving size lemon jello?
thanks.
RetroRuthon February 24, 2014 at 1:43 pm
The four! Recipe has been updated! 🙂
tammyCAon April 15, 2014 at 6:26 pm
This is my husband’s favorite cake – a recipe since the ’60s that his mom made for him…it’s his birthday cake every year. It really is good.
Montana Beardon May 27, 2014 at 9:42 pm
this cake i just made today and everyone tried it from Mac to his mom and sisters and 3 year old nephew well…cake is gone.
The Mid-Century Menuon May 30, 2014 at 7:31 pm
Nice! Glad everyone liked it!
Carolon February 11, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Do you think you could put a few frozen blueberries in the batter?
RetroRuthon February 12, 2016 at 1:03 pm
Yes!
Charleson January 22, 2018 at 11:05 pm
In a hurry and baked in a 9 x13 pan and served as squares. I zest the lemons I am juicing and add to the glaze too. Very good.
We have made this cake most of my life and still love it. Great with tea–hot or iced.
Dianaon March 24, 2018 at 2:39 pm
I LOVE this cake. I have also made it with lemon cake mix and lime jello. It’s yummy too.
Jamie Heinon January 17, 2020 at 11:34 pm
This turned out so good 🙂 I used coconut oil to grease my pan. Thank you for the recipe.
remon July 18, 2020 at 3:10 am
Jane hanco*ck papers
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