Easy Lemon Poundcake

Reposted from December 6, 2011    Love this one!

I have yet to master a lemon cake recipe that truly knocks my socks off and I love lemon cake.  So, despite my desire to bake everything from scratch, there comes a time when you have to accept your limitations.  In the case of lemon cake I buy a mix.  As a result, several years ago, I happened to buy a box of cake mix once that had a lemon pound cake recipe on the back.  I tried it and have used it ever since and in a variety of ways too. 

The recipe is super simple: 

Lemon Poundcake 

1 lemon cake mix

4 eggs

1 c water

1/3 c oil 

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a medium sized mixing bowl combine all ingredients and whisk until batter is smooth, no lumps.  Pour batter into a buttered and floured bundt pan or two bread loaf pans.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until cake is done.  The top should spring back to the touch. 

Allow cake to cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan to a cooling rack.  Cake should cool completely before slicing.  Serve plain or with berries and whipped cream. 

I have found I can make variations of this cake with other flavored cake mixes: 

Pound Cake – use a yellow cake mix, add 1 tsp. vanilla.  Bake in loaf pan and slice for strawberry shortcake. 

Chocolate Pound Cake – use a chocolate fudge cake mix.  Goes great with raspberries! 

Gift Idea:  Use smaller mini loaf pans.  Reduce baking time to 30 to 40 minutes depending on pan size.  After cakes have cooled wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil.  Wrap a strip of bright flat ribbon lengthwise down the center of each cake and secure with a small piece of tape.  Make a decorative label Lemon Pound Cake and place across the center of the cake. 

One Christmas I made three different flavors of batter and baked them in mini pans.  I wrapped them as I have described above and set three different cakes in a basket to give as my gifts to my neighbors.  My next door neighbor still talks about that, she really loved the chocolate cake. 

Give this a try next time you need a delicious and simple dessert.  I think you will really like it.

Tip:  For added savings wait for cake mixes to go on sale and stock up.  Use coupons with sales items for additional savings.