Lemon Dream Cake
Easy Lemon Dream Cake starts with a boxed cake mix swirled with lemon pie filling. All topped with a creamy, lemony whipped topping!
A CREAMY CAKE FOR LEMON LOVERS
This lemon cake has quickly become one of my favorites (and a favorite of my co-workers!) My co-workers are often my guinea pigs for new recipes. This recipe is definitely for those who love lemon desserts. It is so easy to make but looks like you spent hours making it. If you want a fun new lemon recipe then this is the one for you!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)
You can use yellow, white or even a lemon cake mix. I think, however, the lemon cake mix would just be a bit too much but if you want lemon overload, go for it! I think you could maybe even use strawberry for a strawberry lemonade type effect. You could even make this with homemade cake mix if you wanted to. Looking for a homemade white cake mix or a yellow cake mix– I have you covered. The whole thing about this cake is convenience and ease, but if you have the time and energy to make a cake from scratch, go for it!
Yes! You can use whatever pie filling you think would work well with these flavors. I think a blueberry pie filing would be delicious with a lemon cake mix. Lemon and blueberry work really well together.
While I love the frosting combination, if you want to make this a little lighter, you can.
It’s super easy to change it up a bit, just don’t use the lemon frosting in the topping. It can just be the Cool Whip. Or you can add in a teaspoon of lemon extract to the Cool Whip and stir and just spread that on the cake.
Sure thing. Lemon curd would be great in this Lemon Dream Cake. It won’t be as much since lemon pie filling comes in larger amounts than lemon curd but it will still work. You can also mix lemon curd in with the Cool Whip instead of the lemon frosting.
We had a reader ask this, and I figured it’s worth mentioning in here too so you don’t miss the info. I wouldn’t recommend this since this cake can be a bit heavy and I don’t think the layers with the frosting and Cool Whip would hold up well. That being said, if that’s something you want to try, you could… just know that I haven’t tested it that way and don’t think it’s an easy swap to make.
Any leftover Lemon Dream Cake needs to be refrigerated, especially because of the frosting with the Cool Whip. When you aren’t serving this cake, it needs to be kept in the fridge too. So, leftover cake should be covered or placed in an airtight container and can be stored for up to 4 days. As time goes on, the cake will start to change texture from the frosting and pie filling. So, the sooner you can eat it, the better.
You bet and I think this would be a good one to freeze and enjoy later! Freeze it appropriately and enjoy within 2-3 months of freezing.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- vanilla cake mix – see my FAQ’s above about different flavors you can use.
- ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil and water)- quantities and required ingredients may vary depending on your cake mix brand. I also think you can go with sugar free options where possible.
- lemon pie filling – you can use the whole can of filling or just a little. This is all up to you and how lemon-y you want to go with this. I use all of it.
- lemon frosting – if you don’t want so much lemon, you could use a vanilla or white frosting.
- whipped topping – most commonly people use Cool Whip, but the store brand works just fine here.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON DREAM CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare cake mix as directed on the back of the box. Pour batter into baking dish. Place spoonfuls of lemon pie filling all over the batter. Take a knife and swirl it all around to help evenly distribute it better.
Note: The lemon pie filling is heavier than the cake batter. So it will sink to the bottom of the cake as it is cooking. Don’t worry, it won’t burn. This is normal.
Bake at 350F degrees (in center rack) for about 35-40 minutes. Until it springs back to the touch and isn’t jiggly in the center. Let cake cool completely before proceeding to the next step. In a bowl, combine lemon frosting with whipped topping. Mix until thoroughly combined. Spread frosting over cooled cake.
Refrigerate until chilled and keep any leftovers refrigerated. Serve and enjoy.
CRAVING MORE LEMON RECIPES?
- Classic Lemon Bars
- Starbucks Lemon Loaf
- Lemon Layer Cake
- Lemon Lava Cake
- Lemon Drop Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake
- 3-Ingredient Lemon Crumble Bars
- Lemon Poke Cake
- Lemon Icebox Cake
- Lemon Magic Cake
Originally published: July 2012
Updated photos & republished: April 2024
Lemon Dream Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil & water (according to the back of the cake mix box)
- 1 can lemon pie filling
- 16 ounce tub lemon flavored frosting
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping (COOL WHIP) thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare cake mix as directed on the back of the box. Pour batter into baking dish.
- Place spoonfuls of lemon pie filling all over the batter.
- Take a knife and swirl it all around to help evenly distribute it better.
- Bake at 350F degrees (in center rack) for about 35-40 minutes until cake springs back to the touch and isn’t jiggly in the center.
- Let cake cool completely before proceeding to the next step.
- In a bowl, combine lemon flavored frosting with whipped topping. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake.
- Slice and serve or place in the refrigerator to chill slightly before serving.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Can you make this cake in a Bundt pan with a lemon glaze?
It might be more difficult with a Bundt cake
I live in Canada and lemon pie filling in a can is near to impossible to find ..
Is there an alternative that won’t change up the recipe too much….
Perhaps one of our Canadian friends on here can help us. I’ve only ever made it with lemon pie filling and I would hate for you to try something else & it doesn’t turn out and you’ve wasted ingredients.
Hey Darlene, fellow Canadian. I made this today using Shirriff brand lemon meringue pie mix. I used one pouch, prepared it according to the instructions on the box, and then let it cool on the counter before adding to the cake mix. I ended up only needing about half of the prepared pie filling, but it worked out great!
Thank you for popping in here Katherine!
I made this for my mother’s birthday and everyone loved it. They wanted to know when I would make this cake again. There were no leftovers as everyone wanted seconds.
A Family Fave after today !
Love hearing that – thank you Bruce!
This cake was so good! I made it for my mother’s birthday party and everyone loved it. And it is such an easy recipe – thank you!
Second time making. It turns out great. Thanks for sharing.
Turned out so good!! Thank you!
Looks and sounds Amazing!! I’m making this for a get together. I used Lemon cake mix…also sprinkled in some blueberries in batter and a few on top of frosting. Can’t wait to taste it. Thank you for an awesome lemon recipe!!
Sounds amazing!
THIS WAS AN AMAZING 100% LEMON CAKE. OOOHHH MY GOODNESS!!!!
EVERYONE RAVED ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU!!!
My husband actually made this cake! The recipe is easy to follow and it was so delicious. My store didn’t have any lemon pie filling so I bought a box of lemon pudding & pie filling and made that up to use in place of the canned pie filling. The icing is delicious too. We’re going to try it with strawberry pie filling next.
Woo hoo! I love hearing that Carol!! Thanks so very much for coming back to comment!
I have never made cakes but box cakes. But I wanted something different. I was very nervous making this cake but it turned out delicious and my family wanted to know when I was going to make it again
I’m so happy you have it a try and that you loved it!! Thank you SO much for coming back to comment!
Hey Brandie,
I have a question. If lemon pie filling can’t be found, would lemon curd be an equal substitute?
Hey Donna! I actually answer that exact question above! 🙂 Yes it can be substituted but it’s obviously not going to be in the same quantity you’d get with pie filling.
Cool beans, thanks! My apologies for skipping through the FAQ’s.
No worries! Always happy to help!
Love, love, love this cake!! Made as directed except I used blueberry pie filling instead of lemon (the store was out of stock). I also added the zest of a lemon to cake batter to give it an extra pop of flavor. Yummmmm! Thank you for a wonderful recipe. This one is a keeper!
Made this today Can’t wait to try it. I’m sure I’ll llove it. Was wondering if I could exchange Milk for the water inn the batter. Thank you.
Is there a specific reason why? I don’t see why you couldn’t
I just made a Lemon Cream Cake using a lemon cake mix. Excellent! But I do have a question. The recipe calls for a 14.75 can of lemon filling. I couldn’t find one anywhere. any suggestions? I really don’t want to buy more than I use. Great recipe though.
Just use what you can find. It will all still work just fine.
This is crazy delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!!
I love lemon and so does my staff, I make this cake at least 6 times a year. it’s a big hit and I never have any to bring home. I do use a lemon cake mix and it’s fabulous
could this be done in round pans and stacked for a birthday cake?
Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s a bit heavy and I don’t think it would hold up. I’m sorry!
Hi, if I wanted to make this into cupcakes, would the baking time be the same?
These might be a little heavy to be cupcakes. You can certainly try but I’m just not confident to say they would definitely turn out well.
Can you freeze left over Lemon Dream Cake?
Hi Lois – absolutely!
this is one of my favorite, go-to recipes when I want to wow them and don’t have a lot of time. it’s always a hit. I have one cooling on my counter as we speak!
Can I substitute sour cream for the oil or will it make the cake to dense for the lemon pie filling? I make this recipe and everyone loves it but I have heard sour cream added to a cake mix makes it even better.
I made this cake tonight and I called it my cheap cheat sheet cake. It sure is delicious though. Thank you so much for the great recipe. My mother told me the trick with the frosting from a can and cool whip and I wasn’t very sure of it. I am a purist when it comes to frosting but it is delicious. I loved it and so did my husband which is amazing because he doesn’t like anything except chocolate. Thank you again and again. I will try your other lemon recipes. I have a really good lemon tear apart loaf bread that is good too. .
You made my day!! Yay! Thank you so much Kathy!
This was delicious! We love anything lemon. I did put fresh blueberries on top of the whipped frosting. Very refreshing.
YUM! This was so easy and it was such a big hit it was gone in one day. That’s saying something when there are only 3 of us. Ever since I made it my hubby wants more lemon cake. He is a fan of yellow cake with chocolate frosting. I think that is so boring. But I try to keep him happy. He even went out and bought more lemon cake mix-that is what I made your cake with and it was GREAT. I love your recipes. Thank you. Thank you.
I have a friend who needs to eat gluten free. Her birthday is coming up & her husband called & asked specifically for this cake since she loves it & I do too. I used a GF yellow cake mix. I made a lemon pie filling from scratch & used GF flour. Now waiting on cake to cool. We will be celebrating tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe.