Warm Lemon Cake with ice cream, anyone? Yes, please! I made this Slow Cooker Lemon Spoon cake with a yellow cake mix, but I added a ton of lemon flavor with lemon juice and zest. This is sure to be a big hit at your next summer gathering.
Making cakes in your crock pot is so easy and tasty, just like my Slow Cooker Apple Dump Cake and Slow Cooker Pineapple Coconut Spoon Cake.
What is a spoon cake?
A spoon cake is exactly what its name suggests – a cake that is literally spooned out of the pan (or in this case, the slow cooker). When you spoon a cake, you are able to catch every bit of it, edges and all. For this particular recipe, you can skip the greased baking dish or using the oven altogether.
Instead, you’ll use your slow cooker to “bake” a soft cake packed with lemon flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cake Mix: I like to use Pillsbury yellow cake mix.
- Eggs: These are according to the cake box ingredients.
- Butter: Melted and added to the cake batter according to box instructions.
- Water: Mixes with the other cake ingredients.
- Lemons: You’ll use all their juices and zest to make this lemon spoon cake.
- Homemade Glaze: Making the glaze is so easy. You will use the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – In a large bowl, whisk together a yellow cake mix, eggs, melted butter, water, lemon juice, and zest until just blended (do not continue whisking, lumps are fine).
Step Two – Grease a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick spray and add the batter, spreading it in an even layer. Cook on high for 2 hours. The cake should be firm in the middle. If not yet set, continue cooking for 30 minutes more.
Step Three – When the cooking time up, make the glaze. Mix together lemon juice, zest, and powdered sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Pour over the hot cake.
Step Four – Serve and enjoy!
How to serve
- Keep the slow cooker on warm until you are ready to serve.
- You can easily serve this spoon cake buffet style by keeping it in the crockpot and letting guests serve themselves.
- Add this cake to a dessert bar with a variety of ice cream flavors like vanilla ice cream, strawberry ice cream, or chocolate ice cream. Don’t forget the toppings for the top of the cake – whipped cream, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Strawberry spoon cake can easily be made with other fruits like fresh strawberries, orange spoon cake with orange juice and zest, and so on. Fresh berries and fruit help with creating a rich flavor.
Of course. I like the taste of the yellow cake; however, you can use any box cake and flavor of your choice. White cake, lemon cake, or even red velvet may be good substitutions.
Place any remaining spoon cake in an airtight container. You can keep it at room temperature or store it in the fridge.
Besides changing the flavor, you can also add berries or chopped nuts to the batter or as a topping.
Sure. Cake batter is easy to make from scratch. Flour, salt, white sugar, and baking powder are pretty much all you need.
Love lemon desserts? Try one of these too!
- Two Ingredient Lemon Bars – Recipe by Vintage Recipe Tin
- Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake – Recipe by The Country Cook
- Lemon Muddy Buddies Recipe by i Heart Naptime
Outrageous Lemon Lovers Trifle – Recipe by Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen- Sour Cream Lemon Pie – Recipe by Vintage Recipe Tin
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Slow Cooker Lemon Spoon Cake
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 15.25 oz. yellow cake mix I used pillsbury
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (note you will need about 4 large lemons for this recipe)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 Tbsp. lemon zest packed
For the glaze:
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, add cake mix, lemon juice, water, melted butter, eggs, and lemon zest, mix with a spoon until combined. Don’t over mix, some lumps are fine.
- Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray
- Pour batter in slow cooker, and smooth the batter down evenly
- Cook on high for 2 hours. The cake should be firm in the middle. If not yet set, continue cooking for 30 minutes more.
- Mix Glaze ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk.
- Pour over lemon cake
- Scoop into bowls, and serve with vanilla ice cream
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
The instructions as written say 2 hours but the printed recipe says 2.5 hours.
Which is it pls?
Start with 2 hours on high (keep the lid on the entire time). If not done in the middle continue cooking for 30 minutes more.
My slow cooker is round,how would you suggest adjusting cook time.
Hi, Bernadette. I’m unsure how the center would cook with the slow cooker being round. It would have to be tested out.
I want to make this doubled the batch what how long should I cook it for
I don’t know if the center will get done in time before the edges burn with a double batch. I apologize I have not tried.
Would the recipe change at all if you added blueberries?
I think adding blueberries would be fine!
Can i double this recipe? If so, should I cook for two hours or longer?
Hi Diane. I’ve never tried, but I’m pretty sure it would burn on the edges far before it is done in the center.
Im making this as we text and i an using lemon cake mix. I assume cook with lid on? First time using crock for dessert.
Yes with the lid on 🙂
Can I use Lemon Cake mix?
Ok, you had me with the word LEMON, but then you reached out and grabbed me with “in the CrockPot. Bless your heart, I love you!!! Lemony and easy, lordy mercy!!!
Sister From the South,
LindY G
what temp. and how long would you bake if since I don’t have a slow cooker
I used the same liquid measurements as the box called for, so try cooking it for what the box says for the size of pan you are using, that should work great.
I’ve never baked a cake in my slow cooker but you make that one sound so good and I love lemon!
What a great recipe! I just love lemon! Pinning.
Thanks for sharing at Saturday Dishes- hope to see you back this weekend for some Asian Recipes!
You combined my favorite two things, Lemon desserts and slow cookers. Thanks for sharing on Saturday Dishes. I pinned it.
Blessings,
Diane Roark
Thank you for this recipe! I have some wonderful fresh local lemons and was looking for a great recipe. I’ll try this tomorrow. It sounds wonderful and I love that it uses lemon juice & zest. Thank you again!
To Barbara,
If you don’t have a printer and want PDF format, download CutePDF writer from the internet. It is free software which allows you to “print’ to a PDF format. I use it all the time. Hope this helps.
You should allow a PDF format for saving to personal files…was disappointed that it wasn’t available…I do not own a printer…