I grew up with and loved my grandmother’s famous Glazed Lemon Jello cake. The Jello in the cake makes it moist and stays that way. This cake won’t dry up if you leave it on your plate for a moment or two.
I remember my grandmother making this cake for us when I was a teenager. We weren’t allowed in the kitchen to see what she did. We just knew there was Jello in it, and it tasted good. She didn’t share the recipe for it, or so I thought. I googled the recipe, but I could never find her exact recipe.
Then, one day, I was talking to my cousin who lives in South Carolina. She told me she had asked Nana for the recipe, and Nana wrote it down for her. A miracle of miracles. We visited South Carolina to visit my cousin, discuss family history, and bake this wonderful cake. Nana also made her famous Tamale Pie, and we made that on our visit, too.
Cursive Writing
My cousin had the recipe that our Nana had written down for her. I am very glad that I took cursive writing when I was in school. The trend of not teaching cursive writing is a curse on our society. How are we supposed to be able to read these things we find in the future? What if you have no Internet and only have a note posted in cursive writing? This is my grandmother’s beautiful handwritten recipe. My grandmother passed in 1972. The paper is protected in plastic. Below is a picture of my Nana with her handwritten recipe.
Why My Recipe Differs
I prefer not to use a boxed cake mix. That’s where the recipe here differs from my Nana’s. Some things my family made require strict brand ingredients, but a cake does not. We’re going for the things that are probably in your pantry and not a bunch of chemicals.
Let’s Make Nana’s Glazed Lemon Jello Cake
Email Me the Recipe
Glazed Lemon Jello Cake
Equipment
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Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 box lemon jello
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup apricot nectar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Glaze
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons vodka
Topping
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a Bundt pan with Baker’s Joy.
- 1/3 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons vodka, 1/3 cup lemon juiceMix the ingredients for the glaze and set them aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 1 box lemon jello, 4 eggs, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup apricot nectar, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zestPut all the ingredients in a large bowl or stand mixer.
- Mix the ingredients very well, being sure to scrape at the sides and bottom of the bowl
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it rest in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- While the cake is still warm, remove it from the pan and put it on a cake rack under a sheet pan. Using a pastry brush, paint the cake with the glaze until all the glaze is used up.
- 1/3 cup powdered sugarLet the cake come to room temperature then dust with powdered sugar.
Thanks for this. I have been looking for this recipe for a long time. My grandmother made it, too. It’s like coming home.
I’m so happy you found this, Antoinette. Hope you had a wonderful holiday.