One bite of this Lemon Poke Cake and you’ll fall in love! The combination of tangy lemon and soft white cake is simply irresistible. Cover your semi-homemade moist lemon cake with marshmallow frosting and it’s even better! This is the perfect dessert to ring in Spring!

Do you ever feel like lemon cake doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves? Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good chocolate cake, peanut butter cake, or yellow cake. Okay, actually any kind of cake.

But the bright flavor and zest of a good lemon dessert is something special. It makes me think of sunny afternoons and breezy spring evenings. Give me ALL the Lemon Bars and Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake, please!

What is a Poke Cake?

Are you familiar with poke cake recipes? You bake a simple cake, poke holes in it, and pour gelatin or pudding over the cake so that it seeps in. You can also spread something smooth and delicious on top, like vanilla pudding and pineapple juice in this Pineapple Poke Cake.

In this easy recipe, we use lemon gelatin and lemon pie filling or one recipe of my homemade lemon curd which I used for the most recent pictures! The pie filling seeps into every crumb of the cake making it explode with sweet and tangy lemon flavor.

Ingredients for Lemon Poke Cake

• White cake mix
• Vegetable Oil
• Egg whites
• Lemon Jell-O (any brand of lemon gelatin will work!)
• Boiling Water
• Lemon pie filling or Lemon Curd (optional, but just as delicious)

Here’s what you need to make homemade Marshmallow frosting:

• Egg whites – with NO traces of yolk
• Granulated sugar
• Cream of Tartar
• Salt
• Pure Vanilla Extract

Don’t forget to review the recipe card below for detailed amounts and instructions!

What Kind of Pan do I Need for Poke Cake?

I made this recipe, as I do all my poke cakes, in a basic 9 x 13 glass baking pan.

How to make Lemon Poke Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

Poke cakes are so easy to make! Once you learn how to make poke cakes, you’ll want to make them every day of the week. Here’s how to do it:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whip up a boxed cake batter following the directions on the box for a 9×13 inch cake. Bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 29-34 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes.
2. Poke holes over the top of the completely cooled cake about 1-inch apart with the rounded handle of a wooden spoon.
3. Make the lemon gelatin by combining the gelatin and just 1 cup of the boiling water. Once the gelatin has dissolved completely, pour the lemon gelatin evenly over the entire cake.
4. Spread lemon pie filling (and lemon curd, if desired) over it with the back of a spoon and cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
5. Chill for several hours or overnight for best results.
6. Cover with homemade marshmallow frosting (see below) and serve immediately!

How to make Marshmallow Frosting

This delicious frosting goes well on any cake! You’ll need a double boiler to make it. You can also use a heat-proof large bowl and place it over, but not into, a medium pot of simmering water.

1. Bring some water to a boil in the pot of the double boiler, then lower the heat to a simmer. In the top portion, mix together the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar.
2. Heat the egg white mixture while whisking constantly until warm and the sugar has completely dissolved. The egg will be warm and the mixture smooth when rubbed between your fingers. This should take about 3-4 minutes, no longer.
3. Transfer the mixture to your mixing bowl. Using the whisk attachment and starting on low speed, beat the mixture, gradually increasing to high speed, until stiff, glossy peaks form. This will take about 7-9 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Place dollops of the frosting over the top of the cake, spread with an offset spatula, and serve immediately. Top with lemon slices, fresh lemon zest, or yellow sprinkles, if desired.

You can also lightly brown the marshmallow frosting with a small hand blow torch if you’d like!

That’s it! Easy steps, delicious results.

Tips for the Perfect Lemon Marshmallow Poke Cake

• You can poke holes in your cake using the handle of a wooden spoon, a dowel, or even a meat thermometer!
• Try to cover the cake evenly with holes for the best absorption of the lemon gelatin and pie filling.
• The cake will seem very soft at first. This is normal. It’ll continue to set up in the refrigerator.
• When making the marshmallow frosting, be sure there is NO yolk in the egg whites and that you only heat them until they are warm, NOT hot and steamy, and the sugar has dissolved. As you can see, the new pictures in this post have a frosting that is relatively flat (as opposed to the old picture below) because I accidentally did what I just told you NOT to do. You’ll have a MUCH fluffier frosting with no yolk remnants and a nicely heated batter.
  The cake still tasted ok with the frosting I made, it just wasn’t as fluffy and didn’t have that real marshmallow taste as it should have.
• If you do serve it with the marshmallow frosting, you’ll want to serve the cake immediately or as soon as you can after frosting it. This frosting won’t be able to sit long and will give you that amazing marshmallow flavor as soon as it’s made.

Recipe Variations

• For more bright lemon flavor, use a lemon cake mix instead of vanilla!
• Feel free to substitute the boxed cake mix for your favorite vanilla cake recipe if you prefer. 
• Use Cool Whip, my Stabilized Whipped Cream recipe, or even some Fresh Whipped Cream to top the cake instead of the marshmallow frosting.

Can I use a yellow cake mix?

You can use a white or yellow cake mix. The white mix provides a stronger contrast in colors, and the yellow cake mix has a bit more of a buttery flavor.

How do I store leftover Lemon Poke Cake?

Cover the cake pan tightly with aluminum foil or place the leftover cake in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze Poke Cake?

I don’t recommend freezing this cake. However, if you need to make it ahead of time, you could bake the cake and freeze it before adding the rest of the ingredients. When you’re ready, let the cake thaw to room temperature, then finish the recipe as directed.

Poke Cake and Cake Recipes

Can’t get enough poke cake in your life? Neither can I! Add these other delicious cake ideas to your Pinterest board or bookmarks.

• Strawberry Poke Cake
• Easy Tiramisu Poke Cake
• Pineapple Rum Cake
• Patriotic Poke Cake
• Citrus Layer Cake
• No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
• Lemon Meringue Cheesecakes
• Easy Blueberry Crumb Cake Recipe
• Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
• Key Lime Creme Poke Cake

More Lemon Recipes

Attention Lemon Lovers! You have to try one of these delicious lemon desserts next time you want a fresh citrusy treat!

• Lemon Dream Bars
• Lemon Sugar Snaps
• Lemon Cake Mix Cookies
• No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
• Gigi’s Easy Lemon Cake

This post was originally published on August 13, 2021. It has been updated with new photos (with a flatter but still tasty frosting