Now that St. Patrick’s Day is behind us, I feel like spring is in full swing.  The warmer-than-normal winter has our yard turning green, our daffodils blooming and our trees budding a few weeks ahead of schedule.  This time of year I want to be outside with my hands in the dirt – planing, pruning and trying my best to remove all signs of winter.  And while I spent a good part of my weekend outside, I think you all know me well enough by now to know that I did make some time to spend in the kitchen.

I’ve had this recipe idea brewing in my head for a while and wanted to test it, so I used a simple white cake mix and boxed lemon pudding.  It was pretty good that way, and I knew the basic concept would work, so I took it up a notch and made it all from scratch.  THIS was the cake that I was dreaming about.

You’re probably familiar with the “poke cake” concept.  You make a cake, poke holes in the top, then pour something decadent and gooey over the top of it so it oozes into the pores of the cake.  I wanted a nice light cake in keeping with my spring weekend, so I just knew that the lemon flavors would hit the spot.

This pudding is tangy and sweet but doesn’t overpower the cake.  The whipped cream topping  is light and fabulous, and is lovely with the cool cake.  Typically, when you refrigerate cakes they tend to dry out, but the pudding and the whipping cream keep this one moist.

Lemon Pudding Poke Cake
Yield:  16 servings
Prep Time:  30 minutes ♦ Bake Time:  35 minutes ♦ Total Time:  1hr 15min

Cake Ingredients:
12 Tablespoons (1 and 1/2 sticks/3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).  Prepare a 9×13 cake pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and fluffy, then add sugar and cream for 4 minutes.  Add eggs and beat to combine.  Add vanilla, baking powder salt, flour and milk – beat until just combined.

Pour batter into cake pan and bake approximately 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  *10 minutes before the cake comes out of the oven, begin to prepare the pudding mixture (below.)

When cake comes out of oven, allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Then, using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes about 3/4 of the way down to the pan, all over the cake, about 1 inch apart.

Pour the pudding mixture over the warm cake.

Pudding Ingredients:
2/3 cups sugar
1 and 1/3 cups water
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten in a medium sized bowl.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugar to a boil.  Add cornstarch, lemon juice and lemon extract, and stir to combine.  Stir about 1/4 of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then quickly stir the egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture.  Stir to combine, and allow to cool slightly.  After cake has cooled for 5 minutes, pour this mixture over the top of the cake.

Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup powdered/confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Add confectioners sugar and vanilla and beat just until combined.  Immediately spread over cooled cake and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Store covered cake in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  Cake recipe from Epicurious via Amy Sedaris:  I Like You; Hospitality Under the Influence
Pudding recipe from Food.com