Okay, folks, let’s dive into something I tried out recently – making lemon bars, but with a shortcut! I’ve always loved those tangy, sweet treats, but sometimes I just don’t have the energy for a full-blown, from-scratch recipe. So, I experimented with using a cake mix as the base, and guess what? It worked pretty darn well!
My Cake Mix Lemon Bar Adventure
First, I grabbed a box of lemon cake mix. You could probably use a yellow cake mix too, but I figured, why not go full-on lemon?
Then, I dumped the cake mix into a big bowl. I added in 1/2 cup of melted butter – unsalted, because I like to control the saltiness myself. Make sure the melted butter has cooled.
Next is to add two large eggs.I whisked everything together until it was nice and smooth. It looked a bit like, well, cake batter, but a bit thicker.
Now, for the lemon part! I squeezed the juice of 2 fresh lemons. I also zested one of them, because I love that extra zing. I stirred that lemon juice into the batter. The batter’s color lightened up, so I add one more large egg and stirred.
I greased a 9×13 inch baking pan. I used baking spray, but you could use butter and flour if you prefer. Then, I poured the batter into the pan and spread it out evenly.
Into the oven it went! I baked it at 350°F (that’s about 175°C) for around 25-30 minutes. I kept an eye on it, because ovens can be a bit different. You want the edges to be golden brown and the center to be mostly set. It might still jiggle a tiny bit, but not be super liquidy.
Once it was done, I took it out of the oven and let it cool completely. This is important, otherwise, it’ll be a mess to cut!
When cool, put it in a refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Finally, the best part – cutting and eating! I sliced them into squares, and I couldn’t resist dusting them with a little powdered sugar. Makes them look fancy, you know?
And there you have it! My super easy, slightly cheater-y, but totally delicious lemon bars. They were a hit with my family, and I’ll definitely be making them again. Sometimes, a shortcut is exactly what you need!
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