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Slice of Easy Watermelon Lemonade Cake garnished with fresh mint and lemon slices.

Easy Watermelon Lemonade Cake

A bright and fruity cake that captures the refreshing taste of summer watermelon lemonade in every slice, perfect for easy summer gatherings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Summer
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake Ingredients
  • 1 large Seedless watermelon, blended into juice or puree Use cold watermelon for better flavor
  • 1/2 cup Lemon juice (fresh squeezed if possible) Bottled lemon juice can be used in a pinch
  • 1 box White or yellow cake mix Or your favorite homemade vanilla cake
  • 3 large Eggs As called for on the cake mix box
  • 1/2 cup Oil As called for on the cake mix box
  • 1/2 cup Water Adjust with watermelon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons Vanilla pudding mix Optional, for extra softness
  • 2 cups Powdered sugar For frosting
  • 1/2 cup Butter or cream cheese For frosting
  • 1 pinch Salt Enhances flavors
  • few drops Food coloring (optional) Tiny bit of pink or green for decoration
  • 1/2 cup Mini chocolate chips For decoration, optional

Method
 

Preparation and Baking
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 pan or two 8-inch pans.
  2. Blend watermelon and measure out 1 cup of watermelon juice or puree.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix with eggs and oil. Replace some of the water with watermelon juice, aiming for 1 cup of watermelon juice plus whatever water is needed to match the box directions.
  4. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, starting small for a bright taste.
  5. If using pudding mix, stir it in now for a softer crumb.
  6. Bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, usually 25 to 35 minutes depending on the pan.
  7. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
  1. For the frosting, beat butter with powdered sugar, add a pinch of salt, then incorporate lemon juice one spoon at a time.
  2. For a watermelon twist, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of watermelon puree, but keep it small to avoid runniness.
Decorating
  1. Decorate with a light pink frosting, then pipe a little green around the edges.
  2. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top to mimic watermelon seeds.

Notes

Chill the cake before decorating if your kitchen is warm. For extra 'drink-like' flavor, brush the cooled cake with a quick syrup made of watermelon juice, lemon, and sugar.