Mom's Apricot Nectar Cake

My mom made this for Easter one year, and I actually liked it! I was a tough critic as a kid, but I've always loved this cake. Now I can make it myself as a dessert-loving adult, but I love it more when my mom makes it! I've never been much of a fan of desserts containing fruit, but this one just gets me! It's just fruit juice, essentially, so it's made to please your toughest fruit dessert critic.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 381 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• ½ cup lemon juice, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, or to taste (Optional)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.

Step 3

Grease a 9x13-inch cake pan.

Step 4

Mix lemon cake mix, eggs, and vegetable oil in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Stir apricot nectar into the batter and mix well.

Step 5

Bake in preheated oven until the cake is lightly browned at the edges and the top springs back when lightly pressed, about 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean or with moist crumbs. Check for doneness after 20 minutes.

Step 6

Cool cake completely.

Step 7

Mix confectioners' sugar with lemon juice, mixing juice in about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is fluid and easy to spread. Frosting should run slightly but not be a thin runny glaze.

Step 8

Spread frosting on cooled cake and sprinkle with lemon zest to serve.