I am making a cake for a friend this weekend and she wants lemon. I was planning to use a white mix that I doctor up with the extender recipe. Any tips on what (and how much) to add to it to flavor it lemon? Or should I just buy a lemon mix?

Thanks!

Here is the perfect recipe for you If they want it really lemony use a can of fzn lemonade for the liquid

The *original* WASC cake recipe by kakeladi
Please Read thru the whole recipe before you start. Note the extra info at the end. Enjoy your baking! Smile
1 box cake mix (I prefer Betty Crocker) *see notes at end
1 cup flour*
1 cup granulated sugar
generous dash of salt

1 cup sour cream*
1 cup water *
3 whole eggs
1 tablespoon flavoring*
In bowl mix together dry ingredients. It's helpful if you use a wire whisk, but optional. It's important w/choco cake not so much for other flavors.
In mixer bowl place next 3 ingredients. Add about 1/2 of the dry ingredients and blend together, then add the rest of the dry ingredients & blend. Mix for 2 minutes. Some tell me they just dump all ingredients into the bowl together. Some tell me they sift all dry ingredients together.
Pour into prepared pans * and bake as usual.

*NOTES: any cake flavor can be used. Match the flavoring to the cake flavor such use lemon/almond mix for lemon cake; strawberry/almond for a strawberry cake etc, etc. For most flavors you can use a mixture of vanilla, butter, and almond which is what I do most of the time.
You can use milk or cream for the liquid.
This recipe is based on mixing in a kitchenaid mixer. I use position #1 to stir it, then #4 to mix the batter.
Most of the time I forget to add the salt
On rare occasions I have used other brands of mix.
This makes the amount of batter as if you used 1 1/2 mixes and is perfect for a 10" sq OR 9x13 OR one 8" & two 6" round;OR two 8"rounds OR a 12" round; and other combinations of pans.
I prefer to bake at 300 degrees for about 20-30 minutes (depending on size of cake) then turn oven up to 325 for about an equal time. If cake has pulled away from sides it is overbaked. After cooling, the top might be a bit sticky.
Some people have told me they use plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
I've always used all purpose flour. Some tell me they use cake flour but then the amount is less - maybe 3/4 cup - not sure.
Some tell me they just dump all ingredients into the bowl together.
Some tell me they sift all dry ingredients together.

The flavoring I most often use is this mixture:
1 part vanilla extract
1/2 part butter flavoring
1/4 part almond flavoring

A "Part" is any measure be it teaspoon; tablespoon; cup or quart Smile Since I made many wedding cakes I usually mixed it up by the cup about once a month
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I have used fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in cakes. If you use a zester tool, run a knife through it so there will not be long strings in the batter and cake. I even run a knife through the grated zest. Use the lemon juice as you would water.

Hope this helps.

I've gotten raves using the below (my Grandmother declared it the best cake she'd ever eaten):

1 box BC lemon cake mix
1 box (4 serving size) instant lemon pudding mix (not sugar free)
double the amount of oil called for on cake mix package
eggs and water as called for on cake mix package
zest of one lemon and one lime

mix it all together and bake according to the cake mix package's directions