3-Ingredient Lemon Bars

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides for easy lifting.

Pour the dry yellow cake mix into a large bowl. Pour in ½ cup melted butter and stir with a fork or fingers until uniform crumbs resembling wet sand form.

Scatter two-thirds of the cake crumbs evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Press down firmly using your hands or the flat bottom of a measuring cup to form a tight, solid base layer.

Spoon 20 oz of lemon filling or curd over the compacted crust. Smooth with an offset spatula into an even, edge-to-edge layer.

Sprinkle the remaining one-third of the cake crumbs evenly over the lemon filling, allowing the yellow lemon base to peek through.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes until the crumb topping is light golden-brown and the filling bubbles gently around the edges.

Cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack, then refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until firm. Lift out using the parchment overhang, slice into squares, and optionally dust with powdered sugar before serving.