Italian Lemon Cream Cake

I enjoyed a lemon cream cake at a popular Italian restaurant so much that I wanted to recreate it at home. It is a white cake topped with vanilla crumbs and filled with rich lemon cream. After a few attempts, this is the version that I like best. It uses a white cake mix to cut preparation time. Store cake in the refrigerator.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 435 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• cooking spray
• 1 (16.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 3 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• ⅔ cup confectioners' sugar, divided, plus more for dusting

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

Step 2

Measure 1 cup cake mix; set aside for crumb topping. Place the remaining cake mix in a large bowl; add 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk, eggs, and oil. Beat cake mix mixture using an electric mixer until batter is thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Step 3

Mix melted butter and vanilla extract together in a bowl; stir in reserved 1 cup cake mix until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle crumbs over top of cake batter.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool cake to room temperature in the pan.

Step 5

Beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat cream and remaining 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar together in a separate bowl using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold cream cheese mixture into whipped cream.

Step 6

Remove cake from springform pan. Cut cake horizontally into 2 layers using a serrated knife; remove top layer. Spread filling onto the bottom cake layer; place top cake over filling. Refrigerate cake for at least 4 hours. Dust cake with more confectioners' sugar before serving.