Description
Indulge in the decadent delight of Cheesecake Factory’s Italian Lemon Cream Cake with layers of white cake infused with lemon zest, creamy lemon filling, and a crumb coating for added texture. This copycat recipe will transport you to dessert heaven!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients on package – typically egg whites, oil, and water)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the Lemon Cream Filling:
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
For the Crumb Coating:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter (cubed)
- pinch of salt
Optional Garnish:
- Powdered sugar and lemon slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare and bake the white cake mix according to package directions, adding lemon zest. Divide and bake in two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Make lemon cream filling: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla until smooth. Whip heavy cream separately, then fold into cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate.
- Prepare crumb coating: Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter to form crumbs. Bake until golden, then cool.
- Assemble the cake: Layer cake with lemon cream, finishing with a smooth layer outside. Press crumb mixture on sides and top. Chill before serving. Garnish with powdered sugar and lemon slices.
Notes
- This cake can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- For extra lemon flavor, brush each cake layer lightly with lemon syrup before adding the filling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
