Description
This Top 1 Italian Lemon Cream Cake features soft, moist vanilla cake layers paired with a tangy and creamy lemon filling. Topped with light whipped cream and garnished with lemon zest and white chocolate curls, this dessert offers a perfect balance of sweet and citrus flavors, making it an elegant and refreshing treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Vanilla Cake Layers
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Lemon Cream Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Garnish
- Lemon zest
- Powdered sugar
- White chocolate curls
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans to ensure the cakes release easily after baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. This will incorporate air and give the cake a light texture.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to fully incorporate them. Stir in the vanilla extract to flavor the batter.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Add the dry flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined to avoid overmixing which can make the cake dense.
- Bake the cake layers: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cakes: Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn each cake out onto wire racks to cool completely before assembling.
- Prepare the lemon cream filling: Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture to keep it light and airy.
- Make the topping: Whip 1 cup of heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. This will be used to frost the outside of the cake.
- Assemble the cake: Once the cake layers are completely cooled, slice each horizontally to create four thin layers if desired. Spread the lemon cream filling generously between each layer, then cover the entire cake with the whipped cream topping.
- Garnish and chill: Garnish the cake with lemon zest, a dusting of powdered sugar, and white chocolate curls for an elegant finish. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving to set the filling and enhance the flavors.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients to achieve even mixing and a smooth batter.
- Do not overmix the batter to avoid a dense cake texture.
- Always sift dry ingredients to ensure a light and tender crumb.
- Make sure cream cheese is fully softened to prevent lumps in the lemon filling.
- Fold whipped cream gently into the filling to maintain its airy texture.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
Keywords: Italian lemon cake, lemon cream cake, vanilla cake, lemon filling, whipped cream topping, Italian dessert, lemon zest cake
