Italian Lemon Cream Cake Recipe
This Italian Lemon Cream Cake features tender vanilla cake layers filled and topped with a luscious lemon cream filling and whipped cream frosting. The cake offers a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors, enhanced by fresh lemon zest and juice, making it a delightful dessert for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
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
- Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Then stir in the vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Bake the Cake Layers: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Cool the Cakes: Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Then, remove from pans and place them on wire racks to cool completely.
- Make Lemon Cream Filling: Beat together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon cream mixture for a light filling.
- Prepare Whipped Cream Topping: Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together in a bowl until soft peaks form. Set aside to use as the cake topping.
- Assemble the Cake: Once fully cooled, slice each cake layer in half horizontally to create four thin layers if desired. Spread the lemon cream filling evenly between each layer. Finish by spreading the whipped cream frosting over the top of the cake.
- Garnish and Chill: Decorate the cake with lemon zest, additional powdered sugar, or white chocolate curls as garnish. Chill the completed cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld and filling to set.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature ingredients when preparing the cake batter and filling.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter when combining wet and dry ingredients; this ensures a tender cake crumb.
- Chilling the cake before serving helps the lemon cream filling set nicely and enhances the flavors.
- You can substitute buttermilk with a mix of milk and lemon juice if needed (1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice).
- The optional slicing into more layers is for extra filling and a more elegant presentation but is not required.
- White chocolate curls can be made by shaving a white chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler.
Keywords: Italian lemon cream cake, lemon cake, cream cheese filling, whipped cream frosting, homemade lemon cake, vanilla cake layers
