Description
This Homemade Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake features soft vanilla sponge cake, a creamy lemon mascarpone filling, and a sweet crumb topping. It’s bakery-quality dessert made right at home.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: 2 cups
- Baking Powder: 2 teaspoons
- Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Granulated Sugar: 1 1/2 cups
- Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup, softened
- Eggs: 4 large, room temperature
- Milk: 1 cup, room temperature
- Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons
- Lemon Zest: From 2 lemons
- Mascarpone Cheese: 8 oz, softened
- Cream Cheese: 4 oz, softened
- Powdered Sugar: 1 cup
- Heavy Cream: 3/4 cup
- Lemon Juice: 2 tablespoons, fresh
- Cake Crumbs or White Sandwich Bread Crumbs: 1 cup
- Powdered Sugar (for topping): 1/4 cup
Instructions
- Preheat Your Equipment: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Combine Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and lemon zest. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk until combined.
- Prepare Your Cooking Vessel: Pour batter evenly into the pans. Tap lightly to remove air bubbles.
- Assemble the Dish: Bake for 25–28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. For the filling, beat mascarpone, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream until fluffy.
- Cook to Perfection: Once cake is cool, slice each layer horizontally for 4 thin layers. Spread filling between each layer.
- Finishing Touches: Press crumb mixture gently over the sides of the cake and dust top with powdered sugar.
- Serve and Enjoy: Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing. Serve with a lemon twist for flair!
Notes
- Chill the filling ingredients for a smoother cream.
- Use a serrated knife to slice cake layers evenly.
- Let cake rest in the fridge for clean slices.
- Zest only the yellow part of lemon to avoid bitterness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 105mg