Lemon Cream Cheese Cake

This Lemon Cream Cheese Cake is a delightful combination of moist lemon cake, creamy cream cheese frosting, and bursts of tangy lemon curd. It’s a bright and refreshing dessert perfect for spring and summer gatherings.

Ingredients:

Cake:

Ingredient	Quantity
White Cake Mix	1 (14.25 oz) box
Buttermilk (room temperature)	1 cup
Eggs	3
Unsalted Butter (melted)	½ cup
Lemon Zest	3 tablespoons

Frosting:

Ingredient	Quantity
Unsalted Butter (room temperature)	¾ cup
Cream Cheese	12 oz
Vanilla Extract	1 teaspoon
Powdered Sugar	3-3 ½ cups
Lemon Zest	1 ½ tablespoons
Lemon Curd	1 (12 oz) jar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
2. Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs. Mix with an electric mixer until light and smooth.
3. Add cake mix and lemon zest: Slowly add the white cake mix to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Fold in the lemon zest.
4. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Cool the cake: Allow the cake to cool completely in the baking dish before frosting.

Make the Frosting:

6. Cream butter and cream cheese: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter and cream cheese together until light and smooth.
7. Add vanilla and powdered sugar: Stir in the vanilla extract. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until well combined.
8. Add lemon zest: Mix in the lemon zest.

Assemble the Cake:

9. Poke holes in cake: Once the cake is completely cooled, use the handle of a wooden spoon or another dowel to poke holes evenly across the surface of the cake.
10. Fill with lemon curd: Spoon the lemon curd into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a corner cut off. Fill each of the holes in the cake with lemon curd.
11. Frost the cake: Spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
12. Marble with lemon curd: Spoon the remaining lemon curd over the cream cheese frosting. Use a knife or a toothpick to carefully swirl the frosting and lemon curd together, creating a marbled pattern.
13. Chill and serve: Chill the Lemon Cream Cheese Cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. This allows the frosting and lemon curd to set. Enjoy!