This cake has its origin in desperation. I had company coming over for coffee and dessert, and I didn’t really have time to get to the grocery store. Usually my go-to is a fruit crisp made with whatever fruit happens to be in season, like apple crisp or strawberry rhubarb crisp. How long it takes: a few hours Equipment you’ll need: layer cake pans, mixing bowl, mixer Servings: 8 to 10 But after scrounging in my pantry, I came up with a white cake mix, a couple of lemons and a block of cream cheese. I know, it looks like a pretty ambitious dessert for spur of the moment! But your secret to simplicity is the cake mix. Using a cake mix is so easy and helps you get a head start on this recipe. The finished product is this beautiful layer cake mounded with lemon zest flecked creamy frosting and a tangy secret hidden inside, luscious lemony filling. White cake with lemon filling covers all the bases: it’s gorgeous to look at, and tastes heavenly. I’m pretty sure I could live on this cake. Luckily we had a lot of company so I wasn’t tempted to actually try out that hypothesis. The tangy lemon filling is a perfect contrast to the sweet frosting. So yummy. However, I must confess that you could probably put cream cheese frosting on cardboard and I would still devour it.
About This Recipe
This isn’t a last minute dessert, I’m just warning you. It will take some time to put together but it isn’t difficult to do.
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How To Make This Layer Cake
Let’s begin with the lemon cake filling. Flavored with lemon juice and zest, the filling is nice and tangy, a perfect counterpoint to the sweet cake. It’s basically a cornstarch thickened pudding and is cooked on the stove. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and should be chilled in the fridge. Next, get started on the cake. A basic white cake mix works great and is easy to prepare. No special instructions, just follow the directions on the box. Once the cake has baked and is cooling, prepare the lemon cream cheese frosting. Hopefully your cream cheese and butter is nice and soft by now. The lemon zest and lemon juice combined with the tangy cream cheese makes this frosting so flavorful! It’s absolutely one of my favorite frostings. I could eat it by the spoonful. Assemble the cake. Put the first layer on your cake platter. Slather the filling all over the top of the first layer, leaving a small border around the edge so that the filling doesn’t squish out. Carefully place the next layer on top and frost the cake. Voila! You’re finished! Get ready for the oohs and aahs when you present this white layer cake with lemon filling and lemon cream cheese frosting! And then a moment of silence as everyone digs in and enjoys this wondrous dessert!
Make It Your Own
Omit the filling. Make a double batch of frosting. Spread a layer of frosting between the two layers of cake. Substitute canned frosting for the homemade cream cheese frosting. Substitute a lemon cake mix for the white cake mix for a triple lemon cake.
Storage Tips
The cake should be stored in the refrigerator if at all possible unless you are going to serve it that day. Put it into a layer cake holder or cover completely with plastic wrap. I actually have a large Tupperware container that will fit over a layer cake so look in your cabinets and be creative.
More Cakes
While this is probably the fanciest cake I have on my site, I have lots of other fantastic cake recipes! Try:
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting The Best Banana Cake – seriously! Apple Spice Cake with Bourbon Glaze Flourless Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake
