Lemon Cream Cake (Olive Garden)

Submitted by Chef AmberK

"The best lemon cream cake EVER! White cake with a lemon cream filling and crumb topping."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) box white cake mix
• 1 1⁄4 cups water
• 1⁄3 cup oil
• 3 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1⁄2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
• 1⁄4 cup butter (cold)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

directions

1. Combine cake mix, water, oil, egg whites, lemon juice and lemon zest. Follow directions on box. Pour into greased and floured spring-form pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Cool.
2. For filling, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Combine by hand with cream cheese mixture.
3. For crumb topping, combine flour and powdered sugar, cut in butter, vanilla, and lemon juice (pastry blender or food processor).
4. Slice cooled cake in half. Drizzle lemon juice on each cut side. Spread half of the cream mixture on bottom half of cake, put cake top on and spread the remaining cream on top and sides. Sprinkle crumb topping on top and pat on the sides.

Reviews

[Farty M.]

It turns out pretty darn good, but I prefer cake just a tad heavier so I often add a bit of oil and occasionally some powdered pudding mix and adjust the liquids a bit with a bit of whole milk depending on the cake recipe or mix. I usually heat up the cream cheese a bit just to make it easier to stir instead of it being clumpy. The lemon? I grind it up whole in the blender then sift out the lumps to get all of the flavor. Most of these baking processes are quite simple, but a lot of people are scared to experiment and failing . It's just a handful of ingredients so the absolute worst thing that can happen short of burning the house down is you wind up pitching it out. It might just turn out fantastic.

 

[MSippigirl]

5 stars for the impressive presentation! I don't have a springform pan so I used 2 round cake pans, and did not frost the sides of the cake. I really didn't enjoy the raw flour/ butter topping. Not sure if I will make it again. UPDATE: I decided to try it again, and lightly baking the crumb topping this time, and am happy to say that I was more pleased with the results! It stuck together a little so after it cooled somewhat I used a pastry blender to break it up. With cake mixes getting smaller and smaller, this time I used 1 1/2 boxes and whole eggs (instead of whites only) and baked in a tube pan then split into 2 layers after removing the dome. I also added a little True Lemon to the filling to bump up the lemon flavor. This one was a hit!! Sharing an updated photo.

 

[Patty W.]

I've made the recipes over the past 8 years, juse used this today. My husband gets one every birthday, we used to pay 50 bucks for a whole one from olive garden, I think this recipe is the closest. I used 2 9" pans though. Great recipe ladies.

 

[Bonnie B.]

My daughter loves lemon cakes. This is for her 60th Birthday this week and I want to fix a great Lemon Cake for her.

 

[Robert K.]

I don't know how it compares in taste to the Olive Garden cake, but this one is definitely a keeper. It is comparable to something one might find in a good Italian bakery. It has a nice lemony flavor with no lemon over kill.