Italian Lemon Cream Cake

Recipe View Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously coat the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix for the crumb topping; place the remaining cake mix in a large bowl. Add 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of milk, vegetable oil, and eggs to the bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until the batter is thoroughly combined, approximately 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. (10 minutes)

Recipe View In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir in the reserved 1 cup of cake mix until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle this crumb topping evenly over the cake batter in the pan. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, typically 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan until it reaches room temperature. (45 minutes)

Recipe View In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, 1/3 cup of confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream and the remaining 1/3 cup of confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream until well combined. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Carefully remove the cooled cake from the springform pan. Using a serrated knife, horizontally cut the cake into two even layers. Spread the lemon cream filling evenly onto the bottom cake layer. Carefully place the top cake layer over the filling. Refrigerate the cake for a minimum of 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the filling to set. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Before serving, dust the cake generously with additional confectioners' sugar for an elegant finishing touch. (2 minutes)