Italian Lemon Cream Cake (Print-Friendly Format)

A classic Italian cake with creamy filling and zesty lemon flavor.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Cake

01 - 1 package (15.25 ounces) white cake mix
02 - ¾ cup milk
03 - 1 tablespoon milk
04 - 3½ tablespoons vegetable oil
05 - 2 eggs

→ Crumb Topping

06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
07 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Filling

08 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
09 - ⅔ cup confectioners' sugar, divided, plus more for dusting
10 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
12 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly coat the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
02 - Set aside 1 cup of the cake mix for the crumb topping. Place the remaining cake mix in a large bowl. Add ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon of milk, the vegetable oil, and the eggs. Use an electric mixer to beat the mixture until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir in the reserved 1 cup of cake mix until it forms a crumbly texture. Sprinkle this crumb mixture evenly over the cake batter.
04 - Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan until it reaches room temperature.
05 - Beat the cream cheese, ⅓ cup of confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream with the remaining ⅓ cup of confectioners' sugar using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.
06 - Carefully remove the cake from the springform pan. Using a serrated knife, slice the cake horizontally into two layers. Spread the cream filling evenly over the bottom layer, then place the top layer over the filling.
07 - Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours. Before serving, dust the top of the cake with additional confectioners' sugar.

# Additional Information:

01 - Refrigerating the cake for several hours helps the cream filling set properly.