Homemade Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake
A light, fluffy vanilla sponge cake layered with tangy lemon cream and topped with a sweet crumbly topping. This Homemade Copycat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake is refreshing, creamy, and perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (for topping)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Divide the batter between pans and bake for 25–28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- For the filling, beat mascarpone, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest until smooth. Fold in whipped cream and chill.
- Mix flour, powdered sugar, and melted butter to make crumb topping. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes and cool.
- Assemble the cake by layering lemon cream between cakes, covering the top and sides, and pressing the crumb topping around the edges.
- Dust with powdered sugar and chill before serving.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor.
- Chill the cake before slicing for cleaner layers.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze individual slices for up to 1 month.