Italian Lemon Cream Cake Recipe
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes
Servings:
8 Slices
Ingredients
  • 2 ¼ cups cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • Zest from 2 lemons
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • ¾ cup cake flour (pre-cooked or baked)
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar, plus more for topping
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, then line with parchment and grease again.
  3. Begin the cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites and buttermilk until combined.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest, massaging with your hands to incorporate the lemon oils into the sugar.
  6. Add the butter to the bowl with the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. Add the vanilla and ½ cup of the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
  8. Alternate between the eggs and the flour, incorporating each slowly into the large bowl. Beat until completely combined.
  9. Transfer the cake batter to the cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Let cakes cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Begin the mascarpone cream: Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks using an electric whisk or stand mixer.
  12. In a separate bowl, beat the mascarpone, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest until smooth.
  13. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Set aside.
  14. To make the cake crumbles, add the flour, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to a food processor and pulse to combine.
  15. Add the butter and pulse until mixture looks crumbled.
  16. To build the cake, first trim the cakes flat, if needed. Spread half of the mascarpone cream onto one cake, then top with the other cake.
  17. Spread the remaining mascarpone cream across the top, then the sides of the cake until cake is thinly frosted.
  18. Sprinkle the crumbles on top of the cake.
  19. To finish, sift powdered sugar across the top of the cake. Slice and serve.