Cheesecake Factory Italian Lemon Cream (Print-Friendly Version)
Soft vanilla cake, lemon mascarpone cream, and a lemon crumb finish for a crowd-pleasing Italian-style treat.
# What You’ll Need to Make This:
→ Vanilla Cake
01 -
375 g all-purpose flour
02 -
2 teaspoons baking powder
03 -
0.25 teaspoon baking soda
04 -
0.5 teaspoon fine salt
05 -
115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
06 -
250 g granulated sugar
07 -
120 ml vegetable oil
08 -
2 large eggs, at room temperature
09 -
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 -
240 ml whole milk, at room temperature
→ Crumb Topping
11 -
65 g all-purpose flour
12 -
65 g powdered sugar
13 -
57 g unsalted butter, cold
14 -
0.5 teaspoon lemon zest
15 -
0.25 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Lemon Mascarpone Cream Filling
16 -
240 ml heavy whipping cream
17 -
250 g mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
18 -
250 g powdered sugar
19 -
0.5 teaspoon lemon zest
20 -
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
# How to Prepare:
01 -
Preheat oven to 177°C. Line the bottoms of two 20 cm round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
02 -
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 -
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add vegetable oil and eggs, mixing until incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla extract and milk, mixing until smooth.
04 -
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until batter is fully combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
05 -
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
06 -
Preheat oven to 177°C. Spread flour for crumb topping on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool. In a bowl, whisk baked flour and powdered sugar. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter, forks, or hands, until fine crumbs form. Mix in lemon zest and vanilla extract. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
07 -
Whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until creamy. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Chill filling until required.
08 -
Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Reserve 180 ml of the filling. Spread the remaining filling evenly over the first layer. Place second cake layer on top. Cover the top and sides with the reserved filling. Gently press crumb topping onto the surface and sides of the cake for finish.
09 -
Dust with additional powdered sugar if desired. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days for optimal freshness.
# Extra Tips:
01 -
Advance preparation of cake layers, crumb topping, or filling can ease assembly on serving day.
02 -
Mascarpone cheese provides authentic flavour but can be substituted with cream cheese if preferred.