This Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake is a soft white cake split and filled with a tangy mascarpone lemon cream, then coated in a buttery crumb topping. It tastes like the dessert from the restaurant and feeds a crowd. Plan ahead, since it needs a few hours to chill before slicing.
The mascarpone is what sets the filling apart. Most copies reach for cream cheese, but the real version uses mascarpone for that smooth, lightly sweet Italian cream. Whip your heavy cream to stiff peaks first, then fold it in, so the filling holds its shape instead of going runny.
A couple of details make or break it. Keep your bowl, beaters, and cream cold before whipping, or the cream will not hold. For the crumb topping, rub cold butter into the flour and powdered sugar with your hands until the pieces are no bigger than a pea. Then chill the finished cake for at least three hours so it firms up and slices clean.
Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy16
servings45
minutes55
minutes580
kcalThis Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake fills soft white cake with mascarpone lemon cream and a buttery crumb topping. Active time about 40 minutes, plus chilling.
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
1 box white cake mix (plus the eggs, oil, and water it calls for)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
- For the Lemon Cream Filling:
8 oz mascarpone cheese, cold
1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- For the Crumb Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 oz cold unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Extra powdered sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Bake the white cake according to the box, stirring the lemon zest and lemon extract into the batter. Bake in a round pan, then cool completely.
- For the filling, beat the cold mascarpone with the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest until smooth. In a separate cold bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then fold it into the mascarpone. Refrigerate.
- For the crumb topping, mix the flour, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Rub in the cold butter with your hands until the pieces are no larger than a pea. Refrigerate.
- Slice the cooled cake in half horizontally. Reserve about 1 1/4 cups of the filling and spread the rest over the bottom half.
- Set the top half back on, press gently, and chill for about 1 hour.
- Spread the reserved filling in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake.
- Press the crumb topping into the top and sides, covering as much as you can.
- Chill the whole cake for at least 3 hours. Dust with powdered sugar, then slice and serve.
FAQs
What do I serve it with?
It is rich on its own, so keep it simple with a cup of coffee or hot tea. A few fresh berries or a scoop of vanilla gelato on the side make it feel like a restaurant dessert.
Can I use cream cheese instead of mascarpone?
You can, but it changes the flavor. Cream cheese is tangier and heavier, while mascarpone gives the soft, mildly sweet cream the original is known for. Use mascarpone if you can find it.
Why did my filling turn out runny?
The cream was not whipped to stiff peaks, or the ingredients were warm. Chill the bowl and beaters first, whip the cream fully, and keep everything cold until you fold it together.
Can I make it from scratch instead of a box mix?
Yes. Any soft white or vanilla cake recipe works as the base. A box mix just keeps it quick, which is how most home versions get the texture close to the original.
How far ahead can I make it?
It actually holds well, so you can make it a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. The crumb topping and filling stay best chilled, so add the final dusting of powdered sugar just before serving.
