Italian Lemon Cream Cake
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
For the Lemon Cream Filling:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
For the Frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
Mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing until smooth.
Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool completely.
For the filling, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest, and mix until creamy.
For the frosting, whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the cake by layering with lemon cream filling and topping with whipped frosting. Garnish with lemon slices or zest.