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Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake Recipe

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4.2 from 77 reviews

  • Author: Ava
  • Total Time: 3 hours (including chilling and cooling times)
  • Yield: 12 servings

Description

This Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake is a luscious, soft, and moist cake layered with a tangy lemon cream filling and topped with a delicate crumb topping. It combines the bright flavors of lemon zest, lemon extract, and limoncello with a rich mascarpone and whipped cream frosting for a dessert that’s as elegant as it is delicious. Perfect for special occasions or a refreshing treat, this cake offers a balance of lightness and indulgence with each bite.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 6 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups self-rising flour, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Lemon Cream Filling and Frosting

  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup limoncello

Crumb Topping

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 ounces cold butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Oven and Pan: Grease a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a cookie sheet. Position a rack in the bottom third of your oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
  2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the whole milk, egg whites, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Set this mixture aside close to your mixer for easy access.
  3. Combine Dry Ingredients and Butter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add sugar, sifted self-rising flour, and kosher salt. Beat briefly to combine evenly. Add the softened butter and about one-quarter of the milk and egg white mixture.
  4. Mix Batter: Starting on low speed, mix the batter until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl to ensure even mixing. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes to incorporate air and lighten the batter’s texture.
  5. Add Remaining Wet Ingredients: Add the remaining milk/egg mixture and lemon zest. Beat for about 30 seconds to blend the liquids evenly. Scrape the bowl again and beat for a few more seconds to ensure everything is well incorporated.
  6. Bake Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is well-risen, domed, and golden brown, approximately 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes and gently rotate the pan for even baking. Tent with foil if it browns too quickly. The cake is done when it starts pulling away from the sides and springs back when lightly pressed.
  7. Cool Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the pan’s edge to loosen the cake and remove the springform sides. Allow the cake to cool completely.
  8. Make Lemon Cream Filling and Frosting: Combine mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon zest, salt, lemon extract, lemon juice, and limoncello in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overwhip the mascarpone to avoid graininess. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  9. Prepare Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, cold butter, kosher salt, and lemon zest using your hands to crumble until no loose flour remains and crumbs are about the size of a chickpea. Refrigerate until assembly.
  10. Slice Cake and Assemble: Using a long serrated knife or cake leveler, slice the cooled cake horizontally in half. Place the domed half on a separate plate. Keep the bottom half in the springform pan and reattach the sides.
  11. Optional Limoncello Soak and Filling: Brush half the limoncello evenly on the bottom cake layer (optional). Reserve 1 1/4 cups of lemon cream filling. Spread the remaining filling generously on the bottom layer. Optionally, brush or drizzle the rest of the limoncello on top of the filling to soak into the next layer.
  12. Stack Cake: Place the domed top layer of cake over the filling and gently press down. Refrigerate the cake for about an hour to chill the filling.
  13. Frost and Apply Crumb Topping: Remove the springform sides carefully. Spread the reserved frosting in a very thin layer around the sides and top of the cake; this thin layer acts as glue for the crumbs.
  14. Apply Crumbs: Hold the cake at an angle over a tray. With one hand, press small handfuls of crumb topping into the cake sides, allowing excess crumbs to fall onto the tray. Rotate and repeat until sides are fully covered. Pour remaining crumbs over the top, pressing to cover completely. Fill any gaps with fallen crumbs.
  15. Chill Cake: Refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.
  16. Garnish Before Serving: Just before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to dust powdered sugar evenly over the cake’s top for a delicate finish.

Notes

  • To avoid over-whipping the mascarpone cheese in the filling, whip just until stiff peaks form to prevent graininess.
  • If the cake browns too quickly during baking, tent it with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
  • Using a springform pan and a cookie sheet beneath it helps catch any potential drips and makes handling easier.
  • The limoncello soaking steps are optional but add a lovely lemon-alcohol flavor to the cake layers.
  • Ensure crumbs are roughly chickpea size to get the right texture on the topping without large chunks.
  • Allowing the cake to chill after assembly helps set the filling and makes slicing cleaner.
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian-American

Find it online: https://quickandsweetrecipes.com/olive-garden-lemon-cream-cake-recipe/