Description
Indulge in the perfect marriage of creamy cheesecake and zesty lemon cake with this show-stopping Lemon Cheesecake Cake. Layers of rich cheesecake and moist lemon cake are sandwiched together with a luscious lemon buttercream frosting, creating a dessert that’s sure to impress.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake Layer:
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Lemon Cake Layers:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Optional: lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F: Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment and grease.
- Prepare Cheesecake Layer: Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest. Pour into pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until set. Cool completely and refrigerate.
- Prepare Lemon Cake Layers: Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in lemon zest, juice, and vanilla. Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk until batter is smooth. Divide into pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting: Beat butter until creamy, then gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and cream until fluffy.
- Assemble Cake: Place one cake layer on a serving plate, top with cheesecake layer, then place the second cake layer on top. Frost the cake with lemon buttercream and garnish with lemon slices if desired.
Notes
- Bake the cheesecake layer the day before to make assembly easier.
- Keep cake chilled until ready to serve, then let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- This cake can also be made with a boxed lemon cake mix for a quicker version.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 55g
- Sodium: 270mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
