Lemony Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

If you are looking for a very simple to make cake, you can’t go wrong with this Lemony Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Filling.

I found the recipe through Pinterest.

It was featured on the blog – Wine Imbiber.

I made a few very minor changes.

First of all I love cream cheese cakes, but prefer the filling flavoured with vanilla rather than lemon. So I left the lemon out of the filling.

The cake is lemony enough that the omitted lemon wasn’t missed in the filling.

Print Recipe

Lemony Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Filling

Source: Wine Imbiber (adapted from Blackjack Bakehouse)

Cake

2/3 cup all–purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 (heaping) teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Meyer (or regular) lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 2–1/2 Meyer (or regular) lemons, divided (2 + 1/2)

Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (Note: I increased vanilla to 2 teaspoons)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

(Note: I left out the lemon extract/zest in the cream cheese filling.)

Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease a 9″ springform pan with vegetable spray. (Note: I used a deep fluted tart pan with removeable base)

In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese on medium-high to high speed for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Add confectioners’ sugar and beat for another 2–3 minutes. Add egg and beat until completely combined, about 1 minute. Add butter, both extracts and the zest of 2 lemons. Beat until completely combined, about 1 minute. Set aside. (Note: I used only the vanilla in the filling.)
In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in melted butter, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla extract and the zest from half a lemon until combined. Do not over–mix!

Pour batter evenly into springform pan. Carefully pour filling mixture evenly over the cake batter to within about 1/2 inch of the edge of the pan. (The filling should cover all but the outer 1/2 inch, at which point the cake batter will be visible.)

Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake has puffed up and toothpick inserted near edge of cake comes out clean. (The filling really puffed up on mine, then collapsed down as it cooled.)

Allow cake to cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully remove springform sides and allow cake to cool on rack for 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator and chill completely before serving. (I didn’t bother with the fridge—I just let it cool down to room temperature on the counter.)

Dust the cake top with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar. Berries would be good with this, but are optional.