Lemon Love Cake starts with a boxed cake mix for an easy dessert recipe but looks fancy, for sure. Moist lemon cake, sweet ricotta filling and whipped mascarpone lemon pudding topping, make this cake so rich and perfect for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, or any other special occasion, or for true lemon lover.
Italian Love Cake
This Lemon Love Cake is cross between lemon cake and a cheesecake. Delicious Italian Love Cake recipe from Foodnetwork and Valerie Bertinelli, starts with boxed lemon cake mix, prepared and spread on the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
On top of the lemon cake batter is spread mixture of ricotta, mixed with mascarpone, eggs, sugar and vanilla. When the cake bakes the lemon layer rises to the top and ricotta layer sinks in the bottom. It’s almost like a magic.
Lemon Love Cake with a subtle lemon flavor and delicious layers that switch places during the baking, pretty much reminded me of my Lemon Custard Cake.
This cake is delicious and has just the right amount of lemon flavor and sweetness, to my taste. If you are not a fun of subtle lemon flavor I suggest you to add more grated lemon zest in ricotta mixture.
Then a frosting is made with lemon pudding, mascarpone and milk. The frosting recipe doesn’t use any additional sugar, just instant lemon pudding mix that is sweetened already. If you are more for sweeter frosting, then I suggest adding a few tablespoons of powdered sugar, but it’s up to your taste.
How to make Lemon Love Cake
Prepare cake mix according to package directions, and add 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Then pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and set aside.
Next, beat 32 oz. ricotta, lemon zest from 1 lemon and 4 oz. mascarpone with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Next add ¾ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla, and beat until smooth. Then add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition just until combine.
Gently spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the cake batter, but do not goes all the way to the edges, leave about ½ inches cake batter uncovered.
While baking, cake layer rising to the top (ricotta and cake layers will switch places). Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before top with the frosting.
To make the frosting, beat 12 oz. mascarpone with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup milk, beating until smooth. Then add one (3.4 oz. ) package lemon instant pudding mix and beat until smooth. Spread frosting over the cooled cake.
Lemon Love Cake starts with a boxed cake mix for an easy dessert recipe but looks fancy, for sure. Moist lemon cake, sweet ricotta filling and whipped mascarpone lemon pudding topping, make this cake so rich and perfect for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, or any other special occasion.
Ingredients
Cake:
16 oz. package lemon cake mix + ingredients listed on box (water, oil, eggs)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
32oz. part-skim ricotta
4oz. mascarpone
grated zest from 1 lemon
4 large eggs
3/4cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
12oz. mascarpone
1cup whole milk
3.4 oz. package lemon instant pudding mix
Powdered sugar (if needed to your taste)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 13×9 baking dish with unsalted butter and dust with flour, then set aside.
Prepare the cake mix according to package directions, then mix in 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and set aside.
Beat 32 oz. ricotta, lemon zest and 4 oz. mascarpone with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Add ¾ cup sugar and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Gently spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the cake batter, but do not go all the way to the edges with ricotta mixture (leave about ½ inch rim). Ricotta and cake layers will switch places during the baking.
Bake about 50- 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.
To make the frosting, beat 12 oz. mascarpone with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the milk, beating until smooth. Add the pudding mix and beat until smooth. Taste the frosting and if it is not sweet enough to your taste, add powdered sugar a Tablespoons at the time until reach desired sweetness. Spread frosting over the cooled cake.
Store the cake in the fridge.
Notes
This cake has subtle lemon flavor, if you want more pronounced lemon flavor add more lemon zest in ricotta mixture.
