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This Italian lemon mascarpone cake is pure lemon layer cake perfection. With its moist and airy texture, luscious lemon mascarpone filling, and a hint of tartness, it’s the perfect dessert for any occasion. The coating of crunchy crushed cookies gives the luscious lemon cake texture with every bite. If you like the Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory lemon cream cake, you will love this Italian cake recipe! Whether you’re enjoying a casual meal or celebrating a special occasion, this lemon mascarpone cake will have you reaching for seconds with its creamy, rich, and indulgent flavor.
This Italian lemon mascarpone cake recipe makes an utterly delicious cake that’s perfectly balanced and wonderfully light.
Want more recipes? This homemade Italian nougat is not to be missed, nor are pignoli cookies, torta della nonna, or lemon sheet cake.
Why You’ll Love It
Outrageously beautiful cake: The vibrant yellow filling and topping create a stunning cake that is an absolute statement piece.
Easy to make: Despite its sophisticated flavor profile, this cake is simple to prepare, making it accessible for bakers of all skill levels.
Refreshing lemon flavor: Combining fresh lemon juice and Kool-Aid lemonade mix creates a bright, tangy, and refreshing flavor. If you’re a fan of lemon desserts, you’ll love this one.
Contrasting flavors and textures: The crunchy coating pairs well with the soft, fluffy cake and frosting.
Ingredients for Lemon Mascarpone Cake
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
All-purpose flour: Sift the flour to avoid lumps and achieve a light, airy texture. You can use cake flour as an alternative.
Baking powder: Check your batch is fresh for the best rise.
Butter: Melt and cool slightly before incorporating to ensure a smooth batter.
Eggs: Room-temperature eggs mix more evenly into the batter, helping achieve a uniform texture.
Heavy whipping cream: Adds volume and a light, airy texture to the filling.
Mascarpone cheese: Keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the filling without making it grainy.
Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best taste.
Kool-Aid lemonade mix: Adds extra lemon flavor with a slight tanginess.
Unflavored gelatin: This stabilizes the filling to help it set properly.
Lemon snap cookies: Finely crushed as the outer coating on the cake layers.
How to Make Italian Lemon Layer Cake
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the oven and cake tins: Put a metal mixing bowl in the fridge to cool down (you’ll use this for the whipped cream topping). Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and cover the bottoms with parchment paper. Wrap the bottom and sides of each pan with foil, or use baking slings instead.
Make the cake batter: Mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Set it aside. Whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients from the small bowl to the egg mixture and the melted salted or unsalted butter. Mix until the batter is smooth and has no lumps.
Bake the cake: Divide the vanilla cake batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until a tester or toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cooled cakes from their pans and place them on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling and whipped topping.
Make the filling: Whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks, then set it aside. In another bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemonade mix. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until well combined. Put this mixture in the refrigerator while you make the whipped cream topping.
Make the topping: In the chilled metal mixing bowl, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, unflavored gelatin, and the remaining package of Kool-Aid lemonade. Using the whip attachment, whip until stiff peaks form.
Build the cake: Set up the first cake bottom side up on a cake stand. Add the lemon filling. Add the second cake to the lemon filling. Use the remaining lemon filling and a small spatula or the back of a spoon to fill in the sides or gaps, turning the cake stand and gently leveling the cake as much as possible.
Top the cake: Top it with the lemon whipped cream, starting with a thin layer on top and then adding a thin layer around the entire cake, repeating until the cake is covered.
Garnish the cake: Place the cake stand on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle some crushed lemon snap cookies on top of the cake. Then, for decoration, spoon some crushed cookies around the edge of the cake.
Chill it: Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Kool-Aid lemonade mix: As a swap, use an equal amount of any lemon-flavored powdered drink mix or leave it out and increase the lemon juice and sugar slightly. You can also add lemon zest.
Unflavored gelatin: Use agar-agar as a vegetarian-friendly alternative.
Gluten-free: For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. In this instance, use toasted almonds instead of cookies.
Butter: Swap butter with an equal amount of vegetable or coconut oil.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Start with a serving of this light Italian rice salad or my burrata with tomatoes and pesto appetizer.
Main: This pepperoni lasagna works well as a main, as does penne rosa pasta, chicken bolognese, or Italian meatloaf.
Dessert: End off with a helping of this incredible lemony cake recipe and some Italian doughnuts.
How to Store Italian Lemon Layer Cake
Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days after baking. Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap.
Freezer: This recipe is not freezer-friendly.
Top Tips
Handle mascarpone gently: When adding the mascarpone cheese, fold it gently to keep its smooth and creamy texture. Over-mixing will make it too runny.
Bloom gelatin properly: Soak the unflavored gelatin in cold water before using. This ensures it dissolves entirely and distributes evenly in the filling, helping it set properly.
Crush cookies finely: For the lemon snap cookie topping, crush the cookies finely. This creates an even texture and ensures the topping sticks to the cake.
Use room temperature ingredients: Ensure the eggs and mascarpone cheese are at room temperature before starting. This helps them incorporate more smoothly into the batter and filling.
Lemon Cake with Mascarpone Frosting FAQs
Just skimming through this recipe post? Here’s what you might be looking for:
Wrapping the pans in foil will help the cakes bake more evenly and avoid extreme doming in the center.
If the mascarpone cheese is left out at room temperature, it will not cream well when folded with whipped cream and will be too soft to handle the weight of the top cake layer.
You can substitute Nilla wafers in this and many other lemon cakes.
It is not recommended to use lemon extract in this recipe. Lemon juice helps soften the mascarpone cheese for mixing and adds a subtle lemon flavor. Lemon extract is much stronger and you’d only need a few drops, meaning the consistency will be off. If you don’t have lemonade Kool-Aid mix, you can leave it out, but the finished cake will have less lemony flavor.
Lemon Mascarpone Cake Recipe
Italian Lemon Mascarpone Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter:
- 2 Cups all purpose flour
- 2 Teaspoons baking powder
- ½ Cup butter, melted
- 2 Cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ Cup whole milk
For the Lemon Filling:
- 1 Cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 Ounces mascarpone cheese, cold from the refrigerator
- 1 Cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Teaspoon Kool-Aid lemonade mix, ½ of a packet
For the Topping:
- 1 Cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 Teaspoon gelatin, unflavored
- ½ Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Teaspoon Kool-Aid lemonade mix, the other half of the packet
- 12 cookies, lemon snaps, finely crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a metal stand mixer bowl in the refrigerator to chill (this will be used for the whipped cream topping).
- Prepare two 8-inch cake pans by greasing them with nonstick cooking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap each cake pan with foil on the bottom and around the sides. Set these pans aside.
- Mix the flour, sugar and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a larger mixing bowl, combine the egg, milk, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture with the melted butter. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
- Split the cake batter into the prepared pans (approximately 19 ounces per pan) and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until the tester or toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes completely on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Remove the cooked cakes from their pans and place them on a cooling rack while you make the filling and the whipped topping.
Make the Filling and Topping:
- Whip the heavy cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Set this aside.
- In another bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemonade mix. Fold the whipped cream and the mascarpone mixture until combined. Set aside in the refrigerator while the whipped cream topping is made.
- In the chilled metal mixing bowl, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla unflavored gelatin, and the remaining package of Kool-Aid Lemonade. Using the whip attachment, whip at a low speed until the ingredients are combined, for about 1 minute, then increase the speed to high until there are stiff peaks of about 2 to 3 minutes.
Assemble the Cake:
- Set the first cake bottom side up on a cake stand.
- Add the lemon filling to the top, starting in the center and gently smoothing out towards the edge. Reserve some of the filling to fill in the sides once the top cake is added.
- Add the second cake, bottom side down, on top of the lemon filling. Use the remaining lemon filling and a small spatula or the back of a spoon to fill in the sides or gaps, turning the cake stand and gently leveling the cake as much as possible.
- Top it with the lemon whipped cream, starting with a thin layer on top and then adding a thin layer around the entire cake, repeating until the cake is covered. Any leftover whipped cream topping can be used when served.
- Place the cake stand on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle some of the crushed lemon snap cookies on top of the cake. To garnish the sides, add a spoonful of crushed cookies around the edge of the cake. Using the back/blunt side of a butter knife, bring the crushed cookies up onto the sides of the cake, gently pressing the crumbs into the sides. Continue turning the cake stand and adding crushed cookies to press up into the sides until the cake is covered.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Bloom gelatin properly: Soak the unflavored gelatin in cold water before using. This ensures it dissolves entirely and distributes evenly in the filling, helping it set properly.
Crush cookies finely: For the lemon snap cookie topping, crush the cookies finely. This creates an even texture and ensures the topping sticks to the cake.
Use room temperature ingredients: Ensure the eggs and mascarpone cheese are at room temperature before starting. This helps them incorporate more smoothly into the batter and filling.
Nutrition
This Italian lemon cake with mascarpone filling has a burst of citrusy freshness in every bite. It’s like the cake version of lemon curd! It features layers of light and fluffy lemon-flavored sponge generously filled with a luscious lemon cream filling that’s tangy and sweet. Topped with cloud-like lemon whipped cream and coated with crunchy, crushed lemon snap cookies, this dessert is a celebration.
Other Italian Recipes To Try
- Canestrelli cookies are so delicious and super traditional; you’ve got to try them.
- Bake a yummy lemon ricotta amaretti cake, its a family favorite.
- How tasty does this sweet ricotta pie look?
- Here’s an easy (but impressive) holiday zuccotto cake to add to your list.
- Chocolate roll cookies are utterly delicious cookies that never last long.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
So delicate and sophisticated. This dessert hits the spot!
The combination of lemon and mascarpone is so heavenly. The best dessert I’ve had in a while.