Description
This Lemon Cream Cheese Swirl Cake is a delightful, moist lemon-flavored cake with a rich and creamy swirl of sweetened cream cheese. Perfect for a refreshing dessert or afternoon tea, it combines tangy lemon cake mix with a luscious cream cheese filling, baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Lemon Cake Batter
- 1 15.25 oz box lemon cake mix
- 1 3.4 oz box lemon instant pudding mix
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 1 egg
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a bread loaf pan with non-stick spray to ensure easy removal of the cake after baking.
- Make Lemon Cake Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon cake mix, lemon instant pudding mix, water, vegetable oil, and 3 eggs until the batter is smooth and well combined.
- Prepare Cream Cheese Mixture: In a separate medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and has no lumps.
- Layer the Batter and Cream Cheese: Pour half of the lemon cake batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spoon all of the cream cheese mixture over the batter, then pour the remaining lemon batter evenly on top of the cream cheese layer.
- Bake the Cake: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove and Cool: Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Lemon Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake for an extra burst of lemon flavor and a beautiful finish.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese is softened at room temperature for easy mixing and a creamy texture.
- You can use a toothpick to check the doneness of the cake; it should come out clean when fully baked.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing to avoid melting the glaze.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- This cake pairs wonderfully with a cup of tea or coffee.
