Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake {Copycat Recipe}

This Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake Copycat Recipe is so delicious and easy to make. Olive Garden no longer makes this tasty lemony Italian white cake so you are in the right place if you are a fan of this discontinued cake.

Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake - Pin Image

What happened to Olive Garden’s Lemon Cream Cake? Has it been discontinued?

According to its website, Olive Garden has discontinued offering Lemon Cream Cake. The dessert is no longer on its dessert menu, and it seems to be replaced by a Strawberry Cream Cake. As of Summer 2022, below are the current desserts that you can find at Olive Garden:

  • Black Tie Mousse
  • Tiramisu
  • Strawberry Cream Cake
  • Chocolate Brownie Lasagna
  • Warm Italian Doughnuts
  • Sicilian Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping

Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake Recipe

Ingredients

White Cake Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Whole Milk
  • 6 Egg whites
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract (or a vanilla extract substitute)
  • 1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
  • 6 ounces Butter (Unsalted) Softened
  • 1 ½ cups Sugar
  • 2 cups Self-rising flour
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 tsp Lemon Zest

Lemon Filling

  • 8 ounces Mascarpone Cheese
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp Lemon Zest
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
  • 1 ½ t Lemon Juice

Crumb Topping

  • 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 3 ounces Cold Butter
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest

Sugar Garnish

  • 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar (Sifted)

Instructions

Pro tip: If you are short on time, use store bought cake mix (ex. Betty Crocker) to reduce about 1/3 of the prep time. You can also use lemon cake mix.

Cake Directions

  1. Move an oven rack so that it is in the center of your oven. Then, preheat the oven to 325°F
  2. Grease the bottom of 9-inch springform pan
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites, and extracts. Then set this milk mixture aside for now.
  4. In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk ingredients together on low speed until combined.
  5. One butter pat at a time, slowly add the butter and mix the butter in with an electric mixer until only small (pea-sized) pieces of butter remain. This should take approx. 1 minute with softened butter.
  6. Add half of the milk mixture in the bowl and use an electric mixer to mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.Then, reduce speed to medium-low and add the rest of the milk mixture into the batter. Continue to beat until milk mixture is well incorporated (approx. 30 seconds).
  7. Pour cake batter into the springform pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth off the top of the cake batter.
  8. Bake for about 45-50 or until lightly golden (rotate the cake 180° about 25 mins in). The cake is down once it can pass the “toothpick test” (when toothpick or skewer is inserted into the middle of the cake and comes out clean).
  9. Let cake cool for about 2 ½ hours (first 20 mins at room temperature, then in your refrigerator).

Lemon Filling

  1. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form
  2. In another bowl, add mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.Using an electric mixer, beat together on medium speed until smooth.
  3. Fold in whipped cream into cheese mixture until combined. Side aside.

Crumb Topping

  1. In a medium-size bowl, mix together flour, powdered sugar, kosher salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl.
  2. Cut cold butter into flour mixture until mixture is in pieces no larger than a pea. Refrigerate until ready to frost cake.

Recipe Notes

Don’t have whole milk, or enough, for this recipe? Here’s a list of whole milk substitutes for when you’re in a pinch.

Slice of Olive Garden Lemon Creme Cake Copycat
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Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake Recipe

This is a delicious moist lemon cake that is easy to make. Plus, Olive Garden no longer makes it, so get it here!
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time50 mins
Cool Time5 hrs
Total Time6 hrs 50 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: copycat recipe, Lemon Cream Cake, Olive Garden
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 640kcal

Ingredients

White Cake Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Whole Milk
  • 6 Egg whites
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
  • 6 ounces Butter (Unsalted) Softened
  • 1 ½ cups Sugar
  • 2 cups Self-rising flour
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 tsp Lemon Zest

Lemon Filling

  • 8 ounces Mascarpone Cheese
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp Lemon Zest
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
  • 1 ½ t Lemon Juice

Crumb Topping

  • 3/4 cup All-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 3 ounces Cold Butter
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest

Sugar Garnish

  • 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar (Sifted)

Instructions

Cake Directions

  • Move an oven rack so that it is in the center of your oven. Then, preheat the oven to 325°F
  • Grease the bottom of 9-inch springform pan
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites, and extracts. Then set this milk mixture aside for now.
  • In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk ingredients together on low speed until combined.
  • One butter pat at a time, slowly add the butter and mix the butter in with an electric mixer until only small (pea-sized) pieces of butter remain. This should take approx. 1 minute with softened butter.
  • Add half of the milk mixture in the bowl and use an electric mixer to mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
    Then, reduce speed to medium-low and add the rest of the milk mixture into the batter. Continue to beat until milk mixture is well incorporated (approx. 30 seconds).
  • Pour cake batter into the springform pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth off the top of the cake batter.
  • Bake for about 45-50 or until lightly golden (rotate the cake 180° about 25 mins in). The cake is down once it can pass the "toothpick test" (when toothpick or skewer is inserted into the middle of the cake and comes out clean).
  • Let cake cool for about 2 ½ hours (first 20 mins at room temperature, then in your refrigerator).

Lemon Filling

  • Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form
  • In another bowl, add mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
    Using an electric mixer, beat together on medium speed until smooth.
  • Fold in whipped cream into cheese mixture until combined. Side aside.

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium-size bowl, mix together flour, powdered sugar, kosher salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl.
  • Cut cold butter into flour mixture until mixture is in pieces no larger than a pea. Refrigerate until ready to frost cake.

Assembling the Cake

  • When the cake is completely cool, cut the cake in half horizontally.
  • Spread about 50% of the filling on the bottom half of the cake.
  • Place about 40% of the lemon filling on top.
  • Use the remain Lemon Filling, frost the sides of the cake.
  • Cover the top and sides of the cake with the Crumb Topping (pressing the crumb topping onto the sides to cover).
  • Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  • Dust with powdered sugar. Then slice and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 1113IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg

How to make this Italian Lemon Cake Gluten Free?

One easy way to make this cake gluten free is to use your favorite gluten-free cake mix for the cake part of the recipe. Just follow the directions on the packaging while keeping the other directions the same.

(Quick note: Be extra careful when slice your cake into two layers. Depending on the gluten-free cake used, the resulting cake may be a bit crumbly.)

How to store leftovers

Leftovers of your Lemon Cream Cake should be refrigerated since the cake contains dairy product. Refrigerated, this cake should last 5 to 7 days.

More Olive Garden Copycat Recipes

We are huge fans of Olive Garden. Below are a few more of our favorite Olive Garden copycat recipes: 

Creamy Olive Garden Mushroom Sauce Pasta

Olive Garden Tiramisu Copycat Recipe

Olive Garden Chicken Piccata Copycat Recipe


Are you looking for more recipes from popular restaurants? We’ve got just that! Here’s our roundup of favorite copycat restaurants, from places like Texas Roadhouse to the Olive Garden.


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