Incredible Lemon Cream Cake

Yesterday I took three recipes, mish mashed them together and added a couple idea's of my own and ended up with delicious Lemon Cream Cake. In the end there is only one thing I would change, and that is I ended up adding a little more yellow color than anticipated. You see, I have some mango flavoring in the cupboard that I purchased at Target last summer that basically tastes like... well, nothing at all. It smells a little bit like mango but there is little or no flavoring whatsoever but it has a really bright yellow color. Instead of throwing it away I decided to keep it and use it as yellow food color.

When I added the not-actually-mango-flavoring yesterday I poured a little too much to get a much brighter and darker yellow than intended, but other than that? My family tells me it's a keeper!




Lemon Cream Cake
An American Housewife

1 box white cake mix
1 c flour
1 c sugar
3/4 t salt
1 1/3 c water
1/4 c canola oil
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1 c sour cream
4 egg whites

Mix the cake mix, flour, sugar and salt in the mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix on low 30 seconds to blend and then on medium high for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 round pans (or one 10X10X2" square) and bake at 350 until done. This could be 27-32 minutes for the round pans or as much as 45 minutes for the square. Test with a toothpick or cake taster inserted into the center of the cake and comes out clean.

Cool completely.

Frosting and Filling;

1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 c powdered sugar (icing sugar)
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t dried lemon rind
1 c heavy whipping cream
*optional - yellow food color

Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon and lemon juice until smooth. Add the 1 cup heavy cream and mix on low until blended and on high for 30 seconds - 1 1/2 minutes until the cream makes the filling thick and spreadable. You can add a few drops of yellow food color if you like.

Make the crumb topping;

1/2 c flour
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c cold butter
1 t vanilla

I like to grate the cold butter into the flour/sugar mixture to help mix. Toss the mixture lightly with your fingers until all the butter is covered, add the vanilla and start to 'pinch' the mixture between your forefinger and thumb. Continue to squish and mash little bits together until you have a crumbly mixture with the butter and flour/sugar incorporated. It should be crumbly, not a paste.

Slice the cakes in half (each). Spread about 1/2 cup filling inbetween each of the round layers or use half the mixture to spread between the layers if you made a 10" square. After all the layers are topped on each other cover the cake with the rest of the frosting.

Top with the crumb mixture and also press the crumb mixture into the sides. Chill for a couple hours to help it set up or freeze for future use.




Crumb mixture - toss to coat and then start to pinch and blend.





Top with the crumb mixture.