Description
A rich and tangy lemon dessert with a buttery cake base and a creamy, custard-like lemon topping. Perfectly sweet, slightly gooey, and full of bright citrus flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 ounces)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (115g)
- 3 large eggs (1 for base, 2 for topping)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened (225g)
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (420g)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (60ml)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Mix cake mix, melted butter, and 1 egg until a thick dough forms.
- Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared dish.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining 2 eggs, powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat until creamy.
- Pour topping over base and spread evenly.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until edges are set and center remains slightly soft.
- Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing.
Notes
- Do not overbake to maintain gooey texture.
- Chill before slicing for cleaner squares.
- Fresh lemon juice gives the best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 95mg