This just might be the easiest cake ever. Just toss everything into a food processor, then pour into pans and bake. It’s soft, full of lemon flavor and sandwiches a sweet mascarpone cream.
I’m a bit of a layer cake snob. 
I really don’t mind if it doesn’t look perfect (rustic rules), but I want it to taste as good as it sounds. And sadly I’ve tried many many cakes that just don’t make the cut.
Which is why I only share cakes that I love; that are really easy to make; that I’ll make time and time again.
Like this really good, really simple chocolate orange cake which is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. Or this peanut butter, banana and chocolate chip cake which hits the spot every time. Because peanut butter and chocolate…. mmmm!
So you guessed it, I really really like and recommend this food processor lemon mascarpone cake. Mr. Scrummy often complains that I only make chocolate cakes, and until now I couldn’t really deny this (oops). But now I can honestly say that there’s another kind of cake on the blog that’s just as scrummy.
Essentially this is Nigella Lawson’s basic vanilla cake (otherwise known as Victoria Sponge) sandwiched together with a mascarpone and lemon curd cream. Just those two delicious ingredients. How easy is that?
This is also a one-bowl cake with one cup each of sugar, butter and flour in it, so it’s insanely simple to make. You just whizz everything up in a food processor. Seriously, that’s it.
I bet you could remember the recipe after making it a couple of times. The resulting cake is light, buttery, and moist. Delicious.
If you don’t have a food processor, no problem – just cream the butter and sugar together with a hand held whisk or stand mixer first, then add the other ingredients, but skip the baking powder. In fact this is how I made it as I’ve already packed my food processor off to Australia – as you do.
If you wanted to you could make this very simple (but no less delicious for it) cake a bit fancier by topping it with strawberries, or even adding blueberries into the batter.
Click here for the Mascarpone filling recipe.
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Lemon Mascarpone Cake
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
Description
This just might be the easiest cake ever. Just toss everything into a food processor, then pour into pans and bake. It’s soft, full of lemon flavor and sandwiches a sweet mascarpone cream.
Ingredients
- 8 oz / 225 g (2 sticks / 1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz / 225 g (1 cup) caster or fine sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 7 oz / 200 g (1 cup) self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (omit if mixing by hand)
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- Icing sugar / confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Lemon Mascarpone Cream
- 8 oz (225 g) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 4-5 tablespoons lemon curd (store-bought or homemade), to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 355°F / 180°C. Line with baking paper and butter two 7-inch sandwich cake pans.
- Put all the cake ingredients except the milk into a food processor and process until you have a smooth batter. Pulse in the milk gradually until the mixture reaches a soft dropping consistency. (If mixing by hand: cream the butter and sugar first, then beat in the other ingredients, omitting the baking powder.)
- Pour the batter equally between the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes, until a skewer or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the lemon mascarpone cream: beat the mascarpone until smooth, then whisk in the lemon curd to taste. The cream should be thick and spreadable.
- Spread the mascarpone cream thickly over one cake layer and sandwich the two layers together.
- Just before serving, dust the top with icing sugar.
Notes
This is a one-bowl cake with equal quantities of butter, sugar, and flour — easy to remember. The lemon curd amount is flexible; start with 4 tablespoons and taste, then add more if you want a brighter lemon flavor. Top the finished cake with fresh strawberries or blueberries if you like.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Baking, Cake, Dessert
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of cheese instead of mascarpone for the cream filling?
While mascarpone is recommended for its creamy texture and mild flavor, you could substitute it with cream cheese, but it will alter the taste and consistency.
What type of lemon curd should I use for the filling?
You can use store-bought lemon curd for convenience or make your own from scratch for a fresher flavor.
How do I know when the cake is baked properly?
The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the edges should slightly pull away from the sides of the pan.
