Lemon Cream Cheese Squares

Ingredients

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 1 egg (for the cake base)
• 1 stick butter (almost melted)
• 1 block cream cheese (not softened, per the creator's tip)
• 2 egg (for the cream cheese mixture)
• 16 oz powdered sugar (2 cups)
• 1 tbsp lemon extract (about; lemon juice suggested as a possible alternative)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.

2. 2

   Combine the lemon cake mix, 1 egg, and almost-melted butter. Mix until the mixture has a dough-like consistency.

3. 3

   Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared baking dish and press it flat in an even layer, all the way to the edges.

4. 4

   In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese and 2 eggs. The creator says she uses the cream cheese without softening it, as she finds this gives the topping a better texture.

5. 5

   Add the powdered sugar and about 1 tablespoon of lemon extract to the cream cheese mixture, then mix well until combined.

6. 6

   Pour and spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake base.

7. 7

   Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45–50 minutes; the creator baked hers for 45 minutes.

8. 8

   Let the squares cool, then serve and enjoy.

Notes

The creator mentions lemon juice from a lemon as a possible alternative to lemon extract. Cream cheese should be used unsoftened, according to her texture preference. The cake mix box size and cream cheese block weight are not specified in the source.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• baked
• lemon
• spring
• comfort food
• easy