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Home » Blog » Recipes

Cake Bottom Lemon Cheesecake

Published: Mar 22, 2018 · Updated: Jun 4, 2021 by Kara · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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This cake bottom lemon cheesecake recipe is the perfect combination of lemon cake and lemon cheesecake. It’s got a delicious lemon cake on the bottom with a smooth and creamy lemon cheesecake on top. A delicious homemade dessert that’s perfect for lemon fans.

large slice of lemon cake cheesecake on a white plate
Jump to Recipe -

Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!

When I was a kid, my sister and I would get little prizes if we made good grades in school. My sister would ask for things like match box cars, but me?…oh I’d ask for my Mom’s lemon cheesecake.

So this post is a little nostalgic. I’m reincarnating my Mom’s Grade A Cheesecake, but I’m kicking it up by making it into this Cake Bottom Lemon Cheesecake.

The bottom is a layer of lemony cake that’s oh so good…And the top is a layer of creamy no-bake lemon cheesecake.

Side view of cake bottom lemon cheesecake

The top layer of cheesecake is based off the recipe my Mom used.  She used that old Milnot cheesecake recipe…It’s everywhere on the internet, but for this recipe, I’ve adjusted it a bit to make it work for this purpose.

Close up of cake bottom lemon cheesecake

LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE BOTTOM LEMON CHEESECAKE:

Lemon juice and zest: Fresh lemon juice is best for this recipe. You’ll need the zest as well because that’ll add a lot of lemon flavor to it.

Lemon jello mix: You’ll need this for the cheesecake part of this recipe. It’s what will firm it up nicely.

Evaporated milk: This, in combination with the cream cheese, is what will make the cheesecake super creamy. Evaporated milk is different than condensed sweetened milk, so make sure you’re getting the evaporated milk.

Slice of cake bottom lemon cheesecake on a white plate

Mixing Method for this Cake:

The mixing method for the cake portion is the regular creaming method. That just means you’ll be mixing up the butter and sugar until fluffy and then adding in the liquid and dry ingredients alternately.

This method makes for a fluffier cake and helps the ingredients mix together better.

The cheesecake batter will be mixed in stages. First you’ll dissolve the lemon jello in some boiling water. Next you’ll add that to the cream cheese. You’ll need to whip up your evaporated milk until its fluffy, then it’ll get added to the lemon cream cheese mixture.

Close up view of cake bottom lemon cheesecake on a plate with a fork

TIPS & FAQs FOR THE CAKE BOTTOM LEMON CHEESECAKE:

When you make this, you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time.

You’ll need enough time to bake the lemon cake and allow it to cool completely before adding the cheesecake batter to it.

You could even bake the cake the night before and then add the cheesecake that morning. The whole thing will then need to be refrigerated for 5-6 hours to let the cheesecake set up.

Do I have to use a springform pan?

Yes, it’s really best if you do. You want to use a springform pan so that the sides of the pan will be tall enough to account for the cake AND the cheesecake. A regular cake pan, or pie pan isn’t tall enough.

How do I remove the cake from the springform pan?

After the cake has chilled for 5-6 hours, you’ll just pop the sides of the springform pan and pull it up and off from around your cake. It’s REALLY helpful to run a hot knife around the inside of this pan before you try taking off the springform collar.

Make sure to grease your springform pan.

Do this before adding in the cake batter and it’s helpful to set the entire springform pan on a cookie sheet, in case any batter leaks out of your pan.

top view of lemon cheesecake

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Items & Tools Used for this Cake:

  • Springform Pan
  • KitchenAid Hand Mixer
  • Yellow Food Coloring

Video:

Ok, let’s get to the recipe. Also, you’ll want to catch the video below to see how to put it all together and how to actually get it out of the pan.

***I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are used to seeing and using. For weight in metric measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s a best guess. Please note that because I develop recipes using ‘cups’ I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results.

Slice of cake bottom lemon cheesecake on a white platee

Cake Bottom Lemon Cheesecake

A delicious lemon cake on the bottom, topped with a smooth and creamy lemon no-bake cheesecake on top. Rich, tart and oh so good.
4.58 from 7 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake, lemon cake, lemon cheesecake
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Cooling Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 432kcal
Author: Kara @I Scream for Buttercream

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 large eggs
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter room temp
  • 1 cup sugar
  • yellow food coloring (optional)

For the Cheesecake:

  • 1 3 oz. lemon jello the small box
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • ¾ cup boiling water
  • 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup evaporated milk
  • yellow food coloring (optional)
US Customary – Metric
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Instructions

For the Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.        
  • Grease a springform pan (that's around 9 inches) and set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and milk. Whisk until well mixed and set aside.
  • In another mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk and then set aside.
  • In a third bowl, add the butter and sugar and mix very well.
  • Add in ⅓ of the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
  • Mix in ½ of the liquid mixture just until combined.
  • Add in the next ⅓ of the flour mixture. Mix until combined and then add in the last of the liquid mixture, mixing just until combined.
  • Optional: Add a couple drops of yellow food coloring
  • Pour into greased spring form pan. (You can set your springform pan onto another sheet pan, just in case the pan leaks a bit.)
  • Bake at 350 for 35 – 40 minutes.
  • Leave the cake in the pan and cool completely. 

For the Cheesecake:

  • In a bowl, whisk together the jello mix, lemon juice and boiling water. Set aside to cool to room temperature. (You can cool in the fridge, but don’t allow it to get cold, or it will firm up too much.)
  • In a mixing bowl, add the sugar and cream cheese and mix well.
  • Add in the room temperature jello mixture and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
  • In a chilled bowl, add ½ cup evaporated milk. Whip on high until stiff peaks form.
  • Fold the whipped evaporated milk into the cream cheese mixture.
  • Optional: Add a few drops of yellow food coloring.
  • Pour into the springform pan and cover the cake.
  • Chill in the fridge for about 5-6 hours. 
  • Once chilled, run a hot knife around the inside of the pan before taking the pan collar off.
  • Can top with additional whipped cream if desired.

Notes

Keep this cake stored in the refrigerator.
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions about substitutions.
*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 370mg | Potassium: 150mg | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 485IU | Vitamin C: 3.2mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 1.4mg
Some recipes have difficulty levels.Check out what they mean here: Difficulty Levels Explained
Baking at higher elevation?Adjustments will need to be made for that. This website does not specialize in higher elevation baking. Please take time to do your research on what adjustments should be made.
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How to Share

I’d love for you to share this recipe link or tag it, but please do not share screenshots or copy/paste the recipe to social media as the content and photographs are copyright protected and we (bloggers) work really hard on our content. Sharing the link, tagging us on socials and pinning it is super appreciated though!

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

  • Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake
  • Lemon Sour Cream Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Don’t Forget to Pin it for Later!

Cake Bottom Lemon Cheesecake pin graphic

Cake Bottom Lemon Cheesecake pin graphic
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Filed Under: Cakes, Other Sweets, Recipes Tagged With: cream cheese, lemon, other desserts, pie, spring cakes, summer cakes and recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maureen

    May 22, 2018 at 9:06 am

    This looks great Kara! As soon as the rain stops I plan to swim to Publix for the lemon jello to make this. I’ll be sure to bring waterproof grocery bags!
    One question … what size spring-form pan do you use for this recipe? I’m sorry if it’s there and I missed it.
    Thanks!
    Maureen

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      May 22, 2018 at 7:02 pm

      Hi Maureen, Oh my goodness that sounds like a ton of rain! We had a couple months like that a bit back and it was getting to the point of ridiculousness. My plants loved it though and now my gladioli are as tall as I am! Ok, onto your question…no I don’t think you missed where I talked about the size of the pan. I think I’m the one that missed actually putting that in the post. I used a 9″ springform pan. I’ll also go back and update that recipe card to reflect that. If it ever stops raining and you can go to Publix without drowning, let me know how you like the cheesecake!

      Reply
    • Nicole holladay

      March 14, 2019 at 11:02 am

      I am making the cheese cake and need to know if I use instant jello or cook & serve. I’m not an experienced with baking and I dont want to mess up.
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Kara Jane

        March 14, 2019 at 2:59 pm

        Hi Nicole, you’ll be using the instant jello, not the lemon pudding mix.

        Reply
  2. Maureen

    May 26, 2018 at 9:26 am

    5 stars
    Hi Kara,
    I made this yesterday and OMG it’s fabulous!
    Hubby stayed up extra late just waiting for it to “set” and was blown away when he tasted it.
    …I had trouble getting the evaporated milk to whip ( I think there was too little volume for my Kitchenaid whisk to reach) so I hand-whipped some heavy cream to fold in (and pipe).
    Can’t wait to pick next week’ project from your recipes.
    Thanks!
    Maureen

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      May 26, 2018 at 11:05 am

      Oh yay! I’m so glad y’all liked it! And using heavy cream will give you essentially the same end product. So glad that it worked out and glad your husband didn’t wait up just to be disappointed. lol!

      Reply
  3. Azniv

    February 24, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    5 stars
    Made this yesterday and omg lemon goodness! Even people that don’t like Lemon had a little bit and loved it! I’ve never whipped evaporated milk so I messed that up. Whipped it so much it turned into a flat bubbly mess. So I added some whipped cream instead. It ended up super yummy!

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      February 24, 2019 at 3:54 pm

      Oh yay! I’m glad everyone liked it! Yes it’s pretty easy to over-whip milk…it goes quicker than you expect and then can deflate. Glad you were able to fix it though!

      Reply
  4. Ana

    December 08, 2019 at 1:55 pm

    Dear Kara
    how much should be the size of pan?
    thank you in advance

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      December 08, 2019 at 8:04 pm

      Hi Ana, I think mine was about a 9″ springform pan, so anything around that size should be just fine.

      Reply
  5. Suzanne

    February 02, 2022 at 3:36 am

    Hi there. I am in the UK so I need to know what type of sugar as we have icing (confectioner) sugar, caster sugar and granulated sugar. Our caster sugar is finer than granulated.

    Once I know, I can’t wait to try this recipe as it looks delicious.

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      February 02, 2022 at 6:26 pm

      Hi Suzanne, it’s granulated sugar for this recipe…both for the cake and the cheesecake. I hope you love it!

      Reply

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Hey there, I’m Kara!

Hi, I'm so glad you're here! Cake shows up at our most important and happiest moments in life, like birthdays, weddings, baby showers and holidays. It's also for those everyday moments...it makes them even better. Put simply, cake just makes us happy! I love trying out new cake flavor combinations and decorating ideas. Have a look around and I bet you can find a cake recipe or tutorial for any of life's big moments and those everyday moments too. Click here if you want to learn more about me!

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