It only takes a handful of basic ingredients to make my easy lemon cake bars! I used a box of lemon cake mix to create moist and chewy layers, and sandwiched them with a simple sweetened cream cheese mixture. Every bite is the perfect mix of creamy and chewy, with lots of bright lemon flavor!
Lemon Cream Cheese Bars with Cake Mix
Inspired by my popular carrot cake bars, these layered lemon cake bars are a dense and creamy hybrid of lemon cake and cheesecake. They have all the great flavor of lemon bars, but with less mouth-puckering citrus and more creamy, mellow notes. Using a thickened lemon cake batter dough and an easy 2-ingredient cream cheese filling, these lemon cake mix bars are a simple and refreshing treat for spring and summer snacking!
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How to Create a Double-Textured Crust
When pressing the bottom ⅔ of the dough into the pan, firmly pack it down to create a dense, shortbread-like base–this makes the bars nice and sturdy! But when you add the top ⅓, try pinching off smaller pieces instead of one flat sheet. These discs of dough will bake up lighter and chewier, creating a fun contrast of textures.
Lemon Cake Bars Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 8×8 Baking Pan
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces lemon cake mix (1 box)*
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted but slightly cooled (1 stick)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature (½ brick)**
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk (about ⅖ can)***
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the cake mix, butter, egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until fully combined, about 30 seconds.15.25 ounces lemon cake mix, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- In a separate medium bowl, beat the cream cheese on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
- Beat the sweetened condensed milk into the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside.½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- Press about ⅔ of the cake dough mixture into the prepared pan to cover.
- Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the first dough layer.
- Press the remaining ⅓ of the dough into super-flat pieces and lay them over the cheesecake layer to cover as much as possible.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 29-31 minutes, or until set in the center and browning along the edges.
- Let bars cool in the pan for at least 60 minutes before removing and slicing into 16 squares.
Notes
- This recipe starts with the dry mix only. Do not prepare the cake as directed on the box.
- Always zest your lemons before juicing them. They’re hard to zest without the pulp inside as support!
- The cake mix dough should be thick like cookie dough. If it’s too thin, add a bit of flour to thicken it back up.
- The cheesecake filling should have the consistency of yogurt.
- Don’t press the dough into the cheesecake layer, or it will disappear.
- If the dough is too sticky to handle, lightly flour your hands before pressing.
- Don’t overbake these bars, or the filling will not be gooey and creamy.
- If the filling won’t set after baking, it was likely too wet. Try adding more cream cheese to thicken it up.
- For the absolute best texture, refrigerate the cooled bars for at least 2 hours.
- For clean-edged squares, wipe the knife with a damp cloth in between cutting each row.
How to Make Lemon Cake Mix Bars Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather up the short list of ingredients needed to make these lemon cake mix bars. Bring the egg and cream cheese to room temperature for 15-30 minutes before beginning, so they combine more easily. Melt the butter by microwaving it in 30-second increments until liquid, then let it cool slightly. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper (leave a little overhang on the sides for easy removal), and spray the pan with nonstick spray. Zest and juice the lemon.
Mix the Cake: In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat together the 15.25 ounces (1 box) of lemon cake mix, ½ cup of melted and cooled unsalted butter, 1 large room-temperature egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest until fully combined, about 30 seconds. The mixture should be thick like cookie dough. Take care not to overmix, or your bars will turn out dense and dry.
Beat the Cream Cheese: In a separate medium bowl, beat 4 ounces (½ brick) of room-temperature full-fat cream cheese on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Sweeten the Filling: Beat ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk into the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. The filling should be slightly runny. Set aside.
Press the Crust: Press about ⅔ of the lemon dough mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan from edge to edge. If you’re having trouble spreading the dough into the pan, lightly spray a spatula with nonstick spray to help spread out the bottom layer.
Add the Filling: Spread the entire runny cheesecake mixture evenly over the first dough layer. Spread it out with a rubber spatula if needed.
Cover the Cheesecake: Press the remaining ⅓ of the lemon cake dough into super-flat pieces and gently place them over the cheesecake layer, overlapping as needed, to cover. It’s okay if a little bit of the cream cheese layer is still exposed on the edges. Don’t press down, or the dough will sink into the cream cheese layer.
Bake the Bars: Bake your lemon cream cheese cake bars in the preheated oven for 29-31 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the middle looks set (no longer shiny), and the edges have slightly browned. Do not overbake, or the cheesecake layer will lose its gooey texture.
Cool, Slice, and Serve: Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 60 minutes before removing and slicing into 16 squares. I prefer to let them chill for 2 hours for cleaner slices. An overnight chill makes them even better! Enjoy at room temperature for a fluffier texture, or chilled for a firmer texture.
How to Store and Freeze
Store lemon cake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying chilled or at room temperature.
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