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–+ servings
a lemon cake bar leaning up against another bar to show the layers.

Lemon Cake Bars Recipe

Course: Bars, cheesecake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cool Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 194kcal
Author: Becky Hardin
Make these easy lemon cake bars with cake mix and a simple cream cheese filling. Chewy, creamy, and filled with bright lemon flavor in every bite!
Print Recipe
US Customary - Metric

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • 8x8 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 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
    ingredients for lemon cake bars.
  • 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
    lemon cake batter in a glass bowl.
  • In a separate medium bowl, beat the cream cheese on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
    4 ounces full-fat cream cheese
    beaten cream cheese in a glass bowl.
  • Beat the sweetened condensed milk into the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
    ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
    cream cheese filling in a glass bowl.
  • Press about ⅔ of the cake dough mixture into the prepared pan to cover.
    thick lemon cake batter pressed into the bottom of a square baking pan.
  • Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the first dough layer.
    cream cheese filling spread over lemon cake batter in a square baking pan.
  • Press the remaining ⅓ of the dough into super-flat pieces and lay them over the cheesecake layer to cover as much as possible.
    flat lemon cake mix dough pieces pressed over cheesecake filling in a square baking pan.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 29-31 minutes, or until set in the center and browning along the edges.
    baked lemon cake bars in a square baking pan.
  • Let bars cool in the pan for at least 60 minutes before removing and slicing into 16 squares.
    closeup of stacked lemon cake bars on a yellow cake stand.

Notes

*For a milder lemon flavor, use vanilla, yellow, or white cake mix.
**Make sure to use full-fat, block-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind. 
***DIY sweetened condensed milk: mix ½ cup evaporated milk with 10 tbsp granulated sugar. Heat over med-low until dissolved, then let cool before using.
Tips:
  • 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.
Make-Ahead: For the best texture and cleanest slices, I recommend baking these 24 hours in advance and letting them set in the refrigerator overnight; this allows the cheesecake layer to fully firm up and the lemon flavor to intensify.
Storage: Store lemon cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 224IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 1mg