This past weekend we had beautiful weather in Central Pennsylvania. The sun was shining and it was 60 degrees outside. It felt like spring and the warm weather made me wish winter would just move on. I was in the mood to bake so I thought I'd celebrate the changing seasons with something light and fresh like Lemon Cheese Bars. I have had this recipe for years. My children's grandmother baked them when the kids were little and shared the recipe long ago. They are easy to make and so delicious. It's no wonder people ask for the recipe all of the time. Lemon Cheese Bars are perfect served with tea or coffee.
Lemon Cheese Bars start with a boxed yellow cake mix. You add a few other ingredients to make a crumb mixture that is pressed into the bottom of a cake pan.
One cup of the crumbs are reserved for the top layer of the bars.
The crumbs that were pressed into the pan are baked for about 15 minutes creating the first layer of the bars.
Cream cheese, an egg and sugar are whipped to make a topping for the bars.
Fresh squeezed lemon juice is a key ingredient in the whipped topping.
The whipped topping is spread on top of the first baked layer.
The reserved crumbs are sprinkled on top of the whipped topping and the pan is put back in the oven to bake for 15 more minutes.
When the Lemon Cheese Bars are cool, cut into squares to serve.
- 1 box yellow cake mix (pudding in the mix)
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- confectioner's sugar (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix cake mix,1 egg and oil until mixture is crumbly; set aside 1 cup.
- Pat remaining crumbs lightly into an ungreased 13 X 9 pan.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
- Beat cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and lemon juice until light and smooth.
- Spread mixture over baked layer.
- Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake 15 minutes longer.
- Cool. Cut into bars to serve.
- Lightly sprinkle with confectioner's sugar before serving (optional)
Lemon Cheese Bars look pretty on a dessert bar and are perfect for an afternoon tea or Easter brunch.
Enjoy!
Leslie xo