Easy lemon puff pastry cake

Light, creamy, and irresistibly lemony. 🍋

This week I baked a lemon puff pastry cake—and it was so good, I made it two days in a row!
The cream is soft, fluffy, and just the right amount of tart.
The original recipe is in Italian, but I translated it and added my own tips along the way.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

The final cake picture

🕒 Total time: 1 hour
🍴 Servings: 4-6 (though honestly… it was just 2 for me!)
🎯 Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry
  • 2 eggs
  • 100 g sugar
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 500 g mascarpone cheese
  • 5 g vanilla sugar
  • A pinch of ground nutmeg
  • Lemon zest

Tools You'll Need

  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Cake or tart baking tray

Instructions

  1. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns pale and foamy.
  2. Gradually add the mascarpone, whisking as you go, until the cream is smooth and silky.
  3. Into a separate cup, squeeze the juice from half a lemon, making sure to remove any seeds. Add the juice to your cream and whisk again.
  4. Now’s the time to add your optional extras: lemon zest (from the original recipe), vanilla sugar, or a pinch of nutmeg. I skipped the zest but used the other two - totally worth it for the aroma alone!
  5. Roll out the puff pastry in your baking tray, making sure it covers the sides.
  6. Pour the cream onto the pastry and spread it evenly. Gently fold the edges of the pastry over the cream for a rustic look.
Before baking
  1. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
    🔍 Tip: Check it after 20-25 minutes - every oven is different! I recommend placing the tray between the middle and bottom racks for best results.

Let me know if you try it—or if you add your own twist! 🍰💛