Shelly's Recipe

LEMON STREUSEL CAKE

Category: Cakes from Cake Mixes

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
1 pkg lemon cake mix with pudding
1/2 cup butter, not too soft, but not cold
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set the pan aside.

Place the cake mix in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into tsp size pieces and distribute on top of the mix. With two sharp knives cut the butter into the cake mix until the mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture for the topping. Add the milk and eggs to the remaining mix, and blend on low until the batter just comes together, 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the mixer medium and blend until the mixture lightens and is smooth, 1 minute longer. Turn this batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with the rubber spatula.

In a clean bowl, place the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Blend on low just until the mixture comes together, 30 seconds. Drop this mixture by tsp onto the top of the cake batter, and with the rubber spatula, smooth the tsp together to create a top layer. Add the pecans, if desired, to the reserved topping, and sprinkle this evenly over the top of the batter. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake until the edges of the cake are golden brown, and the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 35 to 38 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes, then cut and serve.

Note:Good with drizzles a little confectioners sugar glaze over the top after it cools (1/2 cup sugar moistened with milk until it can be drizzled).