My newest obsession

Lemon Cream Cake from The Olive Garden. It is a delicate white cake and lemon cream filling with a vanilla crumb topping. I don't really even like the Olive Garden, but this cake is to die for! The lemony cream filling is heavenly and the crumbly topping is delish! It is not at all diet-friendly, but hey! I am eating clean for life and every once in a while you just have to have a splurge. The portions are huge, so I had half a piece and it was so satisfying.


We're not really chain restaurant folks and generally prefer to patronize local, unique business rather than national chains. But from time to time we find something from a chain outlet that we enjoy and find ourselves wanting to go back for more. Like the California Turkey Burger with Sweet Potato Fries from T.G.I.Fridays. I just have to have one every couple of weeks!

Well yesterday, as part of a staff appreciation day that I am my fellow executive directors hosted for our staff, we ordered catering from our local Olive Garden. Not my style, but the majority of folks love it so that's what we went with for lunch. Along with the requisite salad, bread sticks, chicken alfredo and lasagna, we also ordered one of their chocolate raspberry cheesecakes and lemon cream cake. OMG! The lemon cream cake is like heaven on a fork! I have only ever eaten at Olive Garden with my twin brother's family and we never ordered dessert because we were always too stuffed by then to even want it.

I love all things lemon (lemon bars, lemon meringue pie, lemonade, etc.) and this, literally, takes the cake! The creamy filling is almost like cheese cake, but not as firm or tart. And the cake is light and fluffy and very lemony. The finish is the vanilla crumb coating...so good. So as much as I loathe Olive Garden, I think I will at least have to order a slice of this cake to go every once in a while. It's that good. There's even a knock-off recipe (Olive Garden keeps theirs a well guarded secret, but someone has been clever enough to re-create it.) if you'd like to make your own.