Citrus-Scented Cake with Cream Cheese and Mixed Berries

June 22, 2026

The other day my little neighbors and their mother came to visit. I wanted to prepare something simple and quick for them, and this cake immediately came to mind: a soft base covered with a cream cheese cream, topped with berries, sliced almonds and powdered sugar. It was a success! The kids ate more than one slice, and fortunately their mother approved.

Prep time 15 minutes + 35 minutes baking

Servings 6

Ingredients:

FOR THE BASE
Olive oil (or butter at room temperature) 70 g
All-purpose flour 85 g
Granulated sugar 65 g
Eggs 2
Baking powder 10 g
Grated zest of half an orange or half a lemon
FOR THE CREAM
Light cream cheese 250 g
Powdered sugar 120 g
Olive oil (or melted butter) 40 g
Egg 1
Grated zest of half a lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE FRUITS
Mixed berries, or strawberries, or apricots or ripe peaches 100 g
1 tablespoon of sugar if using frozen fruit
DECORATION
Sliced almonds, optional
Powdered sugar

Instructions

FOR THE FRUITS

I used frozen mixed berries. If you use fresh fruits you can skip this step, but in case of frozen fruits start by placing them in a small pan with the sugar, and leave on low heat for 5 minutes, until the fruita are thawed and the sugar dissolved. Set aside.

PREPARE THE CREAM

Work the cheese with an electric mixer to soften it well, then add all the other ingredients and mix briefly to create a smooth, even mixture. Set aside.

FOR THE BASE

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan.

In a stand mixer or with electric beaters, beat the room-temperature butter (or oil) with the sugar and lemon zest until well combined, then add the eggs followed by the flour and baking powder, and continue mixing until fully absorbed.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

Using a spoon, pour the batter into a cake pan lined with parchment paper, diameter 18-22 cm, shaping the edges so they sit higher to contain the cream. The base I used is quite small, but you can also use a larger pan — just keep in mind the height of the cake will change.