Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

I’ve never published an evening post but what better time than the present? The day was hectic at work but I had these lemon cream cheese bars on my mind. And I think consistency is so important for my little A Bee Bakes blog. So here we are!

The reason this particular recipe was on my mind, aside from being in my queue, is because of the bright lemon flavors. And who doesn’t love lemon on a hot day?

I’d describe these bars as most similar to a pound cake kissed by lemon. You get to use lemon zest and juice in both the cake and the glaze, so you can expect to taste it. My Dad, much like I used to be, isn’t keen on lemon desserts (sorry, Dad, you won’t like this one)! But since starting this blog, I’ve realized that the majority of the population is very much into lemon. And it’s actually a result of my commitment to baking that I’ve come around to loving the tangy lemon flavor too. (Just what I needed, one more dessert to crave!!)

The real shift came with this cookie recipe: Glazed Citrus Cream Cheese Cookies that I love so much that my close friend, Sarah, made a watercolor of them!! Isn’t that incredible? It’s framed now. I then tried this Tarte au Citron which led to Lemon Meringue Tart and so on and so forth. And now I’m a lemon lover. So, Dad, (and anyone else not thrilled by lemon) start with the cookies and work you way up to today’s lemon-forward recipe.

These bars have the same dense pound cake texture but they’re perfect for summer because they don’t weigh you down with a thick coat of frosting, just a simple sweet and sour glaze. But keep the servings small because they are richer than they appear. I didn’t want to call it a lemon pound cake because technically it’s not (this Italian Lemon Bundt Cake is much closer). I also didn’t want to call it a lemon cake because it isn’t fluffy, soft, or spongey enough to be called a cake (in my opinion). The texture is much more suitable to a bar (not to be confused with lemon bars, haha I should just stop now!!) and the cream cheese in the title reminds you that you’ll need to add that to the grocery list when making these this summer. Enjoy!