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Romano's Macaroni Grill Lemon Passion Recipe
Romano's Macaroni Grill Lemon Passion
By Todd Wilbur

Recipe Type: Dessert
Calories: 1150
Cook Time: 1 hour
Recipe Rating: 4.5 (8 reviews)
 

Menu Description: "Citrus cake soaked in a sweet cream, topped with lemon mousse and finished off with our fresh Italian whipped cream and caramel."

When creating this delicious dessert, chefs at Romano's must have been thinking about the Tres Leches Cake that is popular throughout Latin America. The traditional Mexican recipe describes a dense vanilla cake soaked with three types of milk: Whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. This creates a very moist and rich dessert that is an excellent finish to pretty much any meal. Romano's twist on the traditional favorite is the addition of citrus juices to the cake, a creamier soaking liquid, and a tangy lemon topping. I first tried re-creating the cake with boxed mixes, but they all produce cakes that are much too light and moist, and inevitably turn to mush when soaked in the sweet liquid. The final solution is a scratch cake recipe that yields denser, yet still moist citrus cake that holds up to the eventual drenching. Nevertheless, you will want to eat this dessert within a day or two of the soaking or it may start to get all gooey on you. And be sure to store any leftovers in the fridge.

Source: "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3" by Todd Wilbur.
Cake
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
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Julie  
Submitted on 02/29/08
I bake all the time and I made this recipe. It was so disgusting I threw it in the trash!
Heather  
Submitted on 02/04/08
Well, I've become famous for this cake. I've experimented and made a coconut version using of this cake. Some say they like it even better, but I definately give this recipe 5 stars!
Jennifer  
Submitted on 02/25/07
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy! This was incredible!!! I made it for Valentine's Day for my husband and kids. I will make it again and again. It was so rich but wonderful!
Lynette  
Submitted on 02/20/07
Thank you, Todd for this absolutely fantastic dessert! The texture of the cake was exactly right - moist yet firm, the poured milky layer was heavenly, and the lemon cream was rich but not too sweet. I made it for my family and company, and it was so much fun to watch and HEAR the reactions. Thank you for making cooking so much fun, and bringing such wonderful delicacies to our table at home.
Victoria  
Submitted on 02/20/07
Delicious! You've heard of "To Die For Chocolate desserts"?? This is a "To Die For Lemon Dessert"! My husband and son both loved it.
Kathy H.  
Submitted on 02/16/07
I made this recipe early yesterday morning and served it for dessert after dinner (it had been chilling all day). It was tasty, but it didn't exactly knock our socks off. (The serving size is *EXTREMELY* plentiful.) had a piece this morning after it sat overnight and it was nothing short of incredible! I would recommend that if you're preparing this for a special dessert, do so a day ahead of time. And don't leave out the caramel topping. It makes for a lovely presentation, but also adds so much to the flavor. I was hesitant to try it at first because it didn't sound like it would compliment the citrus, but apparently Todd really knows what he's doing! :-)
Kathy Skagen  
Submitted on 02/15/07
I sent this recipe to my daughter the other day and she surprised me by making it for my anniversary the very next day. It is the best cake I have eaten in years! I have never had the original version at Romano's, but this was moist and almost sinfully delicious. Thanks for a great recipe.
Larry  
Submitted on 02/15/07
My daughter made this for our anniversary dinner. It was really, really, really good. Exquisite texture, the balance between the texture of the cake (a little heavy and grainy), with the frosting (light and creamy, and not sweet) was truly delightful. This will be a hit with anyone, unless they hate citrus. Too bad!