Lemon Chesscake Squares

15.25 oz. lemon cake mix

1/2 c. softened butter (1 stick)

1 egg (room temperture)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 c. powdered sugar (1 box)

3 eggs (room temperature)

1/4 c. lemon juice*, OR

2 t. lemon extract

1 t. lemon zest, optional

Heat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 dish. Combine cake mix, softened butter, and 1 egg. If it's still too dry, add a little water, should be like dough. Press in bottom of dish. Beat cream cheese. Add powdered sugar. Add remaining eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Add lemon juice* and extract. Beat well. Pour over crust. Bake 45 minutes. Cool before cutting. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. 

*Use lemon juice only if using yellow cake mix.

**The original chesscake square recipe (from the early 2000's) called for an 18 oz. box of cake mix, plus the same amounts of other ingredients in this recipe. Most mixes these days are 15 oz, and a few are 13! To make the recipe come out like the original, you will need to add 2/3 c. additional cake mix (can be yellow or white if you don't have lemon) to a 15 oz cake mix, and an additional 1 c. cake mix to a 13 oz. cake mix.