Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake
This Italian Lemon Cake, is made with fresh Cream and lemons. It makes a tasty breakfast or snack cake. Dress it up with some fresh fruit and whipped cream to make the perfect dessert. A fast, easy and delicious Lemon Cake recipe.
This is one of the first Italian cakes that I ever made and still one of the Italian’s favorites. It’s simple and with a dusting of powdered sugar it’s exactly how he likes it!
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – all purpose or cake/pastry flour
- Baking powder
- Salt – if you use unsalted butter then add a bit more salt
- Butter – softened
- Eggs – room temperature
- Egg yolk – room temperature
- Sugar – powdered, icing or also known as confectioners’ sugar
- Cream – heavy, whole or whipping cream with at least 30% fat
- Lemon – lemon zest
- Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice is best
- Vanilla – vanilla extract or lemon flavor if you prefer
How to make homemade Cake/Pastry flour
For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free.
Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
Why use room temperature ingredients?
When at room temperature, eggs, butter, and other dairy ingredients form an emulsion which traps air. While baking in the oven, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy baked good.
So be sure to remove the ingredients from the fridge 45-60 minutes before baking, sooner if you have a cool house.
How to Make an Easy Lemon Cake
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Melt the butter in a small pot or microwave, and let the butter cool.
In a large mixing bowl on medium speed or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, yolk and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
With a spatula gently fold the flour mixture, alternating with the cream into the egg mixture, keep folding until mixture is completely combined, then gently fold in the zest, vanilla, melted butter and lemon juice.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or or a few crumbs attached.
Let the cake cool a bit in the pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered/icing sugar, before serving. This cake would also be delicious served with some whipped cream and fresh blueberries!
How do you prevent your bundt cake from sticking to the pan?
Grease the pan all over, into the crevices, and then dust with flour. Dump out any excess flour. This should allow the pan to release the cake nicely when it is turned over.
How high should you fill a bundt pan?
You should leave a few inches from the top to allow for rising, which is about ⅔ full.
What does an Italian cake taste like?
I find Italian cakes to be less sweet than traditional North American cakes, the crumb is more compact and sometimes not as moist. That’s why they make the best breakfast or snack cakes to be enjoyed with a cappuccino or an afternoon tea.
This cake has the same texture as my Easy Yogurt Cake it is actually quite similar to a Pound Cake.
Italians don’t usually serve cake for dessert. Unless of course they make a cake such as a Tiramisu or a Fancy Cake for a birthday. In fact dessert isn’t very common. They prefer to serve fruit or even a fresh fruit salad.
Different ways to serve the Fresh Cream Lemon Cake
If you prefer to make the cake in a 9 inch cake pan, you could slice it through the centre to make it into a layer cake. Fill it with a simple Italian Pastry Cream , or even a Lemon Curd, or a simple whipped cream filling or even topping with some fresh berries, it would make a simple but perfect after dinner dessert.
You could even add a simple Powdered Sugar Glaze or lemon glaze rather than a dusting of powdered sugar. I don’t think I would use a buttercream frosting or a lemon cream cheese frosting as I think they could be too overpowering for this cake. But it’s up to you.
How to store a Homemade Cake
The cake should be stored in an airtight container or a covered cake dish. It will keep at room temperature for approximately 3-4 days.
The cake can also be frozen. Wrap the cooled cake (or slice the cake and freeze the slices individually), tightly in plastic and place in a freezer safe bag or container. It will keep for up to three months in the freezer.
I love lemons, I think it is one of the best citrus fruits for baking. Lemon bread, Lemon Cheesecake or one of my all time favourites, Italian Lemon Sorbet.
Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake is fast and really tasty, all it needs is a little dusting of icing sugar/powdered sugar and it is perfect. Enjoy!
Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or cake/pastry flour (258 grams total)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 large yolk room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups icing/powdered sugar
- 2/3 cup whole/heavy or whipping cream room temperature (at least 30% fat content)
- 1 zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
For room temperature remove the ingredients from the fridge approximately 45-60 minutes before using.
TOPPING
- 2-3 tablespoons icing / powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease and flour a 9 1/2 inch bundt cake pan (24 cm) (I'm sure a 9 inch/23 cm round cake pan would work).
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small pot or microwave, and let the butter cool.
- In a large mixing bowl on medium speed or the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, yolk and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- With a spatula gently fold the flour mixture, alternating with the cream into the egg mixture, keep folding until mixture is completely combined, then gently fold in the zest, vanilla ,melted butter and lemon juice.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or or a few crumbs attached.
- Let the cake cool 15-20 minutes in the pan then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered/icing sugar, before serving. This cake would also be delicious served with some whipped cream and fresh blueberries!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Republished from December 24, 2015.
.
What a beautiful lemon cake. It looks so moist and delicious!
Hi Joanie, thanks, it went pretty quick.:)
Looks delicious. Cannot wait to try the recipe. Can I please confirm if this recipe uses “caster” sugar or icing sugar to beat with the eggs? I am in Australia and I usually use caster sugar not the sugar you use to dust the tops of cake or use to make icing.
Hi Ali, this recipe uses icing sugar to beat with the eggs, since writing a blog I never realized just how many different names for sugars there are in the world. So your “caster” sugar is what I call fruit sugar or fine sugar and powdered sugar is also icing sugar. I should write a post just on sugar. 🙂 Have a great day.
So use only powdered sugar?
Hi Wynn, that’s correct powdered/icing sugar is used. 🙂
I love how easy this recipe sounds, and the fresh flavors! Perfect for a dinner party. Thank you for the inspiration.
Hi Denise, yes it is quite easy, hope you enjoy it.
gorgeous Italian Lemon Cake!!!!
Thanks Alice. 🙂
This cake is perfect for me, love the lemon flavors and the fresh cream!
Hi Christie, thanks hope you enjoy it.
What a lovely cake, Rosemary!
Thanks Lauren, it was yummy too. 🙂
Oh, I can0t resist anything with lemon. Pinned!
If you have time, I would love for you to share this post over at the Really Crafty link party that is live right now! (http://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com.es/2016/01/the-really-crafty-link-party-1-is-live.html).
Hi Teresa, thanks I just shared it. 🙂
Just a quick note to let you know that I’ve featured this post today on The Really Crafty Link Party Features. Come and grab an “I was featured” button and browse around for the other features here: http://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com.es/2016/01/welcome-to-first-really-crafty-link.html
Congratulations!
Oh My Gosh this looks yummy! I adore lemon pound cake and this sounds like it’s taken to a whole new level!
I’m visiting from My Turn For Fun’s Freedom Fridays Blog Hope.
I would love to invite you to join us and share each week at Brag About It link party on VMG206 (Mondays at Midnight).
~ Megin of VMG206
Hi Megin, thanks for stopping by.
Looks absolutely ymmilicious The icing sugar on the top seals it. ! #homematters
Hi Ann, thanks.
Sounds yummy. Do you whip the cream before folding in?
Hi Janet, no you don’t whip the cream. Have a great day.
What exactly is “whole” cream?
Hi Donna whole cream is heavy cream, that is the only cream available in Italy, so you could use heavy cream or whipping cream. Happy New Year.
This really looks so gorgeous, I keep clicking on the Buzzfeed article it featured in to come and look at how beautiful it is, time and time again!
Hi Jo, haha thanks I kind of liked it too 🙂 Have a Happy New Year.
What a gorgeous dessert! This sounds wonderful!
Hi Liz, thanks so much. Happy New Year.
Merry, Merry Christmas! Hope it’s a great one for you and your family — P.S. Great photos 🙂
Hi April,thanks, Merry Christmas to you too, a bit late but it’s not over yet! 🙂
I just love anything with lemon in it. Can’t wait to make this. Have already printed the recipe. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
Hi Ann, thanks, hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas to you and your family! 🙂
Made this this morning for my husbands birthday. He really likes it, has been dunking it in his coffee all is day. I thought it would be moisture, maybe I did not miss the eggs long enough. This is a make again.
Hi Jan, so glad he liked it. Italian cakes aren’t as moist as the North American cakes that we usually make and eat that’s why they are usually served with tea or coffee, or in the morning with a cafe latte, and just like your husband is doing! 🙂