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.
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Can I add the juice of the lemon, or lemon extract in addition to the vanilla?
Hi Mark, why don’t you try half and half and see how it goes?
Curious if one might use lemon extract rather than vanilla extract to enhance the lemon flavor. I love lemon but wondered if zest of one lemon gives it enough “lemon” taste. Looks wonderful! Thanks!
Hi Sandy, thanks, for me the lemon taste was good, but if you prefer a stronger taste then by all means try using the extract. But did you know that the stronger lemon taste is in the zest and not the juice. I discovered that not too long ago. Have a great day.
I’m totally fine with having cake for breakfast! The Italians know what they’re doing! Love this recipe and I always have way too many lemons around so I need to make a cake! 🙂
Hi Whitney, thanks hope you enjoy it.
Oh how I adore lemon cake! Your version looks divine! Can’t wait to try this Rosemary!
Hi Megan Thanks, let me know how you like it.
How lovely, I will take a Lemon Cake over a Chocolate cake every day of the week and twice on a Sunday, this one looks like I may have to break out my little used baking boots 😀
Thanks Brian, my husband would agree! Hope you enjoy it!
Luscious indeed! I adore lemon cake. This one looks like a perfect after dinner treat my husband would love!
Hi Diane, thanks I love lemon dessert also.
I lost my bundt cake pan in a recent move and now I know I need to get another one to make this lemon cake. It looks so delicious!!
Hi Tracy, I love bundt cakes, I’m starting a collection. Have a great weekend.
Anything Lemon works for me! Now I’ve got to try this recipe. Looks so scrumptious!
Hi Tina, thanks hope you enjoy it.
I cannot believe that I’ve yet to make this recipe. Every single time I see it, I want a piece! I’m hosting a shower soon, maybe I’ll make it for that 🙂
Hi Renee, thanks hope you like it. Have a great weekend.
This is ridiculously gorgeous and sounds delicious! The title alone grabbed me!
Thanks Karen, it’s pretty yummy, have a great weekend.
This cake looks absolutely delicious!
Thanks Julie.
I love how beautiful this cake is, and it sounds fabulous. In the article you say that Italian cakes are more compact and less moist. Would you say this cake is sort of dry & dense? What would you compare the texture to? I only ask because if it’s not moist enough I will be the only one that eats it…the last thing I need is to eat the better part of an entire cake all by myself, haha.
Thanks for the share
Hi Wendi, thanks, no I wouldn’t say this is dry, I would compare it to a pound cake except maybe a bit lighter. I’m sure they will like it. Hope that helps, or you could freeze half (let cool completely, wrap first in plastic then foil before freezing, to thaw unwrap and let thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes) that way you aren’t technically eating a whole cake. Have a great week.
Love your website. Want to make your Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake but don’t have any cream in the house. Can I use 2% milk?
Hi Marzia, thanks so much, I discovered that in order to substitute milk for the cream, instead of 2/3 cup cream you can use 7 tablespoons milk and 3 1/2 tablespoons butter melted (stir them together) and add in place of the cream. If you are using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt instead of 1/2. Should work let me know. Hope that helps.
Hi! I appreciate the metric measurements in the recipe. Thank you!
Hi Hillevi, your welcome. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Hi Rosemary,
I’m from Australia and would like to know with the flour is it Plain Flour or Self Raising Flour?
Would love to try to make this cake as it looks very inviting.
Regards
Narelle
Hi Narelle, thanks, it is plain flour (or all purpose flour). Just to let you know, when I write flour it’s always plain/all purpose. Hope that helps, have a great Sunday.