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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This was a wonderful recipe. My mother is from Florence, Italy and she always made cakes without frostings. So, I like these plain type of tea/coffee cakes. I have been looking for a heavier pound cake like this. It’s perfect. Now, I want to try your orange cake. Thank you.
Thanks MG so glad you like it, and your mother is from one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. You might want to try the Yogurt Cake too, that’s my eldest daughter’s favourite. Have a great week.
My mother-in-law is from the Naples area, and she to makes a similar cake, more like a sponge. This is the closest I will ever come to her cake and she loved it, we all did. It looks exactly as yours. Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to try other recipes. Grazie!
Hi Sonia, thanks your welcome and so glad to hear that. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Is there a recipe you have for more of a sponge cake texture
Hi Kathy, I do have an Italian Sponge cake (that was my mother-in-law’s recipe) on the blog. Here is the link. Italian Sponge cakes are quite dry that’s why they are great for a tiramisu. Hope this helps. Have a great week.
Can you make this in a springform pan? I thought it would be good adding in blueberries.
Hi Sara, I don’t see why not, and I’m sure it will be delicious with blueberries. Let me know how you like it.
This cake is just what it claims to be and needs the help of some applied apricot jam or dunking in the coffee. Not exciting. I made it for a “girlie” tea party. It didn’t exactly bomb but no-one asked for the recipe. (UK)
Hi Pauline thanks, but this is exactly what this cake is suppose to be, an Italian type pound cake, a breakfast cake that is also perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. Maybe no one asked for the recipe, because they already have it! 😉
Could you use yogurt instead of heaven cream
Hi Lisa, well you could apparently but you should use full fat greek yogurt. Hope that helps.
Can I use sour cream? Or just 2% milk. I hate to run to store to just get cream..
Thanks for response in advance 🙂
Hi Kara, I think sour cream would give it a totally different taste, I only make it with cream so I can’t say if it would work or not.
Just made this cake and it didn’t disappoint! Fast, easy and I just about had everything at home. It is a moist lemony pound like cake. Will go great with a cup of tea! I can see adding fresh berries and cream in the summer to make it a dessert. A keeper! I’ve shared the recipe on my Facebook page!
Hi Sheyla, So glad you enjoyed it, and yes fresh berries in the summer I think it would be perfect. 🙂
I whipped this cake up in a matter of minutes. It was delicious. Everyone loved it, especially my dog Max, he grabbed a piece right off my plate. It was light and lemony. I would definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing it.
Hi Kelly, So glad everyone and including your dog enjoyed it. Thank you! 🙂
Do you use salted or unsalted butter? Or, do you use margarine?
Hi Heather I always use salted butter. Un salted is very hard to find in Italy.
Thank you! Made it yesterday. Perfect for morning with a cup of coffee!
Hi Heather so glad you enjoy it. Have a wonderful weekend.
Can you send me the recipe for Italian cream lemon cake please. Jnlcag@aol.com
Hi June, the recipe for the Lemon Cake is on the page. Hope that helps.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I used the zest of a large lemon from my lemon tree and it was delicious!
Hi Sandy, thanks so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I’ve made this cake twice in the past two weeks. My family loves it for breakfast. It’s super easy, super quick and super delicious!
Hi Sheila, thanks so glad you all enjoy it! Have a great week.
I just made this and it is amazing! I am using it as the cake in a strawberry trifle for a dinner party tomorrow night. I think it’s going to be a hit!
Hi Michelle, so glad you liked it, let me know how it went. Have a great weekend.
Hello – I actually just made this cake and took it out of the oven a few minutes ago. A couple of questions: Did you use a flute pan in the pic?
How long should it cool in the pan before removing it to a rack?
What makes this specifically Italian?
I can’t wait to taste it as soon as it cools enough -mine however doesn’t look as pretty on top as yours – having w/iced tea because it’s way too hot today for hot tea.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Michelle, I hope you enjoyed the cake, I actually used a tube pan, I let it cool to the touch and then removed it. What makes it an Italian cake is the fact that is quite plain and dusted with a little Powdered sugar, no frostings or extras. Perfect with a cup of tea.
Holy smokes! Beautiful
Thanks so much Heather.
Rosemary I have fallen in love with his recipe and I know it’s a real keeper xoxo
Hi Beverley, thanks, it one of our favourites! 🙂 Have a great weekend.
Hi Rosemary, instead of the powdered sugar, can I substitute it with normal caster sugar? Thanks.
Hi Susy, to tell you the truth I don’t think I would, because icing sugar is a lot finer than caster sugar. But if you feel like trying it give it a try, why not half the recipe to see and let me know if you do. Have a great weekend.
It came out great! I need to get a bundt pan like you used. This will be a staple cake for me. Thanks.
Hi Sherry, so glad you enjoy it. Hope you get your bundt pan. Have a great week. 🙂
I made this beautiful cake …its in the oven! I was aittle confused with how you wanted to alternate the items (l”m not good at cooking). Smells great!! Can’t wait!
Hi Sherry, sorry you were confused, I will have to check out the instructions. Hope you enjoy it, let me know.