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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does the recipe call for granulated sugar or powered sugar???? so confusing
Hi Phyllis, I don’t understand why it is confusing, it’s written powdered sugar in the recipe card. 🙂
I made this for new year’s. I’m late to rate it. I usually give my sweets away to get rid of them since we are a small family of 3. But I kept this cake because it was my favorite dessert I made. I ate it for breakfast every day. Thank you! So good.
Hi Ashley, thanks so much, so glad you liked the cake. Yes it’s a great breakfast cake. Take care.
Hi Rosemary,
Can I use self rising flour for this recipe?
Hi Diana, no I don’t recommend self rising plain flour is the best. 🙂
I just made this and took it out at 40 minutes to test. It was done but it did not brown.
What did I do wrong?
Hi Janie, make sure your oven is pre-heated to the correct temperature and don’t cut down on the sugar, the sugar also helps the cake brown. Let me know.
I’m thinking of making this for Christmas Day, light dessert post-dinner. Can I make it day before and leave on counter or does it have to go in fridge? (My fridge is fast filling up with everything else!) Thanks.
Hi Emma, no it doesn’t have to be refrigerated for a day, just make sure to cover it (for example a covered cake dish) and it will be fine. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas.
I followed recipe and was a little concerned it might be dry. While baking I looked at comments and I see some about adjustments for this that I will try next time
It’s still warm and being devoured by my family. When we love a cake it gets a Ratburn rating (Arthur – kids show on PBS) This one is a definite Ratburn. Hope this link works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpIKcHGYPXc
Hi Christina, thanks so much, so glad everyone liked it. When I first made it it was quite dry (although Italian cakes usually are) I removed a whole egg and substituted with a yolk, that seemed to help a lot. But if it is still too dry then definitely try some other adjustments or even substitute 2 whole eggs for 2 yolks. Let me know. The link is so cute. Love cake!
Good Morning, I am going to make this recipe today, and I see in the recipe it says 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk. When I read the directions it says to add the eggs to sugar, is that when the extra egg yolk gets added to the recipe?
Excited to make this cake.
Hi Donelle yes you should add the eggs and yolk, I corrected it. Thanks, I hope you enjoy it, let me know how it goes.
This cake looks delicious! I’m planning to make this tomorrow but I prefer to bake with weight vs. the US Customary measurements. I’m clicking on the Metric link and it just reloads the page but with US measurements still. Is it my phone browser or is the link not functioning?
Hi Heather, I added the metric in grams for you, strange that it doesn’t work, I think it could be on your side, because it is working on mine. Let me know how it goes.
I only have granulated sugar – would that work? And if so, how much do you suggest?
Hi Jill, I wouldn’t advise substituting with granulated because of the difference in texture and also because powdered sugar does contain a little corn starch. Although you could try blending 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of corn starch until powdery, that should work, that would equal 1 cup of powdered sugar. Let me know how it goes if you try that.
I have made this cake about 4 or 5 times for my family, and so far everyone lovesss it. It’s moist, light, flavorful, and airy. Wonderful with coffee or tea in the morning. I add a little bit more heavy cream so the batter is not too dense and it always turns out perfectly. Thank you for this great recipe 🙂
Hi Sophia thanks so much, and great idea with adding a little extra cream. Have a great Sunday.
Hello, this look a beautiful cake. I would like to try and bake one. The problem is you don’t mention grams , which now all kinds of weight are in grams. Here in Europe we don’t really understand cups measurements and it is very frustrating when I want to bake something that gives all the weights in cups. I would be really glad to follow your lovely baking if I could understand the measurements in grams. Thankyou.
Hi Serverina, yes there is metric, under ingredients there is US Customary – Metric, just click on metric and you will get the gram measurements. 🙂
Unfortunately, I have made this twice , it turned out very dry both times. Even had it in the oven for less baking time.
Hi Heather, yes Italian cakes are on the drier side, that’s why they are eaten with a cup of tea or espresso. If you wanted to give it a 3rd try, try making it with 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks, that should moisten it up a bit. Let me know.
Hi, can this cake be frozen and thawed at a later date?
Hi Jaime, yes it can, wrap it well in foil or plastic wrap then place it in a freezer safe bag or container. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. To defrost, remove from the bag and wrapping and let stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Hope that helps.
Is it possible to use any other type of sugar rather than icing sugar?
Hi Alisha, you could try using a fine granulated sugar. I have only made the cake with icing sugar though.
Wow, this is one really GREAT cake. Light and delicious. Follow recipe exactly and it will be perfect.