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!

Republished from December 24, 2015.

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